Update: Latest Pictures and news about this well.
Here are some pictures of a Barnett Shale Class II Commercial Injection Well. This is what Fort Worth residents are fighting to keep out of their neighborhoods.
click to enlarge
This is a class II commercial injection well that I pass every day on my way to and from work.
Never, ever, has this injection well had an attendant present. All class II commercial injection wells are required to have a 24 hour attendant on duty every day. Since the Texas Railroad Commission is required to inspect class II injection wells one might think this situation would be corrected but it’s been this way for years now.
I know the well is still in operation because I’ve taken several pictures from the road of trucks dumping.
Wise County has 27 commercial injection wells and 3 more have been permitted. That’s more than any other Texas County. Two of those wells have already failed.
So Cowtown, how would you like to have one of these in your backyard?
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Injection wells inject water into a producing formation to move (flood) oil toward the wellbore while a disposal well disposes water into a non-producing formation as approved by the TX Railroad Commission. Different rules and regulations for each type of well.
A class II SWD (salt water disposal) well where drilling waste is injected at high pressure 1.5 miles into the ground is required to have an attendant.
Welcome TR,
Why not enlighten us on the “water” that is disposed of into a non-producing formation. Since you seem to understand the difference, Would you say that this Commercial Class II Disposal Well is out of Compliance? Anxiously awaiting your reply.
“For a commercial disposal facility, there are additional requirements in addition to those listed above, such as restricted access through 24-hour security guard or a gated and locked facility, and leak and overflow protection requirements.”
source:
http://www.rrc.state.tx.us/faqs/saltwaterwells.html#difference
Now on Picture #8, we learned that this was indeed a Saltwater Disposal Well with an API#4233733481 Permit number 11678
As found on the list of Commercial Disposal Wells I found this:
30156 O 1 33733489 MESQUITE SWD INC CALHOUN SWD
(under Montague County, right on the Wise/Montague County Line not far from Greenwood,TX
Source:
http://www.rrc.state.tx.us/divisions/og/uic/water/comlst09.htm
This would indeed show that this facility is out of Compliance. hmmmm?! Who’s minding the store?
TS-Greenwood, TX
Also,
“…and leak and overflow protection requirements.”
Now, do you see the Leak and Overflow protections working at this facility? The pictures don’t lie.
Question, Shouldn’t this facility be closed and the operators permit revoked? of course, They have proven they are unethical operators. Will the RRC do so? From my experience dealing with the RRC, they might fine them a minor fine, but will not revoke the permit and allow the continued operations all while denying that there was any contamination underground or at the surface. This is why the citizens need to call for an immdeiate investigation of the RRC.
T Smith – Greenwood, TX
To answer your question, No, I would not. Very sobering pictures and data, and I thank you.
The Texas RRC has a good track record… compared to any other governmental agency…..
Having noted that, the RRC is supposed to do a lot of things that don’t get done.
But your ugly injection well isn’t dangerous. It is ugly. And not very tidy. But that is normal. It’s an industrial site. Contact the operator and ask if they can put a privacy fence around it…. Or paint the tanks green, whatever.
They will work with you.
If you lived in East Texas you would know about mineral rights… and you would also know that before you bought a farm or horse ranchette or whatever outside the city proper, and you didn’t own the minerals…. You could wind up with that ugly thing across the street from you. It’s just par for the course. Even if you did own the minerals, you might still wind up with that ugly thing across from you but in that case you might have a different perspective……..
What follows are the salient aspects of injection wells and the Texas RRC rules that relate.
Any person who disposes of saltwater or other oil and gas waste by injection into a porous formation not productive of oil, gas, or geothermal resources shall be responsible for complying with this section, Texas Water Code, Chapter 27, and Title 3 of the Natural Resources Code.
(1) General. Saltwater or other oil and gas waste, as that term is defined in the Texas Water Code, Chapter 27, may be disposed of, upon application to and approval by the commission, by injection into nonproducing zones of oil, gas, or geothermal resources bearing formations that contain water mineralized by processes of nature to such a degree that the water is unfit for domestic, stock, irrigation, or other general uses. Every applicant who proposes to dispose of saltwater or other oil and gas waste into a formation not productive of oil, gas, or geothermal resources must obtain a permit from the commission authorizing the disposal in accordance with this section. Permits from the commission issued before the effective date of this section shall continue in effect until revoked, modified, or suspended by the commission.
(2) Geological requirements. Before such formations are approved for disposal use, the applicant shall show that the formations are separated from freshwater formations by impervious beds which will give adequate protection to such freshwater formations. The applicant must submit a letter from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality or its successor agencies stating that the use of such formation will not endanger the freshwater strata in that area and that the formations to be used for disposal are not freshwater-bearing.
And that is all folks.
CHK has three salt water disposal wells on DFW Airport. They are trying to get permission to haul off lease waste water on the airport. This is typically CHK. Since they can’t get new disposal wells in FW they are trying to get the airport to allow additional waste to be trucked in from there other properties. Good thing it will still require the Cities of Dallas and FW to approve it. Keep an eye out for these guys.
hello everyone
i am very concerned about my water. where i live in montague county there has been an injection well built. it was just dug deeper the las past week or so. there are only about 6 of os neighbors in the area but so what. we all have to drink the water ans so does our cattle. we were told that we would get a letter about
accepting so much money per barrel of waste water injected into this well for damages i guess. does any one know of such a thing about receiving royalties for injecting such. it concerns all within a mile distance of this well. cant find any info ion this whats so ever. anyone receiving money for this maybe you can advise.
thanks
The landowner might receive some per barrel payments but I've not heard of neighbors receiving anything.
The injection well in these pictures is in Montague County.
I'm sure sorry this is happening to you.