Heaping misery upon misery, the Ruggieros are now surrounded by compressors at the Aruba Petroleum wells in their area.
Even more of their land is taken up with Aruba’s noisy, smelly, leaky operations equipment. But notice, particularly at the first of the video, how barren that land is. Nothing will grow there because Aruba has spilled and spewed so many toxins all over it. Aruba has seeded that place with grass 2 or 3 times now and nothing will grow.
Why do you suppose Aruba is installing compressors at all their wells? Could it be these Barnett Shale wells are already so depleted after only a couple of years that compressors are the only way to get anything out of them?
Oh, BTW, Tim and Christine still have to pay property taxes on that land. WAJ.
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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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Aruba also has 4 permanent steel anchors around the well head that are used to tie down the workover rig. Two of them are-or were buried, the other two just above the surface. Aruba seems to think that this area of pasture is perfectly fine… for horses to roam around on. Wonder what kind of damage would be caused by a tractor balde hitting one of these, or worse, if one of the horses clipped one. They also left behind a number of deep holes where the support for the sound barrier was. One of horses steps in one of those, almost guaranteed broken leg. These scenarios are irrelavant, though, as the soil is too contaminated to grow hardly weeds in, much more grass, and Aruba is out on the site almost every day anyway, so letting our horses out there hasn’t been an option since Sept 16, 2009.Victory and Justice are on the near horizon…stay tuned.
I await news of Victory and Justice for you! This situation is so far beyond outrageous that I lack the words to describe how badly you’ve been treated. Yet people here in PA still think the development of the Marcellus shale is a goodtThing. Ugh!
Tim, how many times did you say these wells have already been worked over? Victory and Justice can’t come soon enough for you all.
Aruba’s former site supervisor (if that’s what he was, as he testified he didn’t know what his job title was) said Aruba has only been out ONCE to re-work the well. Records received through a PIR show Aruba has been out 18 times just since Jan. The production is dropping like a rock, and has been ever since they drilled. It goes up somewhat when they re-work it, but then drops off again. Now they have a lift compressor installed. I wonder how much thery spent in weekend workover crews before deciding it would be more cost effective to put in a compressor station.
And on top of all that–I’ll bet that these compressors are using the raw natural gas as fuel–spewing out all kinds of toxins from this burning–like SO2, etc., etc. And of course I’ll bet there are no catalytic converters on the compressor’s exhausts?? Welcome to the shale gas patch–just like in Booger!
I assume they are natural gas powered, as that’s what Aruba threatened to install if we didn’t sign the utility easement with the electric company. Aruba said they ‘understood’ someone from Wise County Electric spoke with us about the need for a utility easement, then went on to say that we had 14 days to decide if we wanted to sign that or not, as an electric powered compressor would be better emissions wise. If we failed to sign the easement, then they were going to install a frack gas powered compressor. No one ever spoke to us about an easement, and we told Aruba that in the same letter we asked them not to install any compressor, as we’ve been through enough hell as it is. Aruba’s response? That we apparently ‘misunderstand’ the fact that Aruba has every right to do whatever they want to do to fulfill their lease obligations, inlcuding installing a noisy drive you nuts compressor. We sent them another letter indicating that we did not want any icompressor, but if they must, install the electric. I apparently missed the part where I had to go to the electric company and sign the easement. We also passed Aruba’s threat deadline, so they made good on their threat. Like living next to a truck stop, now. Christine posted the video on YouTube.
Irregardless of the power type (gas or electric) there is all the noise–especially the very damaging LFN(low frequency noise). Bad stuff.
Forgot to mention–why would the gasholes pay for electric power when the raw natural gas is “free of charge”? And they probobly don’t even pay royalties on the fuel gas–it’s free!
A few points…..
1) It is not reasonable to record sound levels at that close range. The safety standards for noise levels are geared to protect the general public and are established for certain distances from the source. I am sure whoever took the readings and video was in an area clearly designated for Aruba’s production operations and not he general public.
2) Taking video of a catch basin beneath storage for lubricating fluids should not be inferred to be a bad thing. They are trying to be responsible and contain any leaks or spills so it can be contained and disposed of.
3) The sound attenuated enclosure and the compressor package inside look well designed, well built, and certainly well maintained.
4) The comment about wells being depleted and requiring compressors to get the gas out of the earth is misguided. Compressors are simply used to increase the gas to a pressure required to enter it into the pipeline or to motivate to travel to its desired location for processing.
Side note: I have read some of the posts on here and there is alot of ignorance going around. There also seems to be alot of people that wouldn’t be satisfied with anything done with regard to mineral issues and production. Most people pay (and some are paid for) their mineral interests. People should become informed about landowner and mineral interest holder rights prior to getting involved in either.
Thanks for setting us poor, ignorant Gas Patch victims straight, Chilidog.
1) I am sure the person taking the video and the noise readings was Christine Ruggiero and she was standing in her fracking back yard.
2) It’s not reasonable to cut someone’s fence without notice, let their horses run loose, and install a drill rig a few hundred feet from their back door after they leave for work one day.
3) It’s not reasonable to have 5 spills on their property and pump toxins into the air that makes them sick all day long.
4) We have tracked the production on these wells and they have fallen off to just about nothing like most of the Barnett Shale wells have.
Side Note: If you want to come on here and critique anything I write on this blog anytime please BRING IT! Be specific though. I am confident in what I put on this blog. And I’m confident that you need some help learning the difference between Shit and Shinola. HERE is a diagram.
Given the fact that the compressor site is only a few days old and freshly painted, one would fully expect it to ‘appear to be well maintained’. I am the one who took this particular video, as Christine is much more susceptible to emissions than I am. In fairness, there are several other videos that we took that we have not posted..yet. My point in this video was to show that the decibel readings were not much different very close to the generator than further out from it. It is maybe 150 feet from my neighbor’s home. I can hear it 24 hours a day from my driveway, some 500 feet away. But then again, I used to be able to hear Aruba’s other compressors, both of which were about a mile away from this same spot. The loud droning from this compressor now drowns out those compressors.
I’d love to hear exactly what the ‘landowner’ rights are, as we are landowners, not mineral right owners. Our research shows that we have no rights whatsoever. The TCEQ does not regulate compressors or noise. Neither does the TRRC (But did make a recommendation we contact Ed Ireland for assistance. You know Ed, right? The ‘director’ of the 100% Industry funded propaganda group to promote gas well development) The County Commissioners refuse to respond to emails and faxes and the phones are never answered. The County Judge stated that there was nothing he could do. The County Sheriff has also taken a pass in being able to help. So, by all means, please let me know not only what my so-called rights are, but who exactly will protect them and my family?
Regardless of the purpose of the compressor, it is a known fact that production has dropped dramatically at not only this Aruba site, but ALL of them, and in very short order. The purpose of the compressor does not change the fact that it runs 24/7/365 is too damn close to our home. Aruba did not have to drill on my 10 acres when we are surrounded by more than 900 acres of open land. Aruba drilled on our property because they could, and apparently, mineral rights trump our property rights as well as our rights regarding our health.
When I hear that you and your family live next to two compressors, that’s when I will happy to hear your thoughts about fairness and ‘satisfaction’ with what is done by your ‘Good Neighbor’.
Chilidog–you are a DA (Dumb Ass). Although compressors increase the outlet pressure, they also decrease the inlet pressure. So the compressor is “sucking” and “blowing” so as to increase production from the well!!!! Go to school and learning some technical stuff before you vomit you guts out with dumb sh**.