Shreveport likely will approve its oil and gas regulations today, City Councilman Michael Long said Monday, but with a few concessions to the industry.




"Basically, we're going to mirror the state field order, the way the parish has done," Long said. "Then we're going to pick our battles later."

Local proposals, like state laws, are aimed at protecting community and private resources while encouraging production, particularly extraction of natural gas from the Haynesville Shale formation. If passed, Shreveport's regulations would guard drinking water contamination and control lighting and hours of operation at drill sites.

Among allowances sought by industry advocate Louisiana Oil & Gas Association:

• Keeping Shreveport's allowable noise levels the same as the state's.

• Not requiring compressor stations to be enclosed.

• Calling for the same hours of operation as the state.

• Ensuring companies have enough notification and time to make adjustments before ordinances are enforced.

LOGA President Don Briggs said in an Oct. 23 letter to the council and mayor that his organization wants to ensure the public is safe and disturbed as little as possible during the drilling process.

"We recognize your concerns over drilling within urban areas," Briggs said. "LOGA does maintain that the Office of Conservation is the sole regulator of drilling activities. However, we are committed to working with you on issues as they arise on wells within city limits."

Issues surely will arise, Long said. But he offered this as a reminder: drilling is temporary.

"People will be upset when buildings are bought and torn down," he said. "When they're moving rigs in and out, that'll be noisy."

Shreveport will join Bossier City and Caddo and Bossier parishes if it passes its regulations. Northwest Louisiana has taken cues from Fort Worth, Texas, where the local government drew up similar laws for Barnett Shale production. Regional governments have mulled some version of these laws since February. Meanwhile, the state has put in place its Haynesville Shale-focused rules


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