Uranium, Oil and Gas

Thursday's Cilbola County Beacon (http://cibolabeacon.com) headlined, "Residents campaign to support uranium mining." Here is the beginning of the story,
"GRANTS - The Cibola Communities Economic Development Board hosted a 'grassroots action' meeting on Tuesday morning in an effort to help push uranium mining forward in Cibola County. “We (CCED) recognized a void and residents were requesting assistance,” said Lawrence Sanchez, president of the organization and local business owner. “I think people felt blindsided by certain issues that arose and the reason for the 'grassroots action' meeting is to educate residents about uranium mining so they have a voice and can control their own and their children's destiny.”

Sanchez said he knows that Mount Taylor's recent temporary status as a state registered as a cultural property was a direct effort against uranium mining.
“CCED supports uranium mining,” Sanchez added. “The industry is viable and sound, and it is economically safe.”
"Sanchez said that he realizes the uranium mining legacy is not good and things were done that should've never been done, “but the industry today is much different, it is done responsibly and we need the jobs.”

The Farmington Daily Times (http://www.daily-times.com) today had a long roundup of local reactions to the drop in the price of natural gas. Find the story in the Most Viewed box on the right side of the screen. The headline said,
"Gas price drop could trigger production slowdown." Cornelia de Bruin was the reporter. Here is the beginning of the story,
"FARMINGTON — Recent drops in natural gas prices, combined with high drilling costs and anticipated pit rule-related costs to local producers, may result in an industry slowdown in New Mexico.
"I think we could be in for a big slowdown," D.J. Simmons Inc. President and CEO John Byrom said. "Drilling rates in New Mexico are already way down compared to other states."
"The rig count in the San Juan Basin, including the Colorado side, stood at 43 one week ago. Of that number, 35 rigs were working. Bureau of Land Management spokesman Bill Papich said the statistics are from last week, the most recent available information.
"Work-over rigs, used to restore or increase a well's production, numbered 147, of which 125 were working.
"Papich said the Farmington Field Office of the Bureau of Land Management has issued 413 application to drill permits, or APDs, to date this fiscal year, compared with 509 this time last year."