Hilcorp gets permits to continue with CO2 project
Submitted by jcht2010 on
Hilcorp Energy has received permits from the Railroad Commission to move forward with their CO2 injection project on West Ranch. The company has been met with some resistance from various organizations and individuals, although most say it isn’t the CO2 injection poject isn’t the issue itself, but they would like to either see it done differently or be given more information regarding safeguards in place to protect the groundwater in Vanderbilt.
Tony Williams, Industrial ISD superintendent said the district filed protests to the furthering of the project for three reasons.
“We would like to know they are doing their due diligence in checking all the old wells out at West Ranch prior to the project. [There are] many very old casings and plugs.”
Williams also said he would like to see a diligent monitoring system during and after the operation, and “we would like to hear what will be done if our water is damaged by the operation.”
Hilcorp continues to stress that their monitoring system is state of the art and far more than adequate, but Tim Andruss, the general manager of the Texana Groundwater Conservation District, said that monitoring of the groundwater needs to be compulsory, not something Hilcorp chooses to do, and can potentially opt out of later.
“We’re concerned that these old wells have deteriorated to the point that they will allow fluids to escape either now or in the future,” he said, “The program needs to be developed, vetted, and in place and required as part of the program before the project kicks off.”
Todd Lanphere, owner of Phere Energy, whose property borders Hilcorp’s, said his concerns are for what he calls “problem wells,” or wells that are not properly plugged. Unplugged or improperly plugged wells, he said, would prevent any other company from obtaining permits, his own included.
“It’s not just that it’s not fair to me,” said Lanphere, “my workers are at risk. Their workers are at risk. The school and the town of Vanderbilt are at risk. Not only did we find the problem, but the Railroad Commission’s own examiners found the problem, and the Railroad Commission overrode them.”
Hilcorp’s Justin Furnace said Hilcorp has monitoring wells in place, and will have over 400 of them over the course of the project.
“Hilcorp, over the life of this project, will have one of the most robust monitoring programs of it’s kind on West Ranch,” said Furnace in an email statement, adding that the Bureau of Economic Geology at the University of Texas will conduct its own independent monitoring program. “All of this will allow us to monitor what is happening underground so we can respond quickly to any issue that might arise in a timely manner.”
Williams, Andruss, and Lanphere all have said they are not against the CO2 injection project in and of itself, and done right they would back it 100 percent.
Furnace attempted to quell those concerns with assurance that wells are plugged and should they find one that is not plugged, proper procedures will be followed.
“As it relates to our recently permitted activity, the Railroad Commission of Texas and our own review of those wells have shown that all abandoned wells were plugged in a manner to prevent the migration of fluids into the groundwater,” he said, “As we continue to move forward with the permitting process, should we find a well that was not properly plugged we will immediately take appropriate action to address the issue.”
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