CASPER — The Petroleum Association of Wyoming (PAW), representing Wyoming’s primary economic driver, has urged the Biden Administration to ensure the uninterrupted flow of necessary permits for oil and natural gas production in the event of a government shutdown. This appeal comes on behalf of the thousands employed within the industry in Wyoming, the hundreds of thousands of Wyoming residents who depend on its vitality and the millions of Americans concerned about escalating fuel prices.
Wyoming’s natural gas and oil industry, from exploration and production to processing, transportation and businesses services have contributed more than $2.7 billion in tax revenues to the state of Wyoming – including $1.3 billion directly to Wyoming’s K-12 education system.
“As the second-largest source of revenue to the federal government after the IRS, the federal mineral program can fully fund its staffing and operation costs,” said PAW President Pete Obermueller. “Permitting successfully continued during the 2019 shutdown and any attempt to shutter the program now would be nothing more than Washington political theater that would harm Wyoming communities.”
As the second-highest producer of crude oil on federal lands in the nation, Wyoming plays a pivotal role in ensuring that the United States maintains an adequate supply of crude oil. This is especially crucial given the challenges posed by foreign cartels and the effects of supply shortages in the global oil market. With rising fuel costs for transportation, home heating and cooking, largely attributed to limited global supply and U.S. government policies, it is imperative that domestic crude oil production remains unimpeded, even during periods of political gridlock resulting in government shutdowns.
PAW’s letter to Interior Secretary Deb Haaland and BLM Director Tracy Stone-Manning follows below and is also posted online at https://pawyo.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/PAW-Letter-to-DOI-permits-in-shutdown-FINAL-9.25.23.pdf.
Representing Wyoming’s primary economic engine, the Petroleum Association of Wyoming is the voice of the oil and gas industry. Our members produce 90 percent of Wyoming’s oil and gas, generating over $5 billion in economic activity and employing more than 16,000 of Wyoming’s hardworking men and women. PAW strives to foster mutually beneficial relationships with Wyoming’s landowners, businesses and communities while promoting the sustainable production of Wyoming’s abundant resources.

Dear Secretary Haaland and Director Stone-Manning:
On behalf of the thousands of people who work in the natural gas and oil industry in Wyoming, the hundreds of thousands of people in Wyoming that rely on the industry’s vibrancy, and the millions of people in the United States concerned about rising fuel prices, we write you today to request that necessary permits for pending production of oil and natural gas continue to flow in the event of a government shutdown.
The Petroleum Association of Wyoming (PAW) represents companies involved in all aspects of responsible oil and natural gas development in Wyoming, including upstream production, oilfield services, midstream processing, pipeline transportation and essential work such as legal services, accounting, consulting and more. Collectively, the natural gas and oil industry provided $2.7 billion in tax revenue to the State of Wyoming, with over $1.3 billion directed towards Wyoming’s K-12 school children. The industry is responsible for over $8 billion in state GDP and careers for more than 19,000 men and women.
As the nation’s second-highest producer of crude oil on federal lands, Wyoming plays an important role in ensuring that the nation produces sufficient quantities of crude oil to offset the decisions of foreign cartels and the impacts of supply crunches in the oil market. Americans face increasing costs of fuel for transportation, home heating and cooking in response to limited global supply and U.S. government policies. It is critically important to ensure that maximum amounts of domestic crude oil are produced and processed even during political gridlock resulting in a government shutdown.
Given that the Bureau of Land Management’s federal mineral program is the second-largest source of revenue to the federal government, the program more than covers the costs associated with staffing and resources necessary to approve permits. The program can operate self-sufficiently, and did so during the last shutdown in 2019 to the great benefit of the American people and the State of Wyoming. The program should be allowed to do so again in the event of a shutdown this year.

Sincerely,

Pete Obermueller,

President

Petroleum Association of Wyoming