"War of the Wells" - The Texas Observer

"War of the Wells" - The Texas Observer:

"Neighbors say they move in quickly. Suddenly a tall, garish, mechanical contraption belching fumes and noise dominates the neighborhood. Heavy trucks pound the streets. These are the signs of the drilling rigs that are spreading across Texas. Depending on how much oil and gas lies beneath the ground, they can stay for a few months or years. High demand, combined with improvements in drilling technology, is making it cost effective to go after the last deposits. In 2000, there were 7,974 wells completed in Texas. By 2007, that number had nearly doubled to 14,247.

Industry observers have taken to calling it a “stampede,” and prospecting drillers are bumping up hard against an expanding Texas population. Protests and lawsuits are increasing. Almost everywhere there is intense oil and gas drilling these days, citizens’ groups have formed to fight pollution, safety, and proximity problems." (full article, click here).

In related posts at the Bluedaze blog http://txsharon.blogspot.com/ : "Illegal Dumping of Barnett Shale Drilling Waste: $10,000 Reward" & "A Barnett Shale Sludge Pit Looks Like This"