OF THE STATE OF COLORADO

IN THE MATTER OF ALLEGED VIOLATIONS OF THE RULES ) CAUSE NO. 1V

AND REGULATIONS OF THE COLORADO OIL AND GAS )

CONSERVATION COMMISSION BY RICHMOND PETROLEUM, INC. ) ORDER IV-

LA PLATA COUNTY, COLORADO )

NOTICE OF HEARING

TO ALL INTERESTED PARTIES AND TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

The Gosney 33-7-9 No.1 Well (the "Well") is located in the SW¼ SW¼ of Section 10, Township 33 North, Range 7 West, N.M.P.M. The well was drilled by Richmond Petroleum Inc. ("Richmond") to the Fruitland Coal Formation in November of 1990 and the well was plugged and abandoned in December 1992. The well was inspected on April 15, 2004 by Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission ("COGCC") staff and failed the inspection due to poor surface reclamation.

A Notice of Alleged Violation ("NOAV") was issued to Richmond’s last known address. The NOAV cited a violation of Rule 1004., failure to perform final reclamation of a well site. No reply was received.

A letter from Mr. Paul Smittle dated March 21, 2003, stated Richmond Petroleum "is no longer in business, has no office, no phone and no employees". Because Richmond is no longer in business, COGCC staff should be authorized to make a claim on the Thirty Thousand dollar ($30,000) plugging bond posted by Richmond Petroleum Inc. in order to reclaim the Gosney 33-7-9 No.1 well site.

Richmond Petroleum Inc. should be found in violation of Rule 1004., failure to reclaim the surface location at the Gosney 33-7-9 No.1 Well located in the SW¼ SW¼ of Section 10, Township 33 North, Range 7 West, N.M.P.M. COGCC staff should be authorized to make a claim on the Thirty Thousand dollar ($30,000) plugging bond posted by Richmond Petroleum Inc. in order to reclaim the Gosney 33-7-9 No.1 well site.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that the Oil and Gas Conservation Commission of the State of Colorado, pursuant to the above, has scheduled the above-entitled matter for hearing on:

Date: Monday, September 20, 2004

1120 Lincoln Street

Denver, CO 80203

Pursuant to said hearing in the above-entitled matter at the time and place aforesaid, or at any adjourned meeting, the Commission will enter such orders as it deems appropriate to protect the health, safety and welfare of the public and to prevent the waste of oil and gas, either or both, in the operations of said field, and to carry out the purposes of the statute.

In accordance with Rule 509., any interested party desiring to protest the granting of the application or to intervene on the application should file with the Commission a written protest or intervention no later than September 3, 2004, briefly stating the basis of the protest or intervention. Such interested party shall, at the same time, serve a copy of the protest or intervention to the person filing the application. An original and nine (9) copies shall be filed with the Commission (Rule 503.f.). Anyone who files a protest or intervention must be available to participate in a prehearing conference during the week of September 6, 2004. Pursuant to Rule 503.e., if a party who has received notice under Rule 503.b. wishes to receive further pleadings in the above-referenced matter, that party must file a protest or intervention in accordance with these rules. In accordance with the practices of the Commission, should no protests or interventions be filed in this matter by September 3 2004, the Applicant may request that an administrative hearing be scheduled for the week of September 6, 2004.

IN THE NAME OF THE STATE OF COLORADO

OIL AND GAS CONSERVATION COMMISSION

OF THE STATE OF COLORADO

By

Patricia C. Beaver, Secretary

Dated at Suite 801

1120 Lincoln Street

Denver, Colorado 80203

August 23, 2004