HEI Resources (Heartland Energy Inc)

Article posted by: Heartland Energy Colorado

HEI Resources (formerly Heartland Energy Company, Inc.) was founded in 1997 by Mr. Reed Cagle for the acquisition, exploration and development of domestic oil and gas reserves. Operations span from the gas rich counties of South Texas to the Black Warrior Basin of Mississippi and Alabama. Having drilled more than 80 oil and gas wells through private Joint Venture funding, HEI Resources continues a tradition of excellence, placing priority on creating value for its partners.

Mr. Reed Cagle is President & Chief Executive Officer of HEI Resources. His oil and gas career began more than 20 years ago, as he worked his way up through the management ranks of independent oil and gas companies.

Upon founding Heartland Energy, Inc. in 1997, he consolidated his experience into steady growth of the company through acreage acquisitions from Alabama to South Texas. He spends his free time involved in local charities and enjoying the outdoors of Colorado with his family.

More Articles on Heartland Energy Colorado | Heartland Energy

Heartland Energy Company: Solidifying Domestic Energy Production

As energy concerns grow around the globe, the need for domestic oil production in the United States is higher than ever. It is no secret that America needs to decrease its dependency on foreign energy sources. In order to achieve economic and energy independence, it is crucial that we search for hydrocarbons right here in our own backyard. There are huge shale oil deposits underneath parts of Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Oklahoma and other mid west states. These build ups could easily supply our energy needs for centuries to come. On the leading edge of this domestic oil boom is Colorado based company, Heartland Energy. Producing both oil and natural gas, Heartland Energy Company is working to ensure the future of Colorado Energy.

The primary focus of the company is to search for, drill for, and extract oil and natural gas. In the state of Colorado alone, there are massive oil deposits thousands of feet below the surface of the Earth. It takes a lot of research and planning in order to tap into these ancient deposits of fuel. Heartland Energy Colorado employs hundreds of specialists whose collective goal is to harness the full potential of Colorado Energy. While searching for new, efficient sources of energy is indeed important, the reality is that we will need oil and natural gas for thousands of years to come. To meet this demand, we must look everywhere for hydrocarbons. Not just on foreign soil, or in deep ocean waters, but also in our own backyard. Heartland Energy Colorado is constantly producing petroleum fuels and natural gas from domestic sites. In addition to the oil production, Heartland specializes in finding and extracting natural gas. Natural gas is soon becoming a major staple in the energy industry. Many are beginning to realize that gas is cheap and effective as far as energy production is concerned. Combining natural gas resources with existing oil production will help to ensure the future of Colorado Energy.

Domestic oil companies like Heartland Energy are blazing a path to a new energy frontier. Not only are they employing thousands of American workers, but they are also reducing our dependency on foreign oil slowly but surely. By searching for, and utilizing domestic fossil fuel deposits, we are taking the steps necessary to ensure the energy needs of the next generation are met.

Colorado Getting $4.7M from Stimulus for Appliance Rebates

Colorado will get $4,739,253 in federal stimulus funds for a rebate program to promote the purchase of energy-efficient appliances.

The money -- to be distributed through the state -- will be paid to those who buy appliances rated under the federal "Energy Star" program, according to a joint announcement from Colorado's two U.S. senators, Mark Udall and Michael Bennet.

"The state will determine how to structure the rebate program," the senators' announcement said.

The appliance rebate program was authorized by Congress in 2005 but was not funded. The stimulus program -- formally known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 -- appropriated $300 million for the program.

Colorado and other states must tell federal officials by Oct. 15 how they plan to distribute the rebates in their own states, including which appliances will be covered, how large the rebates will be and how old appliances will be recycled. The states' initial application for the money is due Aug. 15.

(Source: denvernews@bizjournals.com)

Stimulus Money May Finally Flow To Green Energy

It's been a long time coming, but green Colorado Energy businesses are about to get their promised boost from the economic stimulus package that President Obama signed into law in February.

The Secretary of Treasury on Thursday announced rules that will finally allow developers of wind, solar, biomass and other green energy projects to apply for a total of $3 billion in federal grants to cover upfront project costs. The funding, part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, will be critical to boosting the fortunes of limping green industries like wind power, where total installations in 2009 will likely fall 40% below last year as a result of the broad economic downturn.

Large wind projects depended heavily on tax-equity investors during the wind power boom from 2006 to 2008. Institutional investors such as now-defunct Lehman Brothers ( LEHMQ - news - people ), as well as Goldman Sachs ( GS - news - people ) paid for big clean energy projects in return for 30% federal tax credits. But damaged banks won't be paying taxes for years to come and have abandoned the green energy business, leaving developers to look for new sources of investment.

Under Treasury Department guidelines, the Department of Energy will disburse cash grants worth 30% of upfront costs for projects that start construction by the end of 2010. The funds could make projects particularly attractive for developers of small- to medium-sized projects that can be financed via a company's balance sheet, or by cash-rich utilities such as a Florida Power and Light ( FPL - news - people ), which through its NextEra Energy subsidiary is a leading developer of both wind and solar projects.

The grants could boost the fortunes of companies like turbine manufacturers General Electric ( GE - news - people ), Vestas and Siemens ( SI - news - people ), while solar module makers SunPower ( SPWR - news - people ) and First Solar ( FSLR - news - people ) could also gain business.

But the funding may do little to help independent developers of large projects in Colorado that traditionally relied on tax-equity financing. Businesses will receive funding from the Treasury program two months after a project begins operation, meaning that companies will need bridge financing in some cases.

In 2006 the federal government provided $550 million in tax credits to 450 clean energy businesses. The stimulus grants could offer a stronger tail wind: The Treasury estimates that 5,000 renewable businesses will partake of its latest offering.

A stimulus package such as the one proposed would affect companies like Heartland Energy Colorado. There will be a bigger incentive to use more environmentally friendly techniques by domestic oil companies in the future.

Article Source: Andy Stone

Searching for Oil: Drill Site

In the Colorado Energy industry, the drill site (or, the location of the well,) varies as the surface geography of the Earth itself varies. In the early days of the oil industry, geologists and wildcatters were able to find oil and gas in places that were generally accessible. As people began to use more and more hydrocarbons, however, the oil industry extended its search for oil and gas to all corners of the globe. Today, companies drill wells in frozen wildernesses, remote deserts, mosquito-ridden marshes, hot and humid jungles, tall and rugged mountains, and deep offshore waters. In short, a drill site is anywhere oil and gas exist or may exist.

The operating company decides where to drill by considering several factors. The most important is that the company knows or believes that hydrocarbons exist in the rocks beneath the site. In some cases, the operator drills a well in an existing field to increase production from it. In other cases, the operator drills a well on a site where no one has found oil or gas before. The company often hires geologists to find promising sites where no production exists. Geologists explore areas to try to determine where hydrocarbons may exist. Major companies sometimes have a staff of geologists; independents often hire consulting geologists or buy information from a company that specializes in geological data.

Legal and economic factors are also very important in the selection of a drilling site. For example, the company must obtain the legal right to drill for and produce oil and gas on a particular piece of land. Further, the company must have money to purchase or lease the right to drill and produce. What’s more, it must have money to pay for the costs of drilling. The costs of obtaining a lease and drilling for oil or gas on the lease vary considerably. Costs depend on such factors as the size of the reservoir, its depth, and its location (offshore and remote sites cost more to drill and produce than readily accessible land sites). A company can easily commit several million dollars to find, drill for, and produce oil and gas. Thus, creating Colorado energy and money. The rewards, of course, can be great, but so can the expenses.

The operating company takes several steps before telling the drilling contractor exactly where to place the rig and start, or ‘spud’, the hole. The Heartland Energy company carefully reviews and analyzes seismic records. Legal experts thoroughly examine lease terms and agreements. They ensure that the operating company has clear title and right-of-way to the site. Surveyors establish and verify exact boundaries and locations. The company also confirms that it has budgeted the necessary drilling funds and that the funds are available.

On land, operating personnel usually try to choose a spot directly over the reservoir. With luck, the surface will be accessible and reasonably level. They also try to pick a location that will not suffer too much damage when the contractor moves in the rig. In an area that is especially sensitive, the operator and contractor take extra steps to ensure that as little harm as possible occurs. Offshore, the operator hopes that the weather is reasonably good, and, if bottom can adequately hold any rig supports in contact with it.

Whether on land or offshore, once the site is prepared for the rig, the next step is for the drilling crew to rig up (That is, to put the rig components together and prepare the rig for drilling.)

For more articles on energy: Heartland Energy, Heartland Energy Colorado

Hydropower on the Colorado River

The Colorado River falls 14,000 feet from the Rocky Mountains to sea level in the Gulf of California and carries more silt than any other river in the world, including the “muddy” Mississippi.  The original time estimate for Lake Powell, the reservoir in back of Glen Canyon Dam, to fill up with silt was 400 years, but this was subsequently revised to 1,000 years by later estimates of the silt-capturing capacity of other dams upstream of where the Colorado River enters Lake Powell. 

The primary advantages of the Colorado River from the point of view of dam building are that the river flows through a canyon whose geology is ideal for damming and through a region desperate for water.  The disadvantage of the Colorado is its relatively low average water flow, which varies from a summer trickle to a springtide flood that carries away the snowmelt of a large area of the Rocky Mountains.

Source: ("Energy for the 21st Century," Nersesian)

The History of Natural Gas (Part 4)

Andrew Carnegie, the steel magnate, promoted the use of natural gas in steelmaking.  Natural gas became the fuel of choice not only for steel mills, but also glassmaking plants breweries, businesses, homes and a crematorium.  Hundreds of natural gas companies were formed to sell gas to municipalities in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio and Indiana with a local supply of natural gas.  Some of these gas fields were rapidly depleted, forcing a switch back to manufactured gas.  Early customers were simply charged a monthly rate for a hookup without a means to measure the amount of gas consumed.  When meters were eventually installed, a new business sprang up: renting “gas dogs” to greet meter readers on their days of visitation.

John D. Rockefeller entered the natural gas business in 1881.  True to form, through mergers with existing pipeline companies and expanding their business activities once they were under his control, Standard Oil established a major market presence in the gas-producing states in Appalachia.  Rockefeller’s success at monopolization led to the passage of the Hepburn Act in 1906, which was intended to give the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) regulatory authority over interstate natural gas pipelines, even though very few existed at the time.  In the end, the Hepburn Act exempted natural gas and water pipelines from regulatory oversight, but growing concern over Rockefeller’s hold on the oil industry led to the U.S. Department of Justice filing suit under the Sherman Antitrust Act against Standard Oil.  Curiously, in the Standard Oil breakup in 1911, the company’s natural gas properties and activities remained intact within Standard Oil of New Jersey, enabling the company to maintain its standing as a major natural gas player in the Midwest and Northeast and, eventually, the Southwest.

Heartland Energy Colorado is one of the top hydrocarbon-based energy providers in the USA. They have many drilling locations throughout the country and remain one of the top producers of US oil & gas companies. For more information on Heartland Energy Colorado, see Heartland Energy Development Corporation online.

(Source: "Energy for the 21st Century." Nersesian)

The History of Natural Gas (Part 3)

George Westinghouse, inventor of the compressed-air railroad brake, became interested in natural gas and decided to drill.  He selected, of all places, his backyard and, lo and behold, he struck natural gas as one might expect for the rich to get richer.  He became one of the largest gas distributors in Pittsburgh, and relied on the natural gas produced from on hundred wells in and around Pittsburgh, including his backyard. 

Westinghouse was well versed in the dangers associated with natural gas such as gas users not turning off their gas appliances (lamps, stoves, heaters) when natural gas pipelines were shut down for repair of breaks and leaks.  When pipeline service was restored, a nearly odorless and colorless gas seeped into homes and shops, threatening to kill those within from asphyxiation, fire or explosion. 

Westinghouse put his experience with compressed air to good use and originated a number of patents for enclosing main gas lines in residential areas with a conducting pipe to contain gas leaks, introducing pressure regulators to reduce gas pressure before it entered residences and commercial establishments, and cutoff valves to prevent any further flow of gas once pressure fell below a set point.

These improvements made Pittsburgh the center of the natural gas industry by the late 1880s, with 500 miles of pipeline to transport natural gas from surrounding wells to the city and another 230 miles of pipeline within the city limits.  

Heartland Energy Colorado is one of the top hydrocarbon-based energy providers in the USA. They have many drilling locations throughout the country and remain one of the top producers of US oil & gas companies. For more information on Heartland Energy Colorado, see Heartland Energy Development Corporation online.

(Source: "Energy for the 21st Century," Nersesian)

Fort Collins doesn't make the green grade

Colorado has plenty of room to grow in renewable energy. The Mother Nature Network doesn’t place any Colorado cities in the top 10 green U.S. cities blog. Fort Collins needs to ramp up FortZed and Boulder needs to roll out the smart grid faster if we are going to catch up with Austin or Portland, Oregon.

On the other hand, almost everything that puts Portland at the top of the list is also true in Fort Collins.

"The city of microbrewery mania and home to megastore Powell's Books — one of the few remaining independent booksellers in the country — is No. 1 in sustainability. Declared the most bikeable city in the United States for its 200 miles of dedicated bike lanes, Portland certainly makes forgoing gas-powered travel easy. And for lessons in DIY sustainable food sources, classes are available for container gardening and cheese making, or beekeeping and chicken keeping."

Replace Powell's with Old Firehouse Books and the paragraph could cover Fort Collins. Maybe you're not so trail-blazing, Portland.

The list is otherwise commendable for covering a broad variety of sustainability measures rather than focusing solely on energy or another specific criterion.

• Austin was cited for pledging to go carbon-neutral by next year. The whole city. There are 1.6 million people in the Austin metro area. Granted, the whole area won't go carbon-neutral, but some of the renewable energy and energy savings will have to bleed over into surrounding cities. And don't forget Austin gets painfully hot in the summer — and air conditioning takes a LOT of power.

• Chicago has developed and encouraged green roofs — tops of buildings that support vegetable gardens and other carbon-eating plants.

• Oakland, Calif., apparently has a there there, to paraphrase Gertrude Stein. Raider town plans to have zero waste and become oil independent by 2020. Step it up, Broncos fans.

Full Speed Ahead for Large Solar Projects in Colorado and the West

LAS VEGAS – Under initiatives announced Monday by Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and U.S. Senator Harry Reid (D-NV), federal agencies will work with western leaders to designate tracts of U.S. public lands in the West as prime zones for utility-scale solar energy development, fund environmental studies, open new solar energy permitting offices and speed reviews of industry proposals.

The Interior Department is setting aside 676,048 acres for solar study zones, one of several steps it is taking to fast-track the development of solar energy on public lands. According to Interior Secretary Salazar, the federal actions will enable 13 commercial-scale solar plants to be under construction by the end of next year, creating 50,000 jobs.

“President Obama’s comprehensive energy strategy calls for rapid development of renewable energy, especially on America’s public lands,” said Secretary Salazar. “This environmentally-sensitive plan will identify appropriate Interior-managed lands that have excellent solar energy potential and limited conflicts with wildlife, other natural resources or land users. The two dozen areas we are evaluating could generate nearly 100,000 megawatts of solar electricity. With coordinated environmental studies, good land-use planning and zoning and priority processing, we can accelerate responsible solar energy production that will help build a clean-energy economy for the 21^st century.”

“It’s about time to make the permitting process more efficient and provide greater guidance to solar developers,” Rhone Resch, president of the Solar Energy Industries Association, said in a statement.

Under one initiative, 24 tracts of Bureau of Land Management-administered land located in six western states — Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah, known as Solar Energy Study Areas, would be fully evaluated for their environmental and resource suitability for large-scale solar energy production. The objective is to provide landscape-scale planning and zoning for solar projects on BLM lands in the West, allowing a more efficient process for permitting and siting responsible solar development.

Nearly 21,000 acres in the San Luis Valley of Colorado are being set aside for solar projects that could generate up to 4,100 megawatts of electricity — equal to 10 medium-size coal-fired power plants, according to federal estimates.

The BLM and the Energy Department filed a notice now available on the Federal Register, announcing the availability of maps that show the areas to be analyzed in their joint programmatic environmental impact statement and soliciting public comment. The federal agency also it will continue processing existing renewable energy applications within and outside the zones while the broader environmental analyses take place. The agency will continue accepting applications, but any filed after June 30th will be subject to applicable decisions made from the environmental analysis.

Those areas selected would be available for projects capable of producing 10 or more megawatts of electricity for distribution to customers through the transmission grid system. Companies that propose projects on that scale in areas already approved for this type of development would be eligible for priority processing. The BLM may also decide to use alternative competitive or non-competitive procedures in processing new solar applications for these areas.

Currently BLM has received about 470 renewable energy project applications. Those include 158 active solar applications, covering 1.8 million acres, with a projected capacity to generate 97,000 megawatts of electricity. That’s enough to power 29 million homes, the equivalent of 29 percent of the nation’s household electrical consumption.

As part of this initiative, the BLM will segregate the study areas from new mining claims and other actions initiated by third parties under public land laws. This temporary 2-year segregation will give BLM time to complete its environmental review and make a determination on solar energy zones. It will not affect rights established prior to the temporary segregation. The public will have the opportunity to comment on these proposed solar energy study areas during the environmental reviews before any final decisions are made. The evaluation is expected to be completed in late 2010.

An ongoing federally-funded environmental evaluation of potential solar energy development on public lands in 6 Western States, known as the Solar Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement, or PEIS, will be expanded to include an in-depth analysis of the potential impacts of utility-scale solar energy development on public lands in the 24 Solar Energy Study Areas. This enhancement will be supported by additional federal funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

This expanded evaluation, a collaborative effort with the Department of Energy, will allow the Bureau of Land Management to take a close look at each study area to determine where it makes sense to develop large-scale solar projects in an environmentally responsible way. Colorado companies proposing solar energy projects in designated areas would be able to “tier” to this study, using it as part of their environmental impact studies for site-specific projects, which are required by the National Environmental Policy Act.

Reported by Ann Rascalli

Additional information on the BLM’s renewable energy program is available at www.blm.gov.