click for a better view.
I took this picture Sunday, October 25, 2009, at Tim and Christine Ruggiero’s house in Wise County, Texas.
Aruba Petroleum set up this drilling rig right in their backyard after telling them the week prior that they had no plans to drill on their property (more on that later). Here you can see the view out their kitchen window.
And next door too
Previous posts:
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
And the story continues…
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
Aruba Petroleum Toxic Mess in Barnett Shale
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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that has to be miserable for the landowners. are they mineral owners?
No, they don't own any minerals. Apparently the mineral owner has 100% of the minerals on several acres. He sectioned off about 50+ acres for himself where no drilling is allowed and profits from the misery of other people who were not fully informed when they purchased their slice of the American Pie.
So many horror stories. Texas is in desperate need for some surface owners rights and regulations. It is out of control. How the mineral owners can look at themselves in a mirror after inflicting this on someone is beyond me.
Oh my gosh! So they have that thing in their yard and AREN'T getting paid for it!? Oh man, that pisses me off! Are they at least compensated for the loss of some land? How is it possible to own the "top soil"–if you will, but not own the minerals underneath? Man. I wonder if we own our mineral rights on our land? I hope they don't do that crap to us! 🙁
It's called Split Estate. The surface owner is not necessarily the mineral owner and the mineral owner has the right of eminent domain to develop the minerals under the surface.
The compensation was inadequate when taking into consideration the improvements. Also, they purchased 10 acres because they wanted 10 acres. Now they have 5 or maybe 6 with a well right in the middle.
There's the old story that in Texas, when the minerals are leased, you no longer "own" the land. They will let you live there as long as you are willing to put up with 'em. If not, just get out of Dodge.
the peasants must rise up.
Things change very rapidly in the industry. Just because they said "we have no plans to drill here" does not mean that this "plan" couldn't inadvertently change the next day.
I hope that your goal of this specific article is not to blame the E&P companies, because they do not make the laws.
I understand the frustration of the surface owner in this case, but my points stand.
Unfortunately for some, the laws in Texas are very subsurface favorable.
Dear Anonymous:
In regards to this case: ain't see NOTHING yet. Keep watching.
Things may change rapidly 'in the industry' but rarely in favor of anyone except 'the industry'. As far as the law is concerned, what is legal and ethical are two different things. If Aruba Petroleum had any common decency, they would have made the decision to drill someplace else where people's lives and property wouldn't be endangered. Before you start lecturing me on how safe it all is, I have VIDEO of ARUBA PETROLEUM spilling hundreds of gallons of FRAC FLUID all over my SURFACE. After two hours of doing NOTHING, they didn't start to clean it up until the RRC came out here at my behest and made them clean it up. No, it's not drilling mud-if it was they wouldn't be washing it out with a large volume water hose.
6:44 PM Oct 29, 2009 UPDATE—-
Just received a message from the Aruba Petroleum Supervisor- said the fluid spill is "Mud from the cellar" and they expect to have to cleaned up by tomorrow. I previously stated it was Frac Fluid, and this may not be the case. Only a test will factually determine what this is. There is currently a large water truck now on site, and it is being used to hose down the spill area.
It wouldn't be frack fluid because they aren't fracking yet. When they start fracking, you'll know it because it's much louder than the drilling rig and the diesel fumes are pretty much constant. I'm sure you've see the fracking video I made.
Drilling mud is far from harmless. Toxins that could be in drilling mud can be seen HERE The black smoke you saw was the steam full of VOCs and possibly NORM from where the drilling mud heats up down below.
Even if it was the more dangerous Frac fluid, Anonymous had a great point-The E&P Industry doesn't make the laws, so that means everything will be just fine, and I'm just a stupid homeowner who is obviously over-reacting.
Anonymous,
Why do you hide behind anonymous? This is our HOME. We LIVE here. My daughter used to play by the tree in this picture.
Tell me, is it standard in your industry to knock down fences, not contain horses, and bulldoze pastures with no notice when no one is home?
I learned that my property was being leveled by Aruba Petroleum from my neighbor while I was at work.
We are a mere potential liability to Aruba Petroleum. My CHILD is a potential liability to them.
It is perfectly acceptable to Aruba Petroleum that my daughter is exposed to massive amount of diesel exhaust and can view their waste and pit every time she goes outside to play.
It is acceptable to Aruba Petroleum that I am forced to drive 30 feet from their rig with my daughter everyday to get her to and from school. They're wearing hard hats, but we don't need them?
It is perfectly acceptable to Aruba Petroleum that they may contaminate our water and that I will be forced to test it to make sure my daughter is not poisoned like those in Wyoming.
It is perfectly acceptable to Aruba Petroleum that they are and will continue to contaminate the air and soil around our home and I will be forced to test it, again, to make sure that my daughter is not poisoned like the people in Dish, TX.
Anonymous, there is the law and then there is the spirit of the law. There is human decency. There is love for one's neighbor.
Regardless of what the law says, we always have the choice of taking the high road and doing what is honest, good, and ethical. Aruba Petroleum chose not to do this.
I have one thing for Anonymous.
Anonymous,
When you said to Sharon, “I hope that your goal of this specific article is not to blame the E&P companies, because they do not make the laws” I wanted to say that…
I hope that it is not your industry’s intent to try and hide behind the laws when you and your industry sit before Congress someday to explain what you have done. I don’t think they, or the American people are going to buy it.
When that day comes, and it will probably be sooner rather than later with your peer, Aruba Petroleum, in the neighborhood, we will be ready. One day your industry will run over one too many citizens.
When that day comes, we will be ready with all of the pictures, all of the videos, and all of the certified letters, documentation, and emails sent to Aruba Petroleum senior management. We will be ready to tell our story and show just how indifferent Aruba Petroleum is to human life and property.
We will be ready to demonstrate just how expendable our family was to Aruba Petroleum, a member of your industry.
“I hope that your goal of this specific article is not to blame the E&P companies, because they do not make the laws”
So, what prevents the E&P companies from doing better than the laws require? Who says they have to be reckless, just because the laws don't stop it?