Wyoming Officials Seek Luca Taxes, Company Says No

GILLETTE, Wyo. (AP) — State and local officials are trying to recover more than $700,000 in taxes from a bankrupt company that sought to extract a renewable supply of natural gas from the Powder River Basin.

Golden, Colo.-based Luca Technologies disputes the tax bills.

Luca used a process called methane farming that pumped nutrients underground to help microbes that are naturally present in shallow coal seams. The microbes eat the coal and produce methane gas.

A report from the Associated Press says Luca filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in July.

Now, the Wyoming Department of Revenue seeks almost $310,000 in severance taxes and interest from Luca on production dating back to 2007.

Campbell County officials say Luca and a subsidiary owe the county almost $430,000 in personal property and ad valorem taxes.