A Sink Hole Up Close and Getting Way Too Personal

As I’ve mentioned previously, sink holes seem to follow drilling around. Sink holes are another part of the picture landmen never mention when seducing mineral owners with their so-called “free money.”

Cheap Tricks and Costly Truths takes readers on a tour of Wink Sink #2 and teases us with predictions of Wink Sink #3. Calling EPA! Are you listening?

Other sinkholes

Update: Curious me had to dig around for more sinkhole information.

From Pennsylvania DEP one cause of sinkholes:

Any change to the hydrologic system (putting more water in or taking it out) causes the system to become at least temporarily unstable and can lead to sinkholes.

Here’s a video of the Daisetta, TX sinkhole.
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This TX sized sinkhole made the Wall Street Journal.

In 2006, the Texas oil and gas industry injected 6.7 billion barrels of liquid, mostly water, beneath the ground, and experts say that amount has been rising as new wells have multiplied and old wells are revived. Federal regulators, environmentalists and community groups worry that lax oversight is allowing some of the water — which can be 10 times as salty as seawater and often contains oil, heavy metals and even radioactive material — to escape from underground reservoirs. That could lead to the contamination of underground drinking-water supplies, the pollution of soil and surface water, and more sinkholes as underground structures are eroded.

Drill, Baby! Drill!

The WSJ blames the Texas Railroad Commission for lax regulations of the 30,000 and growing injections wells.

Critics have argued for several years that the Texas Railroad Commission, which oversees the oil and gas industry, hasn’t kept close enough tabs on the state’s more than 30,000 disposal sites, allowing problems to go undiscovered. John Tintera, in charge of technical permitting for the Railroad Commission, said the agency regularly inspects disposal facilities and scrutinizes companies for violations

That’s not true, John!

Wise County has more class II commercial injection wells than any other Texas County. What a distinction! We have the most injection/disposal wells and the most VOC’s in our air. Aren’t we proud? Seems we might be overdue for a sinkhole.

Texaco’s mistake sent a drilling rig, 65 acres of land, barges, trees, a whole lake and…down a sink hole. Go watch the video.