Last night we had storms with high wind and some lightning. Something happened at a Chesapeake Energy natural gas well in Arlington, Texas. From an email:
Around 2 am last night, during the storm with lighting and winds, there was this transformer sound just prior to losing electricity. After opening her windows, an extremely loud “rocketship/high compression sound” was heard. 911 was already aware of the problem and said Chesapeake was in route to the Fulson site. The husband drove by the site and confirmed that gas was escaping. He described the smell as the innertube smell from a bicycle
It was confirmed that raw natural gas or methane, along with the host of toxins that come with it from the formation, was escaping into the air.
One resident was treated by 911. I am told the paramedic give her the following ERRONEOUS information.
The paramedic commented that this was a highly regulated industry and that west Texas always has that “smell” and that she was “safe”
If you can smell the toxins, you are being exposed. (Even if you can’t smell them…)
The woman suffered from uncontrolled coughing and heart palpitations, both common symptoms in the gas patch.
Clearly, we are not prepared for these kinds of emergencies.
UPDATE: We have since learned, after many storms that caused power outages, what happens to shale oil & gas wells during storms. If there is a power outage, the pipelines shut down but the wells keep producing. Pressure builds up and the pressure valves blow releasing the natural gas and toxins and causing the condensate and other liquids to spill. Because the gas and other products are under pressure this can sound like a freight train. It scares residents and they often experience health impacts.
To anonymous commenter: Naw, no need to worry about lightning strikes
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TCEQ followed up and admitted that by the time they arrived today that it was too late to take an air test. We may never know how much benzene was released. For future, suma canisters need to be handy by the fire departments. Tomorrow night Arlington City Council will decide on 6 more wells at this very location! Please email them to ask them to deny these permits until more is known about the cause and prevention of such future events.
Gene.Patrick@arlingtontx.gov ;
Jimmy.Bennett@arlingtontx.gov ;
Kathryn.Wilemon@arlingtontx.gov ;
Lana.Wolff@arlingtontx.gov;
Mel.LeBlanc@arlingtontx.gov;
Robert.Cluck@arlingtontx.gov
Robert.Rivera@arlingtontx.gov ;
Robert.Shepard@arlingtontx.gov ;
Sheri.Capehart@arlingtontx.gov ;
Now imagine the thunderstorm is during the day within the Metroplex and it's next to a school. Of course, we have never had a documented case of a lighting strike on a well site next to school. After all, there are very few thunderstorms in North Texas this time of year and surely, nobody would put one of these sites right next to school.
What a dumb-ass paramedic, obviously a BBO!
Make an open records request for that call — a transcript of that conversation should be most enlightening.
I wouldn't want to categorize the paramedic as being dumb-ass. He may actually be right. We all know this is a highly regulated industry. Meaning … regulated by the gas and oil companies themselves.
Just to backup the statements about being able to smell and not smell the toxins that are in the air: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=550TzSDOQtI
Where in Arlington is this well located? Thanks.
Regarding this incident at 360 and Sublett in Southeast Alington, someone needs to investigate why the Star Telegram reporter was thrown under the bus. The mayor, the firechief, the city gas well spokesperson, and the 911 records have the appearance of being involved with Chesapeake of a COVERUP in
1) what (and how much) was being spewed into the air,
2) for how long, and
3) what the response time was by the fire department
The city gas well spokesperson told the Star Telegram that it was not gas but only water under pressure. At last night's council meeting the mayor said the paper was wrong, that the story did not come from the city but from the Star Telegram. After the meeting I asked the reporter who gave her the story and she said it was Maria Carbajal who is in the gas drilling response deparment.
Now I'm hearing that the first 911 call does not show up on the dispatch records which is needed to prove how long it took the fire department to arrive.
In order to know how much gas released uncontrolled, we need to know how long it spewed. The production records and other tools will be helpful in this investigation.
Someone testified last night that Chesapeake said 5 million cubic feet of gas escaped. That figure was corrected to 5 thousand cubic feet. But if it spewed for over an hour, I’m tending to believe it was more than 5,000 cu ft.
Why did Councilman Leblanc said TCEQ came right when it was the next day?
Cheasapeake claims that the safety features kicked in as designed, and that the natural gas dissapates immediately.
I'm sorry but anytime residents breathe in an emission event laced with benezne and VOC's, that is not a successful avoidance of danger…that is called exposure!
I was emailed this comment last night… “Kim, do you realize that if I would have searched for a match to light a candle, that our house could have exploded? I now see how close to death we came, but I guess it is not yet our time. Now I am even more terrified to live here”.
update… It was Coucilman Rivera that said the newspaper was wrong (about water under pressure). It was gas. Similar thing happened that night at the XTO site in Dalworthington Gardens. Here is the XTO explanation given to that city.. "Because of the storm and loss of power DFW Midstream's electrically powered compressors shut down and the gathering line pressure increased. XTO's pressure relief system at the site operated as is was designed to do so. When pressure builds in the gas gathering line our pressure relief system relieves or vents the pressure between the wellhead and our separators. This is the whooshing sound when the gas is vented into the atmosphere. Venting or pressure relief is done to prevent any type of equipment malfunction and not increase design pressure on lines, valves or vessels. The emergency shut in valve did not activate as it was clogged with sand so an XTO employee received an automated dispatch and went to the site to manually shut in the wells.
a similar incident happened in February when ice created a similar power disruption. We are working on our pressure and noise actuated shut in devices so the releases will be shorter in duration if this event occurs again."
Funny the open records of Arlington Fire Dept says that "DWG reported that there was relief valve activated at a drill site but was only wate vapor being released."
WHY DID BOTH SITES Try to REPORT WATER BEING RELEASED AND NOT GAS?
PS a similar emission event happened at the XTO site the same night and 911 operators were confused and only initally dispatched to the Pantego site and not the Fulson site!!! Two emission events in ONE STORM!