THE STATE OF UTAH TO ALL PERSONS INTERESTED IN THE FOLLOWING MATTER. Docket No. 2024-074 Cause No. 076-05: In the Matter of the Notice of Agency Action requesting the Board issue an order forfeiting the bond covering wells and facilities identified as API Numbers 43-007-30122, 43-007-30159, 43-007-30162, 43-007-30163, 43-007-30164, 43-007-30589, 43-007-30596, 43-007-30659, 43-007-30662, 43-007-30673, 43-007-30717, 43-007-30733, 43-007-30734, 43-007-30735, 43-007-30736, 43-007-30768, 43-007-30786, 43-007-31211, 43-007-31212, 43-007-31213, 43-007-31214, 43-007-31452, 43-007-31453, 43-007-50179, 43-013-32308, 43-049-30024 and directing the Division to orphan, plug, and/or reclaim the wellsites and facilities NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Board of Oil, Gas and Mining (“Board”), State of Utah, will conduct a hearing on Wednesday, December 4, 2024, at 9:00 a.m., or as soon thereafter as possible, in the auditorium of the Department of Natural Resources, 1594 West North Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah. The hearing will be streamed live on the Department of Natural Resources YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/live/U_FSHgxgKXI. THE HEARING WILL BE CONDUCTED as a formal administrative adjudication in accordance with the rules of the Board as set forth in Utah Administrative Code R641, et seq. and as provided for in Utah Code Ann. § 40-6-1, et seq. and Utah Code Ann. § 63G-4-101 through -601. THE PURPOSE OF THE HEARING will be for the Board to receive testimony and evidence regarding a Notice of Agency Action (“NAA”) filed by the Division of Oil, Gas and Mining (the “Division”) requesting that the Board enter an order: 1. Forfeiting the bond covering those certain wells and facilities identified as follows: Well Name, API#, Location, County; Shimmin Trust 5-14-12-10, 43-007-30122, NW/4NE/4 Sec. 14, T12S, R10E, SLM, Carbon; Jensen 9-10-12-10, 43-007-30159, NE/4SE/4 Sec. 10, T12S, R10E, SLM, Carbon; Jensen 5-10-12-10, 43-007-30162, SW/4NW/4 Sec. 10, T12S, R10E, SLM, Carbon; Jensen 16-9-12-10, 43-007-30163, SE/4SE/4 Sec. 9, T12S, R10E, SLM, Carbon; Jensen 11-10-12-10, 43-007-30164, NE/4SW/4 Sec. 10, T12S, R10E, SLM, Carbon; Jensen 1-10-12-10, 43-007-30596, NW/4SW/4 Sec. 10, T12S, R10E, SLM, Carbon; Shimmin Trust 2-11-12-10, 43-007-30659, SE/4SE/4 Sec. 11, T12S, R10E, SLM, Carbon; Shimmin Trust 4-14-12-10, 43-007-30662, SE/4NW/4 Sec. 14, T12S, R10E, SLM, Carbon; Shimmin Trust 1-11-12-10, 43-007-30673, SW/4SW/4 Sec. 11, T12S, R10E, SLM, Carbon; Jensen 1-9-12-10, 43-007-30717, NW/4SW/4 Sec. 9, T12S, R10E, SLM, Carbon; Jensen 1-4-12-10, 43-007-30733, SW/4SE/4 Sec. 4, T12S, R10E, SLM, Carbon; Jensen 2-8-12-10, 43-007-30734, NE/4NE/4 Sec. 8, T12S, R10E, SLM, Carbon; Jensen 2-9-12-10, 43-007-30735, NE/4NW/4 Sec. 9, T12S, R10E, SLM, Carbon; Jensen 1-15-12-10, 43-007-30736, SW/4NE/4 Sec. 15, T12S, R10E, SLM, Carbon; Jensen 1-8-12-10, 43-007-30768, NE/4SE/4 Sec. 8, T12S, R10E, SLM, Carbon; Jensen Deep 7-15-12-10, 43-007-30786, SW/4NE/4 Sec. 15, T12S, R10E, SLM, Carbon; Jensen 23C-9-12-10, 43-007-31211, NE/4SW/4 Sec. 9, T12S, R10E, SLM, Carbon; Jensen 33C-9-12-10, 43-007-31212, NW/4SE/4 Sec. 9, T12S, R10E, SLM, Carbon; Jensen 42C-9-12-10, 43-007-31213, SE/4NE/4 Sec. 9, T12S, R10E, SLM, Carbon; Jensen 43C-9-12-10, 43-007-31214, NE/4SE/4 Sec. 9, T12S, R10E, SLM, Carbon; Jensen 41C-9-12-10, 43-007-31452, NE/4NE/4 Sec. 9, T12S, R10E, SLM, Carbon; Jensen 14C-10-12-10, 43-007-31453, SW/4SW/4 Sec. 10, T12S, R10E, SLM, Carbon; Jensen 2C-9, 43-007-50179, NW/4NE/4 Sec. 9, T12S, R10E, SLM, Carbon; Castlegate St 1-16-12-10, 43-007-30589, NW/4NE/4 Sec. 16, T12S, R10E, SLM, Carbon; Castlegate St 1-35-12-10 WD, 43-013-32308, SW/4SW/4 Sec. 35, T11S, R10E, SLM, Duchesne; Jensen St 11C-34-11-9, 43-049-30024, NW/4NW/4 Sec. 34, T11S, R9E, SLM, Utah, (the “Subject Wells”); 2. Directing the Division to orphan, plug, and reclaim the Subject Wells. 3. Directing the Division to recover costs incurred by the plugging and reclamation against the Operator, Winds Exploration & Production, LLC (“Winds Exploration”) and its apparent owner, Frank Ihekwoaba (“Mr. Ihekwoaba”) (collectively referred to as “Respondents”), the bond amount to be collected against the following: a. For Jensen St 11C-34-11-9, 43-049-30024: bond held by the Utah Treasurer’s Office in a cash account, with a principal balance of $30,000.00, plus $421.17 in interest; and b. For all remaining wells: blanket bond number ROG001906, held by RLI Insurance Company in the amount of $120,000.00. 4. Directing the Division to recover from Respondents any costs of plugging and restoration in excess of the bonded amount forfeited, as outlined in R649-3-1.16.5; 5. Making such findings and orders in connection with this Request as it deems necessary; and 6. Providing for such other and further relief as may be just and equitable under the circumstances. Objections to the NAA must be filed with the Secretary of the Board at the address listed below no later than the 20th day of November, 2024. A party must file a timely written objection or other response in order to participate as a party at the Board hearing. Failure to participate can result in a default judgment. Natural persons may appear and represent themselves before the Board. All other representation of parties before the Board will be by attorneys licensed to practice law in the State of Utah, or attorneys licensed to practice law in another jurisdiction which meet the rules of the Utah State Bar for practicing law before the Utah Courts. Persons interested in this matter may participate pursuant to the procedural rules of the Board. The NAA, and any subsequent pleadings, may be inspected at the office of the undersigned, and inspected online at the Board’s website at https://www.ogm.utah.gov/board-meetings/. Pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act, persons requiring auxiliary communicative aids and services to enable them to participate in this hearing should call Patty Rowe at (801) 538-5336, at least three working days prior to the hearing date.
LaVonne J. Garrison, Madam Chair
/s/ Patty Rowe, Board Secretary
Published in the ETV Newspaper November 13, 2024.