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Oil & Gas

Outcomes of Higher Federal Coal and Natural Gas Royalty Rates

December 2015

coal-shovel-and-haul-truck

Analysis shows that proposed federal royalty reforms will increase the cost of delivering natural gas to domestic power plants by a greater amount than coal.

Unconventional Oil and Gas Revenues to Local Governments

March 2015

Med-western US states

This report includes seven major energy-producing states and a new interactive adds four more (AR, LA, and PA). The study and interactive compare how local governments receive production tax revenue from unconventional oil and natural gas.

Falling Oil Prices: Good for the U.S. Economy, Bad for Shale Communities?

November 2014

Headwaters-staff-Mark-Haggerty

Lower oil prices could be great for the economy, but for the communities dependent on drilling, the price drop may prove challenging for several reasons.

How Is Fracking Shaping Your Community and Economy?

November 2014

Monitoring can help local governments better understand the socioeconomic impacts caused by energy development, and support requests to industry and state government for assistance to implement appropriate mitigation.

Fiscal Lessons for State and Local Governments

September 2013

This report explores the challenges for states and local communities caused by unconventional oil and natural gas development, and fiscal best practices that address them.

Report: New Mexico’s Oil and Natural Gas Industry

June 2012

drilling rig in New Mexico

This graphical analysis reviews the status of New Mexico’s oil and gas industry including production, drilling activity, and its role in the state’s economy.

Report: Colorado’s Oil and Natural Gas Industry

June 2012

drilling rig

This graphical analysis reviews the status of Colorado’s oil and gas industry including production, drilling activity, tax policy, its role in Colorado’s economy.

Unconventional Oil and North Dakota Communities: State Fiscal Policy Unprepared for Impacts of Energy Development

April 2012

drilling rig

This report analyzes the growing infrastructure and services needs of the Bakken boom and meeting the demands of unconventional energy development.

Report: The Status of Utah’s Oil and Gas Industry

February 2012

drilling rig in Utah

This graphical analysis shows that Utah’s oil and gas industry was recovering at the time of the report.

County Level Drilling Activity, 2001-2011

February 2012

Image of rig count interactive

This report focuses on county-level details of drilling rig activity for the period 2001 to 2011 in the six Rocky Mountain oil and gas states of Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming.

Drilling Rig Activity Nears 20-Year High

June 2011

A graphical analysis of oil and natural gas drilling in the United States which now has returned to pre-recession levels.

Fossil Fuel Extraction and Western Economies

April 2011

Rig Worker in Western Colorado

This study analyzes the fossil fuel economy in five Rocky Mountain states—CO, MT, NM, UT, and WY—and how states and communities can maximize benefits and minimize the costs of energy development.

Oil Shale: 14 Unanswered Questions

April 2010

This report summarizes research and policy documents, and provides a brief overview of the status of oil shale development in the U.S. West.

Development Timeline: Oil Shale Activities in Colorado and Utah

January 2010

While a handful of companies reported being active in the field-testing of new technologies in 2009, only one company had announced plans to upscale to a prototype (semi-works scale) facility.

Energy Development and the Changing Economy of the West-report summary

December 2009

This study examines how the West has changed, the rising importance of environmental amenities, and the relative role of energy development in the economy of western states.

Energy Revenue in the Intermountain West

November 2009

This report examines the extent of energy reserves in the U.S. and on western public lands, and their scale in light of domestic production and consumption trends.

U.S. Energy Needs and the Role of Western Public Lands

November 2009

This report discusses the supply-side orientation of U.S. energy policy, and reviews existing data that describe available reserves, pricing structures, and patterns of consumption and demand.

Fossil Fuel Extraction as a County Economic Development Strategy: Are Energy-Focusing Counties Benefiting?

November 2009

Cover of Report

This report examines fossil fuel extraction as an economic development strategy for rural Western counties and whether it has benefited counties in the long run.

Potential Impacts of Energy Development in New Mexico, with a Case Study of Otero County

November 2009

New Mexico Case Study-report cover

This report analyzes the economic and fiscal contribution of the oil and natural gas industries in New Mexico along with a case study of proposed energy development on Otero Mesa.

Oil Shale Library: Getting Started in Publicly Available Sources

July 2009

For those wishing to dig deeper into the current politics and economics of oil shale, Headwaters Economics recommends the following sources.

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