The Barnett Shale: Energy miracle or drilling disaster?
At its peak in 2008, the 5,000-square-mile Barnett Shale geological formation stretching west and south from Tarrant and Denton counties had around 200 active drilling rigs, mostly seeking mile-deep natural gas. Now energy supplies are abundant, market prices have fallen and there’s little new drilling. The region’s economy has benefited greatly, but environmental questions and urban drilling have brought great controversy. How does it all rate for you? Has Barnett Shale drilling been good or bad?
I was retiring and needed an extra income. Our well site producing royalties was the perfect answer.
We expected possible royalties of about $350/month. We had the largest land of the whole pool.
The well was drilled. First well in four quadrants. Best direction in the shale. Chesapeake was a rising star driller.
To date we have received three checks in about four years, one for $110.30, one for $66.55 and one for $3.09!
Best advice ever was: Don’t buy the car yet!
— Howard Livingston, Arlington
Maybe if our neighborhood hadn’t experienced a 21/2-hour gas-pipeline leak.
Maybe if I hadn’t found a container of drilling fluid floating in Cedar Creek Reservoir.
Maybe if I didn’t know a neighbor living near gas wells who died of leukemia.
Maybe if my grandchildren hadn’t been subjected to earthquake drills at their school.
Maybe if I hadn’t seen a man in Weatherford light his drinking water on fire.
Maybe if the gas industry had recycled and limited their water use during the drought, revealed the toxic chemicals in their drilling fluid, admitted that hydraulic fracturing has contaminated groundwater, caused air pollution and contributed to climate change.
Maybe then I could say that it was a good thing.
But under the circumstances I’m afraid I’d have to call the Barnett Shale a fracking disaster.
— Sharon Austry, Fort Worth
The fracking boom began in the Barnett Shale. Who can speak with more authority on the erosion of trust with the fracking industry than residents within the bounds of the Barnett Shale?
Yet today, the Legislature is about to silence those voices by passing laws assuring that property rights are superior to human rights.
The state’s response to questions about earthquake clusters, air quality and water quality linkages to the fracking industry has been: “Gee, those are really tough questions.” When local citizens lose patience with that response and take the initiative, the state moves to silence the people.
The state of Texas claims that laws like Denton’s fracking ban are job killers — better jobs than people.
In my America, human rights must always trump property rights.
— Bruce W. Cavin, Fort Worth
All Points each Monday features reader responses to a question posed by the Editorial Board. With each week’s responses comes the next week’s question. All Points responses are not counted toward the monthly limit of one letter to the editor from each writer. Readers are welcome to send their own ideas for All Points topics to Editorial Director Mike Norman, mnorman@star-telegram.com.
This story was originally published March 27, 2015 at 8:13 PM with the headline "The Barnett Shale: Energy miracle or drilling disaster?."