Barnett Shale

Burnam pushes Barnett Shale reform

Democratic State Rep. Lon Burnam held a press conference this morning with local citizen activists to announce the filing of six bills aimed at reforming how natural gas drilling is conducted in Tarrant County.

A write up of the press conference is at our Politex blog.

The six bills were filed last night and are now online:

--HB 1533 requires the Texas Railroad Commission to notify certain elected officials upon receipt of gas drilling permit applications in Tarrant County

--HB 1534 requires natural gas production and pipeline companies to disclose property appraisal, damage estimate, and other relevant appraisals in condemnation procedures.

--HB 1535 lays out a new process for pipeline companies to apply for and receive a permit from the Texas Railroad Commission before condemning property for pipeline construction.

--HB 1536 repeals eminent domain authority for subsidiary pipeline companies in the construction of gathering and transmission lines in Tarrant County

--HB 1537creates a new series of rules including setback requirements for gathering and transmission lines in Tarrant County

-HB 1538 authorizes Tarrant County and municipalities in the county to regulate pipeline safety.

-Aman Batheja

A half dozen bills and counting

State Sen Wendy Davis has filed her third Barnett Shale bill.

 The latest would require operators to use "green completions" to reduce the amount of air pollution -- mostly methane -- that is released before wells are hooked up to a pipeline. http://www.legis.state.tx.us/tlodocs/81R/billtext/html/SB00902I.htm 

Davis has also filed SB 752, which requires injection well operators who dispose of oil and gas waste to use deep formations.  SB 752 -  Bill Text

And SB 686, which requires the Texas Department to allow gas gathering lines in state highway rights-of-way. SB 686 - Bill Text

Meanwhile, State Rep. Lon Burnam said he plans to introduce three bills dealing with pipeline routes, pipeline safety and the use of eminent domain by pipeline companies.

Read the news release here. Barnett Shale Bills Press Conf Media Advisory

-- Mike Lee

Finder's fee for Craddick

Texas House of Representatives Speaker Tom Craddick picked up a finder's fee in a recent Barnett Shale mineral-rights purchase by Mexco Energy Corp. He's a director of the company. Jay Root of the Star-Telegram Austin bureau has the full report on the PoliTex blog.

-- Richard Stubbe