Will the Ruggiero family have the next flammable water?

You might remember this video of us lighting the gas bubbles that seep up in the Ruggiero horse pasture after Aruba drilled 2 gas wells there.

I have often noted how similar this gas bubbling in Texas is to the Divide Creek Seep gas bubbling in Colorado. In both places the bubbles light on fire. It seems the Bradenhead pressure was increased at the Divide Creek well which indicates there is a leak.

He was told that Encana was not satisfied with the production casing cement jobs in these two wells. After inquiring about whether bradenhead pressure had been measured in these wells, he was told that high gas pressures had been measured in the bradenhead annular spaces of both wells. The bradenhead pressure in the Brown 11-2C Well was approximately 300 psi, when vented it blew down to atmospheric pressure, but quickly built back up to 300 psi once the bradenhead valve was shut. The bradenhead pressure in the Schwartz 2-15B Well was approximately 500 psi, but it would not blow down. LINK

However, the Texas Railroad Commission inspected the bubbles at the Ruggieros’ and assured us that they were normal settling.

Excerpts from the TRC inspection report:

“Additionally, on March 18, 2010 Field Technician David Shreeve conducted an inspection of the subject lease. Mr. Ruggiero met the inspector onsite and expressed concern regarding pockets of gas bubbles emanating in standing water where the drilling reserve pit had been recently excavated. Later that day, Mr. Tim Ruggiero sent and e-mail to the District Office expressing concerns regarding the gas bubbles and a red colored substance in the water.

On March 30, 2010, Railroad Commission representatives, Ray Horton, and Tyler Henderson conducted an inspection into the occurrence of the gas bubbles, red colored substance in the storm water, and to observe the cleanup progress of the condensate leak. The operator has hauled fresh soil in and smoothed over the area where the pit had been excavated. The landowner had placed numerous flags in the ground where they had observed the bubbles. Five 6″ – 10″ borings were dug using a hand auager in the areas around the flags. Using a combustible gas indicator(CGI) with a probe totake readings down into the borings. Results found 0% lower explosive limit (LEL). A backhoe operator was onsite spreading fresh soil over the pad site. The backhoe operator dug a 6′ x 3′ x 4′ deep trench in the area of the noted gas bubbles. Results from within the trench tested 0% LEL. There was no visible evidence of reserve pit material or unusual odor from the soil. An inspection of Well Nos. 7H and 8H revealed 0 psi at the bradenhead valve. If downhole problems were to have occured, abnormally high pressures would have been observed on the casing annuli. The bubbles are believed to be a natural occurance causd by a settling and compaction of the soil due to water saturation.

Red colored water was obsreved seeping from the hillside of the Ruggiero property. David Shreeve field tested three areas for chloride levels of the water in an earlier inspection. The filed test sampled 700 parts per million (ppm), 650 ppm and 600 ppm chlorides, which is a low level of salinity.”

In October, the Ruggieros’ neighbor asked the TRC to test their water. The following are excerpts from that inspection:

Well 6H (neighbors property)
“At inspection, Well No. 6H was observed to be active. Recorded pressures of 60 psi were measured on the bradenhead. This is a Statewide Rule 13 / 17 violation.”

Well 7H
“At inspection, Well No 7H was observed to be active. Recorded pressures of 40 psi were measured on the bradenhead. This is a Statewide Rule 13 / 17 violation”

Well 8H
“At inspection, Well No. 8H was observed to be active. Recorded pressures of 0 psi were measured on the bradenhead.”

The writer goes on to say
“Re-inspection of the leases in violation of Statewide Rule 13 / 17 are scheduled for the week of November 15, 2010. Additional correspondence is being sent to the operator citing these violations. Failure of the operator to take the required actions by the scheduled re-inspection will result in a “seal order” being issued against the subject lease.“

That sounds kind of serious.

Let’s look at a VERY abbreviated timeline of the Wright 7H and 8H:

• During drilling the had some kind of loss of control that caused the mud to shoot out with great force over the pit and into the neighbor’s pasture. VIDEO
• Aruba has a rework rig up at this wellsite more weekends than not and there is constant venting. Could the venting be releasing the Bradenhead pressure?
• It is undeniable that there are bubbles that light in the Ruggieros’ pasture and I can verify that these bubbles smell like propane and will make you very sick if you linger in their presence.

So, what’s going on at the Ruggiero place? Will they be the next ones with flammable water? If I were a betting man, I would bet that there is some rotten cementing in the Wright 7H & 8H wells.

About Sharon Wilson

Sharon Wilson is considered a leading citizen expert on the impacts of shale oil and gas extraction. She is the go-to person whether it’s top EPA officials from D.C., national and international news networks, or residents facing the shock of eminent domain and the devastating environmental effects of natural gas development in their backyards.

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