Texas Regulators Prepare Major Drilling Rule Changes
Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, the controversial process of shooting water, sand and chemicals underground to access oil or natural gas trapped in shale rock, has made plenty of headlines in recent years. But the drilling process involves many other steps beyond breaking up rock, and several opportunities for things to go wrong.
Recognizing this, the Railroad Commission, Texas’ oil and gas regulatory agency, is updating its rules to address the broad process of drilling, from the drilling itself to cementing and completing an oil or gas well. The latest version of the proposed rule changes is expected this week. So ...
Comments (4)
jess perry
please shorten or stop the [practice of gas flaring!!! saw the night photo of usa and w. north dakota and south texas eagle ford look like major metro areas, its our natural resources and you are pissing it away!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ChicoMendez
I know the Tribune is funded in part by natural gas producers, and that the tendency for most media is to go to traditional Austin-based environmental groups first in seeking any comment about changes in Texas fracking. But neither Scott Anderson, nor the Sierra Club, speak for the majority or even a plurality of those on the front lines of the fracking fight. Indeed, since both entities have accepted funding from the gas industry and promoted its use in the recent past, they're names are often used in vain among people living next to gas facilities and bearing the brunt of the industry's health impacts. Please, at least let the grassroots speak for themselves, either through Earthworks organizer Sharon Wilson or former DISH mayor Calvin Tillman with Shaletest, or local leaders on the ground who are but a Google search away. These are the people the traditional groups have been forced to follow. Give them their voice.
David Spratt
I really see no problem with this ,,, as a person working in the industry. The additional regulations , equipment needed and monitoring will require more personnel,,, more jobs,,,, and added costs. Wells can be turned down ,, production adjusted,,, and the additional prices of compliance can be passed along to the consumer.
Consumers can pay more to heat their homes and for electrical generation and products that require nat gas and or oil. This is what they want,,,, so give it to them. Drilling and production is not going away and we who work in the industry will have jobs regardless of the ultimate price to the end consumer.
Kim Feil
Having to live the nightmare in co-existing with urban drilling....this is still inadequate. Note this link http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22446060 …"Complete evidence regarding health impacts of gas drilling cannot be obtained due to incomplete testing and disclosure of chemicals, and nondisclosure agreements. Without rigorous scientific studies, the gas drilling boom sweeping the world will remain an uncontrolled health experiment on an enormous scale.” I now have a blog that details the top ten things that local gov or the RRC/TCEQ can do to make drilling safer for us...I live at ground zero as there are about 60 padsites in Arlington TX in a 99 sq mile area.
We had a drill spill in Lake Arlington, our drinking source, a couple of years ago. We also have about 100 drilling laterals under our lake that are at migration risk from seismic events and or cement failures.
We have had maybe a dozen gas release emission events over the last couple of years that I am aware of.
I challenge the RRC to mandate these top ten things.....
1. Use electric (not diesel) rigs and compressors in ALL urban areas....
2. Video tape ALL cement casing pours when it comes back up to the top through the annulus so that there is proof of an even pour and ensure all wells have electric bond log tests.
3. All drilling mud farming (private and commerical) and brine “road spraying” is subject to open records of water and soil test results...
4. We need the industry to invent technology to keep the toxic, silica dust on the padsite-those pathetic pillow case looking socks aren’t getting the job done. OSHA and NIOSH are aware of the problem.
5. Mandate ventless, emission free flowback tanks by using pressurized flowback tanks instead of open hatch frack tanks....
6. Global Warming isn't waiting 2.5 years for the EPA mandated Green Completions equipment.... no venting or flaring period.
7. The pipeline should be in place FIRST before fracturing so that flowback doesn’t sit in the ground for months festering bacterial sulfide growth to sour and damage the well and sicken people.....
8. The setback away from people should be substantial. Rural method drilling is not acceptable in urban areas. An environmental tester who has a Phd said that the health effects/leukemias are being seen downwind from about 1,800 – 2,500 feet....
9. Have zero tolerance for underinspected, or faked Waste Disposal Injection Well casing pressure tests. Don't risk eventual migration of toxic fluids into our drinking supplies.....
10. Regulate how close old wells are to new wells.