Gulf Oil Corp. v. Wyoming Oil & Gas Conservation Commission

ROSE, Justice.

This petition for review concerns the authority of the respondent Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (Commission or WOGCC) to impose certain restrictions on the drilling activities of petitioner Gulf Oil Corporation (Gulf) on federal land within this state. The Commission granted Gulfs application for a permit to drill a well on national forest land, subject to the condition that Gulf refrain from using its preferred access route through the village of Story, Wyoming. At issue is whether federal mining and environmental protection laws1 preempt this state’s statutes and…