Chesapeake gets three permits for TCU site

Chesapeake Energy has received three drilling permits from the Texas Railroad Commission for its lease on the Texas Christian University campus. According to Railroad Commission records, the three wells will be drilled from the previously announced location of a parking lot just north of the school's football stadium. Each will travel roughly 2,200 feet to the east, nearly to University Boulevard, according to Chesapeake's applications with the commission. Although the wells originate from the same site, their well bores will be about 500 feet apart as they pass through the Barnett Shale, according to the permits, which were granted Nov. 16.

Chesapeake has not yet received a drilling permit from the city of Fort Worth, but Fort Worth Gas Well Inspector David Lunsford said he expects the company to apply for a drilling permit by January. When TCU announced in August that it had signed a mineral rights lease with Four Sevens Energy, which works on behalf of Chesapeake in Fort Worth, the school said it would allow drilling only between Jan. 10 and July 31, to avoid conflicts with use of the stadium for football games.

"The permit will be high impact with waivers if all required waivers may be obtained," Lunsford said. According to Chesapeake's permit, the drilling rig will be 533 feet from the north boundary of its lease. The city requires that drillers get a waiver from the owner of an occupied building within 600 feet of a drilling rig.

-- Jim and Mike

Comments

[Jim Fuquay]

The previous poster is correct regarding the well's surface location and its distance from the lease lines. We caught the error last night and deleted the references from the story scheduled for Friday's newspaper, but forgot to amend our Barnett Shale Blog post.
-- Jim

[Anon]

Jim and Mike, you're reading the plat/permit application incorrectly.

The drilling rig will be located at the "Kickoff Point," which is only 263 feet from the unit line. This puts it approximately 350 feet from the closest house. From what I also understand, there are 30-40 homes, both to the north and to the west of the proposed site, that are within 600 feet of the well bore. Chesapeake's distance waiver request letters were received in the neighborhoods today.

The "Penetration Point" is where the drill bit hits the shale - 7,000 feet below ground. THAT will be 533 feet from the north boundary of the lease. So, the path of the hole is slightly towards the south.

Finally, the City does not REQUIRE the drillers to get waivers. If the driller gets waivers, getting a permit is easier. If I remember correclty, without waivers, their permit reqest must go before the City Council.