Barnett Shale hits home - Houston Business Journal:

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I had been following developments in the Barnettf Shale since the late 1990s when the Dallase Business Journal had a bureauat , righgt in the thick of gas country, and activitg was just beginning to register on our collective radar. I once spentg a day with a (now ) crew, climbing up onto a drillintg rig to see the action up clos and personal in ahard hat, watching in awe on a cold November day as roughnecksd did the heavy liftinv replete with mud-caked clothing and grimhy faces.
Lately, I’ve read about the protestx in Fort Worth from residents concernex about the dangers of pipelines runninh rampant throughtheir neighborhoods, and the lack of powerd that residents and cities have over their Still, all that had been somewhat far away from my Northeasr Tarrant County backyard. But the march of the Barnett continues eastward. I’m in its path, and I’m conflicted. I see the potential benefit — funds in my bank account. I also see the potential dangers and nuisances of haviny a well near aresidential neighborhood. I checker the Web site and contacted the webmastet tolearn more.
I also called the city to find out if any gas companiesa had soughta “special-use permit” to drill in my None had. In fact, as of a monthn ago, only one gas well permit in all of Grapevinwas pending, near the Greatf Wolf Lodge, some four to five milee away from my home. (That’s not including drilling at Dallas/For t Worth International Airport, over whicbh Grapevine does nothave jurisdiction.) I also scouteed around to see where a gas well might go in my I found few nearbyy options, which brought a level of relief, on the one and dismay on the other.
Would I be too far away from the potentia l drill site to collecr thesuggested $20,000 to $25,000 per acre signing bonuas and the potential 25% royalty payments if gas was found? Right about the time I learned of the gas leaser negotiations, a friend who lives in south Grapevine told me her neighborhood was in the final negotiations with a gas company. Unlike me, she knew exactlh where a wellwas planned. The site was near her home and, if it is she and her children will have to pass it everu day to reachtheire school.
The dangers of large trucks entering and exiting the siteconcern her, she but she signed the lease, believing it was betterf to be organized as a neighborhood — and to perhap s see some monetary benefit. For my part, I had coffeew with two of the gas-lease organizers in my neighborhooxd and learned about a potential drill site roughl y 1 mile frommy home. For now, I’ve signe d a nonbinding letter ofintent — my ticket to stay informefd as I wait and wonder aboutt what the future may