After leaving a big mess on the neighbor’s property and dumping drilling waste water in the pond where the neighbor’s son used to swim and fish (Aruba Dude called it “gray water” and said he would drink it), Aruba Petroleum put a drilling rig right outside Tim’s and Christine’s kitchen window. Aruba lied to them, took between 4 and 5 acres of their 10 acres without giving them any notice, dozed down their $15,000 pipe fence, threatened and intimidated them, spilled toxic waste from a suspected well blow out and then tried to hide it, and now they are spewing massive diesel fumes that cover the area for miles.
But first, an update on the toxic spill:
First Tim and Christine were told that the spill happened because Aruba lost control and it was only harmless drilling mud that contained no toxins. However, the Texas Railroad Commission wanted to test the harmless drilling mud for benzene and other chemicals. Huh? If the chemicals aren’t in there, why test for it? A flatbed truck with two orange tanks–similar to septic tanks–came to pick up this harmless drilling mud and haul it off. Next couple of tanker trucks came and washed down the area sending the harmless drilling mud and residue into our watershed. Then they piled gravel on it but now they have decided the pit is too small so they need to expand it. (I’ve seen a lot of pits and it looks normally sized to me.)
Here’s today’s update on the spill:
My neighbor (the one whose property the blowout spilled mostly on) called to tell me that the “test” either the TRC or Aruba did showed that the area needed to be cleaned again.
Man! That harmless drilling mud is pretty tough to clean up.
But, that’s not all…
Starting about 10 last night and still happening now, about every minute the rig let’s out a plume of diesel exhaust and then it sounds like they are dropping a large piece of metal onto the metal platform. A clang that shakes the house. Very methodical.
The next message I received was an urgent request to call Christine. She said her home was covered in a thick cloud of diesel emissions that were constantly boiling out of the rig. When she drove to work, she could see the black cloud extended across Wise County for “miles and miles.” (pictures and video coming) Aruba Petroleum trucks passed her on the road speeding to the scene of the crime.
What has happened to us? Is there anyone out there who thinks it’s okay to terrorize law-abiding citizens, completely destroy their property and the lives they worked hard to build and endanger their health and safety? What are we doing?
UPDATE: Aruba sure is worried about that harmless drilling mud. They were on the neighbor’s land digging trenches. And, the neighbor called to report that all the grass has died.
UPDATE #2: Now the neighbor says Aruba has locked her gate and put red flags on it.
Follow the chain of sorry events leading up to this…
Barnett Shale: In Your Backyard
NPR: State Tests Air Around Drilling And Pipeline Sites
Looking Out a Barnett Shale Kitchen Window
Aruba Petroleum, Operations in the Barnett Shale
Aruba Petroleum, Operations in the Barnett Shale – In your backyard
Spill on Aruba Petroleum Barnett Shale Drill Site!
VIDEO: Aruba Petroleum Toxic Spill in Barnett Shale
Sen. Davis Calls for Senate Investation on Barnett Shale Air
Latest post HERE
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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What a shame. Just another casualty of the Cheney Gas Wars! No help from state agencies, local officials, or politicians, none–only hope is that the Feds will help.
The TRC took samples but they waited until it was "cleaned up."
When Christine reported the spill a flatbed truck came with two big orange tanks–look like septic tanks–on the trailer. How can we find out what they put in those tanks. There must be a manifest or some kind of record.
I've been following your posts on this. You raise some good questions. What the hell has happened to us? What's happening to these people is morally wrong and this drilling company should be put out of business.
I'll put out a request: Is there any law that drillers/producers have to notify the public in an emergency? Or, do you just hope & pray you don't die if a neighborhood gas well releases H2S?
Oil & gas has broad exemptions from every one of our federal environmental statutes.
• Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and
Liability Act
• Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
• Safe Drinking Water Act
• Clean Water Act
• Clean Air Act
• National Environmental Policy Act
• Toxic Release Inventory under the Emergency Planning and
Community Right-to-Know Act
So, no, they don't have to tell you anything.
The Worthless Politicians gave O&G all these exemptions–so WP's, go fix it!!! Bet you won't cause you're all bought off!!
the reason they are testing for those things is not because they are commonly found in drilling mud. they are testing for these because sometimes they are found in the ground and wanted to make sure that the drilling mud was not bringing it up or contaminated with it. If you people know of a cleaner way of getting the resources our country needs without sending all of our money to the middle east then maybe you should step up and teach the rest of us. Until then, we are all doing the best we can with what we have. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but consider the alternative. maybe you should all stop driving your cars and heating your homes and cooking on your gas stoves and then we wouldnt need oil and gas. But until everyone is either willing to sacrifice and stop using oil and gas or until someone is smart enough to find a cleaner way of doing it then give it a rest. Don't sit on your high horse and complain without offering an alternative. its arrogant and childish, if you dont like the way things are then change them or move on.
respectfully,
a lowly piece of oilfield trash
Dear LPOT,
"Those things" are commonly found in drilling mud after it's been downhole.
Yes, there are cleaner ways to produce natural gas! Aruba Petroleum is being willfully and recklessly irresponsible and endangering public health and safety! Aruba is cutting corners which increases their profits while placing landowners AND oilfield workers at risk. However, if, as you claim, "this" is the best we can do, then it's not nearly good enough and we certainly cannot survive if natural gas development continues.
Just because we are energy consumers doesn't mean we can't advocate for better practices. That's just dumb. Remember DDT?
The landowners here have sacrificed unbearably! They have lost almost 1/2 of their land and the only place they had for their horses. The major investment of their lives is now worthless. Their health is in jeopardy. Meanwhile, the mineral owner sits on his pile of money in an oasis where no drilling is allowed. He and Aruba Petroleum profit from the landowner's misery. In whose world is this okay?
I am not a close minded person, I have genuine concern for the lack of initiative in cleaner drilling practices. All i am trying to say is this problem will not be resolved until there are standards set for this industry. i have worked as an independent contractor for several oil and gas companies. they are all the same. As far as the landowner, it is a terrible mis-fortune. for future reference to all, if you are thinking of buying a home in an area where o&g companies are prevelent, look closely at your contract and make sure the mineral rights are included
A mineral owner in the Barnett Shale will not part with the minerals so people buying property won't stand a chance. The realtor should FULLY inform them of the consequences involved. But that continues to be a problem because no one in their right mind would risk with Tim and Christine had endured.
I am a mineral owner myself but I feel a responsibility to protect the surface owners and I believe it is IMMORAL to profit from another's misery. That's why I made sure my surface owners were protected with a no surface use clause.
Some mineral owners have a feeling of entitlement. Most often they didn't even work for their mineral rights, they inherited them.
Mineral owners would do well to take better care of surface owners because the surface owners way outnumber the mineral owners.
But that's another matter. What we are discussing is the disgusting and immoral practices of Aruba Petroleum.
I have seen worse and I havent seen anyone die or there livestock melt like snow from the " Chernobyl " like event that is taking place at this drilling site. I believe that most drilling operations use diesel motors to power there equipment. Even the all electric rigs run off diesel generators. All the green people in this grand state can lobby to your politician and see which lobbyist is putting more money into the politicians pocket. Aruba greed is not a valid term……I would call it American Greed. Its no different than someone having to pay a 25 dollar restocking fee. If a dollar can be made Americans will find a way.
Let's try to keep things in perspective- I may disagree with some of the things Sharon says, but we're pretty much in lockstep as far as Aruba goes. That said, I think there's a smarter way to go about this-gas well drilling. 1) Respect the surface owner. Raping his land, polluting his water, running gas lines through his property, dumping trash all over the site, and pumping diesel exhaust at my home 24 hours a day isn't exactly endearing me to the gas company. 2) Exercise some common sense. Just because it's LEGAL, doesn't mean it's ETHICAL. 3) Clean up your act. Replace aging equipment with more efficient, less polluting ones. Attach the smog catchers on some of this stuff. C'Mon, guys, this just isn't that hard! How much more does it really cost to do the right thing?
Sharon,
If all the above is the way Aruba operated then they are nontypical but problematic parasites in an industry that is far to complicated. from the geologist idea to gas in our tanks the industry has a good reputation for doing the right thing. I can honestly say The true oil & gas men of this country are probably the biggest conservationist Ive ever met. Conservationist not radical environmentalist. But that's not why I am writing. I started out in the Drilling Mud & Chemical Business in 1979 with NL Baroid. The gray matter is Bentonite Clay (the term Mud) which it's primary use prior to a drilling fluid viscosity builder was and still is used to put on bottom of man made tanks (ponds) or spread on top of the water of a leaking tank (pond) in such quantity as to insure a good 1/2 to 1" layer will settle on bottom & stop the leak. Although I would not reccomend drinking it unless the need to be very constipated arises it is fine to eat or drink.
That said, that is simply the Base for Drilling mud, and like making bisquits there is more to it than flour & water. Same goes for mud. Prior to ever mixing the clay in order to yield a quality mud 1st you knock out the hardness in the water with soda ash, next you raise the PH with Caustic soda, now you start mixing gel (clay) but as your mixing it to avoid a real thick well bore cake that could cause your drill string to get stuck & potentially loose the well. You also mix a lignite mix that will thin it out & give you a tough thin cake. Now you do Not want the shale to absorb water from the mud or the shale will swell and start sloughing off which is BAD, I won't go into all The potential damages but all are bad. So you mix polymers (long & short chain both)
Certain polymers will make that cake even tougher & thinner. Others will wrap around cuttings making them heavier so they drop out across the shaker. Others will wrap around the water molcules & give more of a plastic fluid preventing the exposure of water on the shale or in your area the pay zone itself (Barnett shale).
There are literally 100's of different chemicals that can be mixed for a given problem. In many areas or very deep and hot (temp) wells oil is added from 10% to 70% of the system can be diesel fuel. Or if a drill string gets stuck (bore hole stuck) when the cake is to thick you spot oil over where the pipe is stuck to release the pressure and free the pipe.
The bottom line is: any idiot that tells you he'll drink it, please serve the ignorant POS a 16 oz bottle & say drink up Idiot. I have rsn the mud systems on 1,000's of wells and met all walks of life in doing so but never have I met one who would even think about saying something so stupid.
There is no doubt the mud is nothing but bad for a fishing tank or anything else on the surface. This is why closed loop systems are important.
Well that's probably enough but don't let the scum bags lie to you, pay a roughneck to get you a sample of the mud as they are drilling. A lot of what you say is truly just lack of knowledge but when it comes to drilling mud being exposed to surface water or just pumped on the ground your on the right track.
Thanks
George Palmer
Sharon,
If all the above is the way Aruba operated then they are nontypical but problematic parasites in an industry that is far to complicated. from the geologist idea to gas in our tanks the industry has a good reputation for doing the right thing. I can honestly say The true oil & gas men of this country are probably the biggest conservationist Ive ever met. Conservationist not radical environmentalist. But that's not why I am writing. I started out in the Drilling Mud & Chemical Business in 1979 with NL Baroid. The gray matter is Bentonite Clay (the term Mud) which it's primary use prior to a drilling fluid viscosity builder was and still is used to put on bottom of man made tanks (ponds) or spread on top of the water of a leaking tank (pond) in such quantity as to insure a good 1/2 to 1" layer will settle on bottom & stop the leak. Although I would not reccomend drinking it unless the need to be very constipated arises it is fine to eat or drink.
That said, that is simply the Base for Drilling mud, and like making bisquits there is more to it than flour & water. Same goes for mud. Prior to ever mixing the clay in order to yield a quality mud 1st you knock out the hardness in the water with soda ash, next you raise the PH with Caustic soda, now you start mixing gel (clay) but as your mixing it to avoid a real thick well bore cake that could cause your drill string to get stuck & potentially loose the well. You also mix a lignite mix that will thin it out & give you a tough thin cake. Now you do Not want the shale to absorb water from the mud or the shale will swell and start sloughing off which is BAD, I won't go into all The potential damages but all are bad. So you mix polymers (long & short chain both)
Certain polymers will make that cake even tougher & thinner. Others will wrap around cuttings making them heavier so they drop out across the shaker. Others will wrap around the water molcules & give more of a plastic fluid preventing the exposure of water on the shale or in your area the pay zone itself (Barnett shale).
There are literally 100's of different chemicals that can be mixed for a given problem. In many areas or very deep and hot (temp) wells oil is added from 10% to 70% of the system can be diesel fuel. Or if a drill string gets stuck (bore hole stuck) when the cake is to thick you spot oil over where the pipe is stuck to release the pressure and free the pipe.
The bottom line is: any idiot that tells you he'll drink it, please serve the ignorant POS a 16 oz bottle & say drink up Idiot. I have rsn the mud systems on 1,000's of wells and met all walks of life in doing so but never have I met one who would even think about saying something so stupid.
There is no doubt the mud is nothing but bad for a fishing tank or anything else on the surface. This is why closed loop systems are important.
Well that's probably enough but don't let the scum bags lie to you, pay a roughneck to get you a sample of the mud as they are drilling. A lot of what you say is truly just lack of knowledge but when it comes to drilling mud being exposed to surface water or just pumped on the ground your on the right track.
Thanks
George Palmer
George, thanks for your comment. I hate to say that I can't agree with your depiction of oil and gas men as conservationists especially when they are using diesel after promising not to.
The landowners had the mud tested and it had very high levels of toxins in it.
Thanks for the interesting comment. I wondered what the caustic soda was for. That stuff is so dangerous!