Pete Dube
Campbell County, Wyoming

My wife and I own an outfitting business in Buffalo, Wyoming, and about six years ago we bought 5,000 acres in Campbell County as a place to run cows and winter the horses we use for outfitting. The bulk of the minerals under our land are owned by the BLM.

My experience with coalbed methane boiled down to a two-year nightmare of negotiations. CMS, one of the biggest coalbed methane “players” in the Powder River Basin, approached us with a proposal to develop the southwest corner of our land. It took me more than two years to reach an agreement with the company, and I spent at least $5,000 in lawyer’s fees.

Then I discovered methane gas seeping up the side of my stock well. I was forced to dismantle the well cover in order to relieve the pressure of the venting gas, and the pipes to my stock tank froze. Finally CMS responded by fencing off the well and posting the enclosure with danger signs. My well problems coincided exactly with coalbed methane drilling by CMS on a neighbor’s property, but the company initially refused to take responsibility. They were trying to tell me it was just a coincidence, and that my well had been improperly drilled. The company finally installed a new pump, and solved the problem.

If I had the mineral rights there would be no development on this land. I don’t blame my neighbors for wanting to make some money on this. That’s their business. But for me, this is not about money. This is the only ranch I’ve got. I was out riding and looked down at what’s happening to the country, and I thought this must be how the Indians felt when they saw the covered wagons coming. There goes the neighborhood.