CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — West Virginia is ready to let companies drill for oil and natural gas deep beneath 14 miles of the Ohio River.
On Friday, state commerce officials unveiled bids on the northern West Virginia section of the river, which serves as a natural border with Ohio.
Triad Hunter submitted a bid for 14 miles. It proposes paying the state $17.8 million for a five-year lease, plus 18 percent royalties on what’s extracted.
Noble Energy, Gastar Exploration and Statoil also submitted bids for smaller river sections.
State commerce officials plan to pick a winning bid in the next week or two.
Environmental groups have expressed concerns that the state won’t sufficiently safeguard against releases that could harm water supplies. They said more than five million people get drinking water from the river.
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