Uintah Wax seeks CUP for 10 horizontal wells; commission holds to chain‑link fence requirement

Summary

Andrea Gurr of Uintah Wax presented a conditional use permit request for a new oil pad with 10 horizontal wells. The board declined a proposed game fence and reiterated the CUP condition requiring chain‑link fencing; Gurr noted prior CUP allowances for rig arrival and frac operations and referenced highway decel/accel work.

Andrea Gurr, representing Uintah Wax, asked the Ballard Planning Commission on March 3 to approve a conditional use permit (CUP) for a new oil and gas site dubbed the Sage Pad with 10 horizontal wells located near a previous well site.

Gurr asked whether the board would allow a game fence rather than the CUP’s typical chain‑link fence to save costs. Board Member Mark Redmond and the commission said the CUP condition calls for chain‑link fencing to protect the area and prevent unauthorized access; the board did not agree to allow a game fence.

Gurr said the deceleration and acceleration lanes planned for Highway 40 under a previously approved Super Pad project would also apply to the proposed site. She also noted that a prior CUP had allowed Uintah Wax to bring in the rig and to continue frac operations until completion under the earlier conditions, which aligns with the company's current plans. The commission did not record a final decision or a vote on the CUP at this meeting; the discussion focused on fencing and operational alignment with prior approvals.