WK4 CaseStudy
Case Study: Gas or Grouse
Elizabeth Hamm
LDRS 4875
William Penn University
1. What are the systemic, corporate, and individual issues raised in this case?
Systemic: Buying into the creation of new rigs set up in the mesa means America could reduce its dependency on foreign gas/oil. Not drilling in the mesa could be more costly for Americans than creating a plan that monitors wildlife sustainability during drilling in all seasons.
Corporate: The gas pocket under the Pinedale mesa holds billions of dollars’ worth of cleaner natural gas. In order to drill Questar would have to either halt production during winter months to avoid distressing migratory animals, or invest in new equipment. Halting production during winter months would be very costly. Drilling crews would have to be “laid off at the beginning of winter, and new crews had to be hired and retrained every spring” (Velasquez, 2011). Questar would have to pack up all machinery and move every year. In the end it would take 18 years to reach full development of its oil fields. Developing new machinery would be very costly but it would half the amount of rigs needed to be set up. Creating a pipeline to expedite waste would reduce the human presence overall.
Individual: Preserving wildlife over gas companies using cleaner natural gas with less impact on the environment. Many species could suffer from the increased noise and interference of human intervention in the Pinedale Mesa. The increased human presence dangerously affects the Sage Grouse as well as other mammals to the point of not being able to recover, especially during the winter months.
Velasquez, M. G. (2011 June, 15). Business Ethics: Concepts and Cases (7th Edition) (p 299 par 13). Pearson HE, Inc.
2. How should wildlife species like grouse or deer be valued, and how should that value be balanced against the economic interests of a society or of a company like Questar? What principles or rules would you propose we use to balance the value of
Elizabeth Hamm
LDRS 4875
William Penn University
1. What are the systemic, corporate, and individual issues raised in this case?
Systemic: Buying into the creation of new rigs set up in the mesa means America could reduce its dependency on foreign gas/oil. Not drilling in the mesa could be more costly for Americans than creating a plan that monitors wildlife sustainability during drilling in all seasons.
Corporate: The gas pocket under the Pinedale mesa holds billions of dollars’ worth of cleaner natural gas. In order to drill Questar would have to either halt production during winter months to avoid distressing migratory animals, or invest in new equipment. Halting production during winter months would be very costly. Drilling crews would have to be “laid off at the beginning of winter, and new crews had to be hired and retrained every spring” (Velasquez, 2011). Questar would have to pack up all machinery and move every year. In the end it would take 18 years to reach full development of its oil fields. Developing new machinery would be very costly but it would half the amount of rigs needed to be set up. Creating a pipeline to expedite waste would reduce the human presence overall.
Individual: Preserving wildlife over gas companies using cleaner natural gas with less impact on the environment. Many species could suffer from the increased noise and interference of human intervention in the Pinedale Mesa. The increased human presence dangerously affects the Sage Grouse as well as other mammals to the point of not being able to recover, especially during the winter months.
Velasquez, M. G. (2011 June, 15). Business Ethics: Concepts and Cases (7th Edition) (p 299 par 13). Pearson HE, Inc.
2. How should wildlife species like grouse or deer be valued, and how should that value be balanced against the economic interests of a society or of a company like Questar? What principles or rules would you propose we use to balance the value of