Oil Drilling Partnerships on State Lands Halted in Senate

A bill that would allow public-private partnerships to seek oil or natural gas on state lands may be dead for this session.

Sen. Charlie Dean, R-Inverness, chairman of the Environmental Preservation Committee, said he postponed the Senate version of the bill, SB 1158, because there were too many concerns over the impact on the environment through the lease agreements.

He would not declare the bill dead for the session, but noted his committee is not scheduled to meet again.

The bill would authorize a state land-management agency to enter the public-private partnerships on state-owned lands with the private company that explored for the resource if the yield can produce near-term revenue for the state.

Currently, the state requires companies to bid on such projects, which could result in the firm that spent money on the exploration being left out by a competitor with a better offer.

The House version of the bill, HB 695, was amended last week to limit the search to lands west of Tallahassee, effectively keeping in the Blackwater River State Forest northeast of Pensacola, while protecting the Everglades.

The Senate bill did not include the amendment.