Oklahoma's Largest Oil And Gas Drilling Spill Of Its Kind – 21,000 gallons of hydrochloric acid spilled onto farmer’s land
KINGFISHER COUNTY, Oklahoma -
This summer Oklahoma experienced what regulators think is the
largest oil and gas drilling spill of its kind, when more than 21,000 gallons
of hydrochloric acid spilled into a farmer's alfalfa field.
In a hearing later this week, state regulators will hear from
the companies they believe are responsible for the pollution.
We wanted to know how often spills like this happen in Oklahoma
and found it's less often than you may think.
There are a number of spills reported every day in Oklahoma,
but very few of that size.
The spill near Hennessey happened just as crews were about to
hydraulically fracture a well.
A state report says a valve was left open at the start of the
frac job causing the spill, and no one noticed until 480 barrels worth were on
the ground.
To Jason Hawk and his wife, it's more than a spill; it's the
devastation of their alfalfa crop and an uncertain future for their soil, land
and water where they had hoped to one day build a home.
"I don't foresee that happening. Because at one point, you
wake up in the morning and you're not going to have anything left because
they're going to have it all tore up," Hawk said.
Blake Production Company, based out of Oklahoma City, is the
driller on Hawk's land. The company will have to pay for the cleanup, which
involves removing all of the impacted soil - in this case 267 truckloads - and
replacing it with new soil.
According to state records, Blake Production Company was
responsible for seven spills and leaks at various wells in the eight months
prior to the spill.
But this is the only "Summons and Notice of Citation for
Contempt," showing regulators at the Corporation Commission never tried to
fine the company until the acid spill on the Hawks' land.
8/13/2014 Related Story: Oklahoma Regulators File Contempt
Charge Against Company For Chemical Spill
Tim Baker is the head of the oil and gas division at the
Corporation Commission. He said the state tries to work with companies first,
issuing several warnings before filing contempt charges and ultimately fining
them.
"If an operator keeps having the same problem over and
over again, well, obviously we're not getting his attention and need to take it
up a notch and go the legal route to see if we can get their attention,"
Baker said.
In Oklahoma there are 170,000 active oil and gas wells. In 2013
there were 860 confirmed spills - that's less than one percent. State
regulators only issued fines for 96 of those spills, which is about 11 percent.
"From time to time we are going to have spills, so I don't
see it as an exorbitant problem in Oklahoma," he said.
Baker adds that acid spills are pretty rare; in fact, there
were just four much smaller acid spills, last year.
Produced water or salt water spills are the most common, making
up about 82 percent of the state's largest spills.
"Salt water can be more expensive to clean up if you have
numerous spills in the same spot. It destroys the topsoil. The topsoil will
literally blow away. There won't be any top soil," Baker said.
He said his agency has added more inspectors to keep up with
growth in oil and gas drilling and said spills are just part of the industry.
After several delays, the Corporation Commission will hear from
both sides of the Hennessey case on Friday.
Oklahoma Regulators File Contempt Charge Against Company For Chemical
Spill
KINGFISHER COUNTY, Oklahoma -
State regulators filed a contempt charge against an oil and gas
company accused in a fracking-related chemical spill, one that officials said
is likely the largest spill of its kind in state history.
State records show a tank holding 480 barrels of hydrochloric
acid spilled at an oil and gas well site in Hennessey late last month; that's
more than 15,000 gallons.
Environmental cleanup crews are still digging up soil there,
trying to find out how deep the acid leached into the ground.
According to the contempt charge, Blake Production Company
could face fines of up to $5,000 for each day it's polluted the site.
ACID SPILL CLEANUP CONTINUES
by Rachel Brocklehurst
480 barrels of acid were spilled on an oilfield fracing site at Jason Hawk and Christi Hawk’s 160-acre farm located four miles south and two and a half miles west of Hennessey. The Hawks say the spill killed their alfalfa crops.
“The Department of Environmental Quality remediation has been working on it since it happened and the spill didn’t cover 160 acres,” said Matt Skinner, Oklahoma Corporation Commission spokesperson on Tuesday, Aug. 5. “The remediation area is bigger than 20 feet though.”
Cleanup is underway, he said.
“The remediation company has visited the Hawks at least once since Jason is a farmer and they’re trying to see what type of soil to put down as a replacement,” said Skinner.
The estimated measurement of soil removed is 1,600 cubic yards, he said. “Late afternoon yesterday, soil found one inch in depth that was in a contaminated area was re-sampled under the part that was excavated,” Skinner said.
“We’re hauling contaminated soil out,” said Blake Production owner Blake Vernon on Monday. “I won’t know a deadline until we start digging today to see how much there is,” he said. “The DEQ and City Commission are continuing to monitor the area where the acid was spilled.”
Christi Hawk said a subcontractor for Blake Production Company drilled a well there about a month ago, and when they brought their frac tanks July 28, the tank was not properly sealed, which caused the spill.
“The acid contains 15% hydrochloric acid,” Christi Hawk said. She said last week that the subcontractor was building a dike around the area in preparation for the upcoming rain last Wednesday so it would keep the acid from spreading.
“The soil would be tested before the acid was removed,” Skinner said.
The clean up is the first priority, he said.
“Rules require the oilfield company to restore the land as it was before the incident,” Skinner said.
“The berm was put up before it rained to make sure the rain wouldn’t wash the acid into the creek,” said Skinner.
“It was 350 barrels of acid that was spilled on the Hawk’s farm, instead of 500,” said Vernon. “This was our 11th horizontal well in Hennessey, and the first time we’ve had an acid leak,” he said.
A special internally lined gasket on one of the tanks started leaking, said Vernon.
Blake Production had contracted that work to Kwik Rental, said Vernon.
The Hawks said they’ve talked with an attorney about the incident.
“We put soda ash on the acid to make the dike non-acidic,” said Vernon.
This isn’t the first time that the Hawks and Blake Production have had problems. Blake filed a civil suit against Jason Hawk for appointment of appraisers back in March. “When we want to drill a well, first, we meet with the land owners,” said Vernon.
“We offer to pay damages at $5,000 an acre and the Hawks didn’t believe it was anywhere near that.” “The Surface Damage Act involves appraisers to get a fair price,” Vernon said.
“This case has not been settled, and we will go to court,” Vernon said. “We’ve never been through this process before, since normally, we just settle with people.”
The acid spill wasn’t the only complaint made by the Hawks. Kingfisher County Sheriff Dennis Banther said a call came in July 26 at 10 p.m. about a 10-inch irrigation that leaked and made the county road muddy. It was caused by at least 126 bullets shot into 126 joints of pipe.
Banther said it would take a lot of time to fire off that many rounds, but there were no reports of gunshots heard in that area.
Damage to the pipe is estimated at about $40,000.
480 barrels of acid were spilled on an oilfield fracing site at Jason Hawk and Christi Hawk’s 160-acre farm located four miles south and two and a half miles west of Hennessey. The Hawks say the spill killed their alfalfa crops.
“The Department of Environmental Quality remediation has been working on it since it happened and the spill didn’t cover 160 acres,” said Matt Skinner, Oklahoma Corporation Commission spokesperson on Tuesday, Aug. 5. “The remediation area is bigger than 20 feet though.”
Cleanup is underway, he said.
“The remediation company has visited the Hawks at least once since Jason is a farmer and they’re trying to see what type of soil to put down as a replacement,” said Skinner.
The estimated measurement of soil removed is 1,600 cubic yards, he said. “Late afternoon yesterday, soil found one inch in depth that was in a contaminated area was re-sampled under the part that was excavated,” Skinner said.
“We’re hauling contaminated soil out,” said Blake Production owner Blake Vernon on Monday. “I won’t know a deadline until we start digging today to see how much there is,” he said. “The DEQ and City Commission are continuing to monitor the area where the acid was spilled.”
Christi Hawk said a subcontractor for Blake Production Company drilled a well there about a month ago, and when they brought their frac tanks July 28, the tank was not properly sealed, which caused the spill.
“The acid contains 15% hydrochloric acid,” Christi Hawk said. She said last week that the subcontractor was building a dike around the area in preparation for the upcoming rain last Wednesday so it would keep the acid from spreading.
“The soil would be tested before the acid was removed,” Skinner said.
The clean up is the first priority, he said.
“Rules require the oilfield company to restore the land as it was before the incident,” Skinner said.
“The berm was put up before it rained to make sure the rain wouldn’t wash the acid into the creek,” said Skinner.
“It was 350 barrels of acid that was spilled on the Hawk’s farm, instead of 500,” said Vernon. “This was our 11th horizontal well in Hennessey, and the first time we’ve had an acid leak,” he said.
A special internally lined gasket on one of the tanks started leaking, said Vernon.
Blake Production had contracted that work to Kwik Rental, said Vernon.
The Hawks said they’ve talked with an attorney about the incident.
“We put soda ash on the acid to make the dike non-acidic,” said Vernon.
This isn’t the first time that the Hawks and Blake Production have had problems. Blake filed a civil suit against Jason Hawk for appointment of appraisers back in March. “When we want to drill a well, first, we meet with the land owners,” said Vernon.
“We offer to pay damages at $5,000 an acre and the Hawks didn’t believe it was anywhere near that.” “The Surface Damage Act involves appraisers to get a fair price,” Vernon said.
“This case has not been settled, and we will go to court,” Vernon said. “We’ve never been through this process before, since normally, we just settle with people.”
The acid spill wasn’t the only complaint made by the Hawks. Kingfisher County Sheriff Dennis Banther said a call came in July 26 at 10 p.m. about a 10-inch irrigation that leaked and made the county road muddy. It was caused by at least 126 bullets shot into 126 joints of pipe.
Banther said it would take a lot of time to fire off that many rounds, but there were no reports of gunshots heard in that area.
Damage to the pipe is estimated at about $40,000.
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