Felix "Phil" Boudreaux has recently assumed the post of acting Commissioner of Conservation for the state's Office of Conservation, replacing former Commissioner Philip Asprodites. Boudreaux, who is a petroleum engineer and a 28-year veteran of the office, was appointed by Governor Mike Foster in January.

James H. Welsh has been named the new Commissioner of Conservation at the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) starting July 1st. Welsh, who retired from state service with 36 years in the Office of Conservation, was selected by Governor Mike Foster to assume the top job.

Philip N. Asprodites, a native of New Orleans, has been appointed to the post of Commissioner of Conservation at the state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) effective May 26, 1998. Asprodites assumes the post held by interim Commissioner Warren Fleet.

The state’s Office of Conservation has issued a final order today declaring portions of the Sparta Aquifer in north Louisiana to be critical ground water areas. The Commissioner of Conservation has made certain determinations and has spelled out the conditions to be followed as required by state law. Commissioner of Conservation James Welsh said the order does not mandate any current restrictions on new or existing water wells.

Louisiana Commissioner of Conservation announced today the results of recent water bottom and sediment testing at Lake Peigneur in Iberia parish. Commissioner of Conservation James Welsh said that so far there is nothing from recent diver-surveys or lab analyses that pinpoint a source of the reported incidences of bubbling in the lake.

Dr. Amadou Lamine Ba, Senegal's ambassador to the United States received a warm welcome today from the state Department of Natural Resources while on a series of meetings with local and state government officials.

The Louisiana Department of Natural Resources’ Office of Conservation has issued a memo to oil and gas operators and water well owners throughout the state re-emphasizing the need to provide the legally required notification to the commissioner of conservation prior to drilling or using water wells for any purposes other than drilling rig supply operations, including hydraulic fracturing of shale formations to retrieve natural gas.

The Louisiana Department of Natural Resources’ Office of Conservation has issued a memo to oil and gas operators and water well owners throughout the state re-emphasizing the need to provide the legally required notification to the commissioner of conservation prior to drilling or using water wells for any purposes other than drilling rig supply operations, including hydraulic fracturing of shale formations to retrieve natural gas.

Rules for the required hearings and submission of plans for the environmental remediation of exploration and production (E and P) sites under the provisions of Act 312 of 2006, have recently been adopted, announced Louisiana Commissioner of Conservation James Welsh today.

BATON ROUGE Gov. M.J. "Mike" Foster, Jr. has appointed Warren A. Fleet, general counsel for the Department of Natural resources (DNR), as the interim Commissioner of Conservation.

Commissioner of Conservation Jim Welsh recommends that oil and gas operators with interest in developing the Haynesville Shale in Northwest Louisiana choose their water sources for use in drilling or hydraulic fracture stimulation operations wisely. Of particular interest are areas in the lower Caddo and Bossier Parishes and DeSoto Parish where the Carrizo – Wilcox aquifer is used as the main source of drinking water supply for domestic and public water supplies.

Louisiana Commissioner of Conservation James Welsh, in response to the Iberia Parish Council and U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu’s Office, has issued details about a recent incident and an inspection report completed by his office on the Jefferson Island Storage and Hub Facility located in Iberia parish.

Louisiana Commissioner of Conservation James Welsh has issued today a second continuance of a drilling ban imposed last November, prohibiting any new permits for wells to be drilled within a quarter of a mile of an interstate highway.

Commissioner of Conservation Jim Welsh recommends that oil and gas operators with interest in developing the Haynesville Shale in Northwest Louisiana choose their water sources for use in drilling or hydraulic fracture stimulation operations wisely. Of particular interest are areas in the lower Caddo and Bossier Parishes and DeSoto Parish where the Carrizo – Wilcox aquifer is used as the main source of drinking water supply for domestic and public water supplies. Data reported by the USGS indicates that the Carrizo – Wilcox aquifer system is a low yield aquifer system that generally produces water suitable for drinking water purposes which has been and is currently being used predominately for domestic and public water supply in mostly rural areas of Northwest Louisiana. However, water production from the aquifer system is reported to be physically restricted due to the aquifer’s discontinuous nature and typically thin, lenticular and fine textured sand beds.

Mineral Board Secretary Marjorie McKeithen, Commissioner of Conservation Jim Welsh, OCRM Deputy Assistant Secretary David Fruge, and Mineral Board member Carol LeBlanc visited three energy companies located in Denver, Colorado in March.

Louisiana Commissioner of Conservation James Welsh issued today a 60-day continuance of a moratorium on new drilling operations in the state within one quarter of a mile distance to interstates. According to Commissioner Welsh, a committee selected to review information and current drilling safety regulations in Louisiana and in other oil and gas producing states has not yet completed their work.

Commissioner of Conservation James H. "Jim" Welsh has declared today three areas in North Louisiana within the Sparta Aquifer as areas of groundwater concern. “With implementation of this order, this will be the first time for state government to come to the plate and step into the role of assuring future groundwater usage in Louisiana,” the Commissioner said.