Wyoming mined $15.5B in minerals
The total value of minerals produced in Wyoming last year was $15.5 billion — the second highest valuation ever. This week Gov. Matt Mead announced that oil, natural gas, coal, bentonite, trona and uranium all increased in value in 2010. The taxable value of oil production ticked up 34 percent from 2009 to 2010, natural gas was up 30 percent and coal was up 6 percent. The taxable valuation of uranium produced in Wyoming was up 44 percent.
Those are big numbers, especially considering the fact that Wyoming has maintained or increased production volume in most categories. It also takes the bite out of messages from some trade organizations that EPA overreach is having a chilling effect on energy production. Industry’s response? Mineral production takes years of planning and development, notes the Western Energy Alliance, meaning policies set forth today will determine the industry’s ability to produce several years from now.
Check out the WyoFile Energy Report for more perspective.
— Contact Dustin Bleizeffer at 307-577-6069 or dustin@wyofile.com.
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