I am about to get some wells drilled on my property. Instead of hauling off the oil mud cuttings they want to treat them with "Bio-Enhancement Technology". They are willing to pay $10,000 per well in return for not hauling off the oil mud. They claim that they are responsible for any environmental cleanups even if I agree to let them do this. The company that does this is called Avispa. Would you or wouldn't you?
M16
This is called landfarming. Fluids and cuttings are thin spread over an area, treated with microbes and enzymes and disked into the topsoil. And then they leave. This system has not proved very effective with oil based muds, but in either an oil based or water based mud system, you must consider volatile organic compounds, which means the organics are released into the atmosphere and they stink and foul the air. Rainfall can also move the contaminated materials out of the landfarming area. You could also experience an increase in NORM (naturally occurring radioactive materials), which would decrease property value immensely.
You may do what you want with your property, but if it were mine, they could not pay me enough. You could be left with a dry hole and a bio hazard site.
M 16
Their isn't enough money to let them do that to my land.
You may want to check with you Co. extension agent and see if they are having a Mud information meeting.
This is a meeting they will be having in Perry, OK. I think they had one in the western part of the state already.
Drilling Mud Meeting
What is drilling mud? With increased oil and gas drilling what is actually being applied to soils? What
are the benefits? To answer these questions plus many others a meeting has been scheduled August
21st in the Noble Co. Fairgrounds, Women’s Building explaining the process. Oklahoma State
University speakers are to include: Drs. Jason Warren (Soil & Water Conservation), Chad Penn (Soil
Chemist) and Shannon Ferrell (Ag Law). Also presenting is Mike Moore with the Oklahoma Corporation
Commission.
M16:
Another hazard would be if the area being landfarmed is not properly disked allowing this material to migrate into nearby creeks or ponds. I have seen this happen several times in the past. As the other posts advises, this would not be a smart move on your behalf.
Thanks for the responses. The land is located in LaSalle county Texas. The way it was explained to me is that they leave the cutting in the pond. A company comes in and adds a surfactant. Kind of like they do on an oil spill in the gulf. A machine is brought in and stirs up the stuff in the pit for a 24 hour period. A sample is then sent to an independent testing lab. If it comes back clean they cover up the pit. The land is solid brush so it won't be spread out in a farming type operation. I would imagine the answer is still the same.
The company that will be drilling the wells has offered to buy my place. It is 1200+ acres which for South Texas is not a big place but not the smallest either. I have talked to a lot of people in the oil business and none of them can tell me why they would want to buy the place. I don't own the minerals. Anybody have a guess? They have offered a pretty decent price but I don't really want to sell unless they are going to do a moonscape. This is a major company that everyone would recognize. They sent a map and are projecting to drill 20 wells. I bought the place to hunt deer. Now that I have it just about where I want it this comes along and ruins it. Never buy a place without minerals.
M16:
I would quote them a price high enough to buy me another hunting area and pocket the rest. There could be several reasons for wanting the property, one being to build a commercial disposal well system if the area is extremely active in oilfield activities. Again, I would find out how bad they wanted your property.
M16
The suitor for your property may want to establish a commercial landfarming operation, as opposed to landfarming bio-waste from a single lease. In addition, they could easily be looking to develop the land as a commercial salt water/frac water disposal well site.
If they are going to put 20 wells down, you no longer have a deer hunting property, because it will be to busy for the deers to stay, the traffic to pump the wells and haul the oil will make the deers move. Plus, everyone will be hunting on your property as it will be open, never saw a pumper yet that can keep the gates closed. Then if someone shots a hole in the oil tank??? You will be responsible and what a mess to clean up.
Not sure what they are paying in TX right now, but in most areas, it's at least $10,000 or more per well site for damages and if they put down 20 wells, that would be about 12 million. I would start moving the deer stands and start looking for a new place. Good luck. I would love to buy a farm with all the minerals these days. I have all the mineral to my land, but I can't find another one to purchases with any minerals, let alone all the minerals.
The oil company may want to have a nice place to take the CEO/managers to deer hunt. My husband went to several nice places to hunt when he was working. Remember V P Dick Chainey, he was deer hunting as it was pay back time.
That is not a fact based statement Viriginia. I work and live on oil well pads. I see all kinds of deer right next to the pad and even on the pad.
Virginia Pflum said:
If they are going to put 20 wells down, you no longer have a deer hunting property, because it will be to busy for the deers to stay, the traffic to pump the wells and haul the oil will make the deers move. Plus, everyone will be hunting on your property as it will be open, never saw a pumper yet that can keep the gates closed. Then if someone shots a hole in the oil tank??? You will be responsible and what a mess to clean up.
Not sure what they are paying in TX right now, but in most areas, it's at least $10,000 or more per well site for damages and if they put down 20 wells, that would be about 12 million. I would start moving the deer stands and start looking for a new place. Good luck. I would love to buy a farm with all the minerals these days. I have all the mineral to my land, but I can't find another one to purchases with any minerals, let alone all the minerals.
The oil company may want to have a nice place to take the CEO/managers to deer hunt. My husband went to several nice places to hunt when he was working. Remember V P Dick Chainey, he was deer hunting as it was pay back time.
Joe,
I have had deers and game leave areas on my farm when their was lots of drilling going on. Maybe I just don't have enough tame deers to come onto a pad. Since you live on the pad, were the well already drilled?
I'm not saying deers won't come back, but when drilling is going on I would have to question that unless they are being feed.
Sorry I don't know the facts, I'm only saying what happens on my land.