Gas driller faces eviction from Utah reservation

By The AP
Tuesday, July 20, 2010

SALT LAKE CITY — The Ute Indian tribe is threatening to kick Questar Corp. affiliates and a spin-off company off an eastern Utah reservation where they operate wells and natural-gas processing plants.

Ute Chairman Curtis R. Cesspooch is making the threat after a federal judge in Salt Lake City exposed Questar to possible eviction from the Uintah-Ouray Reservation.

Judge Dale Kimball lifted an injunction against tribal action after determining the federal courts had no jurisdiction to resolve a contract dispute. Kimball granted the injunction July 1 but lifted it Friday.

At issue is an effort by a Questar spin-off company, QEP Resources Inc., to expand one of its gas producing plants on the reservation over tribal objections.

Denver-based QEP told The Associated Press today it had no comment on the dispute.