How Natural Gas Is Explored and Produced
Phase 1: Seismic
In the seismic phase, crews collect three-dimensional seismic data to study what lies underground. Vibrating vehicles nicknamed "thumper trucks" generate the readings.
Phase 2: Drilling
Next, the operator builds the drill site and bores down through the layers of rock. Drilling one well usually takes somewhere between 20 and 45 days.
Phase 3: Completion
Completion relies on fracture stimulation, commonly called "fracking," which opens up the rock so natural gas can move into the well. Fracturing a well and readying it for production takes about three or four days.
Phase 4: Production
Production is the long, quiet stage in which gas is drawn from the well and sent by pipeline to market. A valve assembly called a "Christmas tree" sits on top of the wellhead to control how fast the gas flows. This stage can continue for roughly 30 to 50 years.
Phase 5: Abandonment
When a well stops producing, it is plugged, every piece of equipment and debris is hauled away, and the site is closed.
Gas Well Drilling and Production in Fredville
In September 2005 the City Council passed Fredville's first ordinance governing gas drilling and production, covering wells inside the city limits and in the extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ). The council has revised the ordinance several times since then to protect the health and well-being of residents.
The current ordinance is posted on the Process and Forms page.
The Millstone Shale
Fredville sits above the Millstone Shale, a gas-rich geologic formation that stretches across about 4,200 square miles of Texas and many counties. It ranks among the larger onshore natural gas fields in the country, with substantial proven reserves and an even larger estimated resource.
The formation has been known for a long time, but newer technology is what made it practical to produce. Wells used to be drilled straight down into pockets where gas had collected. Today crews can steer the bit sideways, turning 90 degrees over a few hundred feet, so a single well can reach gas that once would have required several.
Types of Permits in Fredville
The ordinance adopted in January 2011 sets up two classes of gas well permits.
Class 1 Gas Permit
A Class 1 permit is needed when the edge of a proposed pad site would sit closer than 700 feet, but no closer than 500 feet, to a home, school, public park, place of worship, hospital or medical office, nursing home or public building. These permits may need City Council approval.
Class 2 Gas Permit
A Class 2 permit covers pad sites whose edge would be more than 700 feet away from every one of those uses.
Gas Well Permit Fees
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Class 1 permit, for each well | $9,000.00 |
| Class 2 permit, for each well | $6,500.00 |
| Permit amendment | $1,250.00 |
| Re-work | $850.00 |
| Change of operator | $900.00 |
| Yearly fee, for each well | $2,400.00 |
Environmental Concerns with Gas Well Drilling
Gas wells can affect the environment in many ways: heavy water use, disposal of wastewater, toxic chemicals, truck traffic, air emissions, noise, possible pollution of groundwater and private water wells, tree clearing, new road building and stormwater runoff.
Horizontal drilling disturbs less land because fewer wells are needed. Fredville also requires a closed-loop system for drilling spoils, the oily mud that drilling produces. Under a closed-loop system the mud stays in tanks instead of on the ground, which sharply cuts the environmental impact.
The ordinance also requires every operator to:
- Complete a noise abatement study before drilling begins and stay within noise limits
- Put secondary containment around each tank
- Turn in air monitoring results every quarter
- Clean up any spill at once
City Review and Inspections
See the Process and Forms page to learn how the city reviews and inspects well sites.
Drilling for Natural Gas
The Health and Environment Department permits every gas well in Fredville and confirms that the operator meets local, state and federal rules. Once a permit is issued, bulldozers and other heavy equipment clear the site and a drilling rig goes up. Drilling can last from a few weeks to several months per well, and crews and security stay on site 24 hours a day, every day of the week. The rig cuts through solid rock to reach gas about a mile and a half down. To increase output, a blend of water, sand and chemicals is pumped in under pressure to crack the rock and let gas flow toward the well bore; this fracturing step takes several days per well. After drilling ends, the operator installs tanks, meters, pumps and other equipment, cleans up the area and puts up fencing. Wells are expected to produce for 30 to 50 years, and some may be fractured again now and then to keep the gas moving.
Once a well is no longer productive, it is capped and the operator restores the land as closely as practical to the way it was.
Gas Leases and Royalties
Direct questions about leases and royalties to the Railroad Commission of Texas. A disclaimer about leasing is also available (PDF).
Gas Drilling Leasing Practices
To complain about how a lease was handled, call the Texas Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division at (555) 010-8360.
Gas Drilling Resources
Searching online for gas drilling information can be overwhelming. The resources below cover the shale formation, oversight at every level of government, and mineral leasing.
Local Information
- Fredville gas drilling pages
- Maps of the Millstone Shale
General Information
- Railroad Commission of Texas
- U.S. Department of Energy
- News coverage of the regional shale play
Leasing Information
- A state university real estate center's guide to the risks of selling mineral rights (PDF)
Filing a Complaint with the Attorney General
Use the Texas Attorney General's online consumer complaint form.
Fredville is a demonstration city built by Talk to Fred. Names, numbers and details on this page are sample content.