# our well water after fracking...



## OG Donkey (Aug 22, 2007)

I'm not posting this to begin an energy debate. Our ranch well water has been great water for years and after fracking on and near our ranch our water has a VERY strong chemical smell...we will no longer drink it. Where can I get it tested?...any filters I can put on our well or house to where we can use it again?...


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## Jolly Roger (May 21, 2004)

Fracking in Texas is 3-5miles deep into the ground. Not sure how deep your well is, but very doubtful fracking had anything to do with the quality of your water.


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## Bozo (Jun 16, 2004)

Jolly Roger said:


> Fracking in Texas is 3-5miles deep into the ground. Not sure how deep your well is, but very doubtful fracking had anything to do with the quality of your water.


Improper disposal or accidental loss of containment could cause this by leaching down to your water source.

The source of the contaminant (if there is one) doesn't have to come from below.


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## OG Donkey (Aug 22, 2007)

this isn't a coincidence. We've had that well for over 20 years. Regardless of how it happened from the fracking, I want to know where/how to test it and if we can filter it to be used again. Again, I am PRO TX and PRO energy...but please don't waste your time telling me this isn't from the fracking chems.


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## Jamaica Cove (Apr 2, 2008)

Google Water Testing Laboratories near you. I know soil testing runs a pretty good amount-around $1k or so and has to be done right after sampling. Could be anything-even crud in your pump, bad filters.......


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## Jolly Roger (May 21, 2004)

OG Donkey said:


> this isn't a coincidence. We've had that well for over 20 years. Regardless of how it happened from the fracking, I want to know where/how to test it and if we can filter it to be used again. Again, I am PRO TX and PRO energy...but please don't waste your time telling me this isn't from the fracking chems.


water wells are not endless, and most aquifers in Texas are in bad shape. If you just want to blame fracking go for it, but it blinds you to the real cause.

There are a lot of places that can test your water, were are you located?



Bozo said:


> Improper disposal or accidental loss of containment could cause this by leaching down to your water source.
> 
> The source of the contaminant (if there is one) doesn't have to come from below.


possible but highly doubtful. If fracking was the cause it would have been from them using to much water to frack and draining there aquifer. But most places in Texas only allow frack water from surface supply.


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## Haute Pursuit (Jun 26, 2006)

Call your County office and see if they have a water testing lab or where the nearest one is to where you are.


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## Lagunaroy (Dec 30, 2013)

OG Donkey said:


> I'm not posting this to begin an energy debate. Our ranch well water has been great water for years and after fracking on and near our ranch our water has a VERY strong chemical smell...we will no longer drink it. Where can I get it tested?...any filters I can put on our well or house to where we can use it again?...


What county, what survey, how deep is the water table, how old is the well?


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## Cohiba54 (Feb 3, 2012)

http://soiltesting.tamu.edu/


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## blaze 'em (Jun 4, 2012)

I used to test water wells in the eagle ford. We always sent samples to fesco in Alice. 

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## Rack Ranch (May 25, 2004)

Methanol is used in fracking. 
http://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/epa-region-6-south-central


OG Donkey said:


> this isn't a coincidence. We've had that well for over 20 years. Regardless of how it happened from the fracking, I want to know where/how to test it and if we can filter it to be used again. Again, I am PRO TX and PRO energy...but please don't waste your time telling me this isn't from the fracking chems.


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## OG Donkey (Aug 22, 2007)

well is in Leon County--I'm going to start with the Brazos County Health Dept (however, they only test for bacteria)...it won't give me a full breakdown of the actual make up....It smells like you're standing over a 55 gallon chem drum on a rig site....and yes, I used to work in the oil field...


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## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

Something like this maybe?

http://www.nwdls.com/


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## ChuChu (Jan 23, 2010)

OG Donkey said:


> well is in Leon County--I'm going to start with the Brazos County Health Dept (however, they only test for bacteria)...it won't give me a full breakdown of the actual make up....It smells like you're standing over a 55 gallon chem drum on a rig site....and yes, I used to work in the oil field...


Call TCEQ and file a complaint. They will come out interview you and then most likely take a sample of the water and test it. They will mail you a report.


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## Worm Drowner (Sep 9, 2010)

I have a cousin up in yankeeland who is a Democrat anyways. He and his wife have been trying to blame fracking over a mile away on his bad well water. Minor detail that his water well is at 100' and the fracking well is around 3,500' 

Same guy who was trying to tell me that GWB was manipulating oil prices all by himself to help out his oil buddies.......


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## GunDog (Jun 6, 2006)

I am not sure what larger town is near you but if they have a drinking water treatment facility they have a lab. Give them a call and see if they will analyze outside samples. If they do you will need to get some preserved bottles (different tests require the sample to be preserved in HCl, NaHSO4, plastic bottle versus glass) . 

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## TrueblueTexican (Aug 29, 2005)

*Look for the real source*

Most likely with all the wells around Buffalo, Fairfield, Centerville you are experiencing ground water run-off contamination - maybe a by product of containment ponds leaching or leaking - fracking itself no -- freshwater tables only go down to about 400 feet in your area, after that its all saltwater -

The lease holders will be responsible for any ground water contamination 99% of the time - Texas Commission on Environmental Quality will come test your well - they are particularly observant of chemical contamination of ground water sources -

TCEQ is available 24 hours every day to receive complaints under their jurisdiction.

To submit a complaint:
use their online form, Or
call us toll-free at 1-888-777-3186


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## Black Dog (May 19, 2006)

If you're willing to pay for it yourself and live in Houston: Texas Oil Tech Laboratories.


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## TrueblueTexican (Aug 29, 2005)

*Which side of I-45?*

I see several containment ponds that were unlined in close proximity to completed well pads around Centerville - one from the Satellite view looks VERY suspect - new deep round pond with obvious problems -- after looking at about 200 well pads - there is a definite problem, once the completed wells were done they left open unlined pits

LIKELY some *** hat well laborers decided to dump in one of them - you have a whole load that was dumped by an unscrupulous operator, instead of going to a disposal site - not the news you want to hear -
I worked this field for about ten years in the boom -


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## Country Boy (Aug 15, 2008)

I'm in the industrial waste business and deal with a lot of lab work. As mentioned above, get the TCEQ involved. They will probably collect a sample and have it tested on the states dime. To have a full blown analysis ran will be very costly. You would need to test for metals (TCLP), volatiles, semi-volatiles, at the least. That will run roughly around 1200. If it comes down to you having to pay for it I use Precision Petroleum Labs in Houston. 713-680-9425.


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## jmbapp (Aug 28, 2015)

TrueblueTexican said:


> I see several containment ponds that were unlined in close proximity to completed well pads around Centerville - one from the Satellite view looks VERY suspect - new deep round pond with obvious problems -- after looking at about 200 well pads - there is a definite problem, once the completed wells were done they left open unlined pits
> 
> LIKELY some *** hat well laborers decided to dump in one of them - you have a whole load that was dumped by an unscrupulous operator, instead of going to a disposal site - not the news you want to hear -
> I worked this field for about ten years in the boom -


I would bet your confused on what those ponds are used for....unless your located in W TX where they do use open air pits at the well site. All waste water everywhere else is trucked to disposal facilities and pumped in dump wells. I think yo should take a strong second loom at those ponds probably just old frac water ponds possibly traeted only with biocides aka bleach.

Jason


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## Category6 (Nov 21, 2007)

jmbapp said:


> I would bet your confused on what those ponds are used for....unless your located in W TX where they do use open air pits at the well site. All waste water everywhere else is trucked to disposal facilities and pumped in dump wells. I think yo should take a strong second loom at those ponds probably just old frac water ponds possibly traeted only with biocides aka bleach.
> 
> Jason


Yes, but he was pointing out that illegal dumping could be the cause. I have seen vacuum trucks with hazardous chemicals brought to the yard and emptied in the shop toilet back when I first started out, it happens.


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## jmbapp (Aug 28, 2015)

Category5 said:


> Yes, but he was pointing out that illegal dumping could be the cause. I have seen vacuum trucks with hazardous chemicals brought to the yard and emptied in the shop toilet back when I first started out, it happens.


Darn vac truck drivers. I guess there is just little honesty with money on the line.

Jason


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## batmaninja (Jul 15, 2010)

eeehhhhh eeeehhhhh


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## OG Donkey (Aug 22, 2007)

I called TCEQ---she said they only work on public systems (not private wells) I was given the # to The TX Dep't of well licensing...


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## TrueblueTexican (Aug 29, 2005)

*Sorry no*



jmbapp said:


> I would bet your confused on what those ponds are used for....unless your located in W TX where they do use open air pits at the well site. All waste water everywhere else is trucked to disposal facilities and pumped in dump wells. I think yo should take a strong second loom at those ponds probably just old frac water ponds possibly traeted only with biocides aka bleach.
> 
> Jason


 I know very well what the containment was used for , and I also just helped put a disposal operator in the Federal Pen for illegal dumping -

Its not the drillers at fault - its the paid by the hour idiots who drive disposal trucks -

And unfortunately is becoming all too common -


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## jmbapp (Aug 28, 2015)

Paid by the hour idiots....come on bro lets have some respect. Im sure there are many hourly oil field hands on this forum.

Jason


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## chumy (Jul 13, 2012)

jmbapp said:


> I would bet your confused on what those ponds are used for....unless your located in W TX where they do use open air pits at the well site. All waste water everywhere else is trucked to disposal facilities and pumped in dump wells. I think yo should take a strong second loom at those ponds probably just old frac water ponds possibly traeted only with biocides aka bleach.
> 
> Jason


There's open lined ponds everywhere in eagle ford shale counties in south central Tx. Curious on why they are lined?


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## jmbapp (Aug 28, 2015)

chumy said:


> There's open lined ponds everywhere in eagle ford shale counties in south central Tx. Curious on why they are lined?


To keep the water in.

Jason


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## chumy (Jul 13, 2012)

jmbapp said:


> To keep the water in.
> 
> Jason


 hahaha, that didn't cross my mind, just figured it was for the chemical treatments or something, thanks


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## TIMBOv2 (Mar 18, 2010)

jmbapp said:


> To keep the water in.
> 
> Jason


That's FRACKED UP!!!!


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## KIKO (Oct 24, 2006)

My prediction will be that its sulfur. It happens naturally. Do you have large cattle pens nearby? It could also be that the manure is weeping into the water table.


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## Wado (May 15, 2011)

Might have a hole in the casing of their water well. If it's and old well with galvanized casing that could be the culprit. We had one turn to a salt water well on us and you wouldn't believe the smell of the water coming out of it. It turned my stainless steel kitchen sink a bronze color and I made the mistake of taking a drink of the stuff. We had Finch drill us a new well and he dumped a bunch of cement pellets down the old well after he pulled it. Usually when something goes wrong in shallow ground water wells the best thing is go find a local water well driller and see if he's had any problems, they usually hear about it pretty quick. Seismograph activity can get a water well also but I've never heard of any odors showing up afterwards.


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## Bobby (May 21, 2004)

OG Jolly has your well diagnosed over the internet without even looking at it or anything. Man that guy is a genius


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## Ripin' Lips (Jul 3, 2012)

now im curious.......What about disposal wells? Could they potentially be the cause?


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## OG Donkey (Aug 22, 2007)

LOL....i knew this was coming..."it's the water heater, cow farts or something else...It CAN'T be from a petrochem"...hahaha....again folks, I am very sure my nose remembers certains smells (not from sulphur.....it's not a rotten egg smell)...IT IS A CHEM SMELL....I have worked for Baker Petrolite and I am NOT ANTI FRACKING...however; this is no coincidence given the fracking activity in our area...and it's very clsoe to our well...I have some folks coming to look into it...this is no witch hunt or agenda....but, trust me, you wouldn't bathe your kids in this c r a p either.....


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## Jolly Roger (May 21, 2004)

Bobby said:


> OG Jolly has your well diagnosed over the internet without even looking at it or anything. Man that guy is a genius


I never diagnosed what his problem is. Just tried to explain that fracking is not the problem. Fracking happens to far down and to far away from his shallow water well to pose a problem. If he wants to blame fracking, then so be it.


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## SharkBait >*)\\\><( (May 16, 2012)

(Jolly Roger waves hand)
"These are not the fracking chemicals you are looking for"


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## Jolly Roger (May 21, 2004)

SharkBait >*)\\\><( said:


> (Jolly Roger waves hand)
> "These are not the fracking chemicals you are looking for"


haha, see your parents have not killed you yet....


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## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

Well OP, I believe you about your well water. Of course I have no idea whether it is a containment issue, illegal dumping, or just what from the whole fracking situation near you. But trust your nose and get your water analyzed for your safety and peace of mind.


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## OG Donkey (Aug 22, 2007)

Amen-Whitebasser....and thanks to all who have reached out via PM. Trust me, y'all would be just as worried (or should be) if this was your problem. It's heartbreaking because I have drank that great well water my whole life...now, I gotta bring that crappy bottled water to drink up there.


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## fy0834 (Jan 18, 2011)

Strange things can happen with water... 
I have a 14 acre lake that is used for irrigation purposes. Never had any problems with this water. A couple years ago I filled some washes in the road with red clay from another part of the property. Heavy rains diverted that red clay runoff into the intake part of the lake. Everything being irrigated started turning rust and bronze colored. I researched it best I could and concluded the introduced soil had a reaction with the lake bottom and created a bacteria that grew and caused the problem. I tried filtering the water thru a frac-water sock filter to no avail. Time appeared to cure the problem along with lots of rain.
Come to think of it ... I got that clay off an olg Texaco location that was drilled in the 50's. Those darn oil companies. 
Not making fun of your problem... You never really know. Lots of stuff can migrate thru an aquifer over time.


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## TrueblueTexican (Aug 29, 2005)

*I know there are*



jmbapp said:


> Paid by the hour idiots....come on bro lets have some respect. Im sure there are many hourly oil field hands on this forum.
> 
> Jason


But if you have been in the oil patch for your whole life , you have seen the unscrupulous pumpers dump where they can get away with it - and the bad guys are in a hurry to get to the beer joint after a 20 hour day -

The one which JUST went to the pen/along with the stripper well owner was caught red handed 2 years ago with open valves on a bridge over a river - hence the Fed Beef --

That's when folks blame frackin which has ZERO to do with groundwater source contamination and people get contaminated wells because of Johnny pumper takin shortcuts - tell me it ain't so - you can't.


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## jmbapp (Aug 28, 2015)

TrueblueTexican said:


> But if you have been in the oil patch for your whole life , you have seen the unscrupulous pumpers dump where they can get away with it - and the bad guys are in a hurry to get to the beer joint after a 20 hour day -
> 
> The one which JUST went to the pen/along with the stripper well owner was caught red handed 2 years ago with open valves on a bridge over a river - hence the Fed Beef --
> 
> That's when folks blame frackin which has ZERO to do with groundwater source contamination and people get contaminated wells because of Johnny pumper takin shortcuts - tell me it ain't so - you can't.


Ok i give up you win. To the point of the main thread, go to a pool supply store and get PH strips see what your well water tests at. Many fracs require chems to lower or increase PH that could be a starting point if your convinced its frac. Although I would bet if its new wells in your area highly unlikely its frac more likely your own well casing or well is has bacteria growing in it. Thats why when we frac we use huge amounts of bacteria killing chems. FYI unless its frac water with acid, there is no smell. The quantity of water vs chems is to low. 10000+ bbls of water vs 100s of gallons of chems, and thats if the frac is xlink, other wise it may just be Bio and FR going in the hole which would smell like strong bleach if anything at all.

Jason


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## kenny (May 21, 2004)

Are the neighbors having similar well issues? I also like the idea of talking to local well drillers.


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## bigfishtx (Jul 17, 2007)

Contact the Railroad comm, snd the oil company that owns the well.


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## woodybooger (Oct 24, 2015)

You can treat your water depending on the contanament but it can be costly, there is also a filter you could try it looks like a water softener w/o the salt it's not expensive. There is a filter medium that needs to be replaced.

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## OG Donkey (Aug 22, 2007)

yes, other wells in our area have issues...The RRC has been contacted and will be coming out.


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## bigfishtx (Jul 17, 2007)

If it is from the O&G industry, more than likely it is from a bad disposal well. Are there any old wells around you? Some of them have rusted casings and that could allow sulfur gas into the water table.


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## OG Donkey (Aug 22, 2007)

bigfish--yes, there are old wells around us. My assumption is a leak or ground contamination from sloppy work...I'm gonna get it figured out tho.


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## jtburf (May 26, 2004)

Not that this helps however, it might shed some light. in the 20's a train pulling a large number of taker cars overturned in my Great Grandmothers yard. Those cars contained Benzene, at the time the authorities simply allowed it to seep in to the ground and tried to clean it up as much as possible. Fast forward to the early mid 80's when there was a major drought in South Alabama, and her well started pumping straight Benzene, you could actually light the flow coming out of the faucets. Moral of the story, not all contamination comes from below...

John


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## Rubberback (Sep 9, 2008)

I'm no geologist but my dad was. Back when I use to visit the farm I now live on my grandparents water smelled like rotting eggs. They passed on and my father inherited the land on the other side of the hywy from their house.
My father drilled a new well. He told me that their well was to shallow. He said the best water is deeper. Dad said the trick is to drill through the first aquifer and into the next aquifer. This way the water will be filtered twice instead of once.
Our well is over 300'. The well is about 15 years old and produces some very tasty water.


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## POC Troutman (Jul 13, 2009)

you worked in the oil patch, "understand" well completions, and are blaming fracing for your water well contamination?

Hmmm....

Lots of good advice on how to address your water well issues on here. Can't fix a problem until you identify it.


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## Long Pole (Jun 5, 2008)

POC Troutman said:


> you worked in the oil patch, "understand" well completions, and are blaming fracing for your water well contamination?
> 
> Hmmm....
> 
> Lots of good advice on how to address your water well issues on here. Can't fix a problem until you identify it.


But those are the guys who have the most money....why not blame them?


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## POC Troutman (Jul 13, 2009)

Long Pole said:


> But those are the guys who have the most money....why not blame them?


BINGO. Sad thing is, it will be cheaper for the O&G to drill a new water well for a few folks than try to fight bad publicity from misinformed individuals. Not saying the op is one of them, but as soon as the word "fracing" is used in attachment to anything environmental, the idiots will come out of the woodworks. with the RRC en-route, it may not be long. Look at what happened in Denton...


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## OG Donkey (Aug 22, 2007)

this is no witch hunt. I want my water cleared up. Please don't play me the fool, I certainly am not one....if it's as simple as a good filter to get the CHEMS out, then great...


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## BigBullRed (Jul 6, 2009)

From the perspective of a guy that drills and fracs wells for a living (and have for the past 30 years) this has been an interesting thread to read...


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## TrueblueTexican (Aug 29, 2005)

*I would have them test*



OG Donkey said:


> bigfish--yes, there are old wells around us. My assumption is a leak or ground contamination from sloppy work...I'm gonna get it figured out tho.


Open pits within a five mile radius - as I recall most of the soil in your area is heavy sand topsoil, with some clay -

Benzene migrates long distances --"The tanks being serviced are relatively small (400 barrel typical capacity), located at production sites and often at the wellheads themselves, and are the only repositories for crude or condensate for the well or (a small number of) wells at the site. If the tanks are not frequently and regularly serviced (at least every few days), the well or wells must be taken out of production for lack of a repository for their output. The tasks performed are essentially those of a gauger and pumper, which are established oilfield production job titles and which jobs are often combined in contemporary practice.

I would bet 100% you have a benzene problem -- and I would also bet some illegal disposal --- or run-off from a previous spill that went unreported.


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## Ron Ron Murray (Mar 5, 2008)

This is some interesting stuff,......please let us know what the experts find.


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## bigfishtx (Jul 17, 2007)

OG Donkey said:


> bigfish--yes, there are old wells around us. My assumption is a leak or ground contamination from sloppy work...I'm gonna get it figured out tho.


The Railroad Commission has a fund to go in and plug old wells, many of which were drilled by defunct operators. Hopefully they can help you out.

You may consider a reverse osmosis system to clean it up enough to be able to drink it safely.


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## ChuChu (Jan 23, 2010)

bigfishtx said:


> The Railroad Commission has a fund to go in and plug old wells, many of which were drilled by defunct operators. Hopefully they can help you out.
> 
> You may consider a reverse osmosis system to clean it up enough to be able to drink it safely.


There was an article in the San Antonio paper a few weeks ago, and it does not look good for the state for plugging. Too many abandoned wells and not enough money.


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## Rubberback (Sep 9, 2008)

I'm not in the oil business but my father was. He told me that back in the day the people that drilled the well would have to leave the drilling site as they found it after they drilled the well and the well had gone dry.
I have seen some of those sites and they did a fantastic job.
Do not no about todays standards.


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## ChuChu (Jan 23, 2010)

In the old Luling field in the 20's and 30's, they would simply drive a wooden plug in the casing and walk away. It was scary to be on a new well site while they are fracing and see casing coming out of the ground a few hundred feet away.


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## bigfishtx (Jul 17, 2007)

ChuChu said:


> There was an article in the San Antonio paper a few weeks ago, and it does not look good for the state for plugging. Too many abandoned wells and not enough money.


They have been tight on money forever! You gotta walk in and talk to them face to face with a big smile.


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## bigfishtx (Jul 17, 2007)

ChuChu said:


> There was an article in the San Antonio paper a few weeks ago, and it does not look good for the state for plugging. Too many abandoned wells and not enough money.


They have been tight on money forever! You gotta walk in and talk to them face to face with a big smile.


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## jmbapp (Aug 28, 2015)

ChuChu said:


> In the old Luling field in the 20's and 30's, they would simply drive a wooden plug in the casing and walk away. It was scary to be on a new well site while they are fracing and see casing coming out of the ground a few hundred feet away.


Lol, unlikely.

Jason


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## Won Hunglo (Apr 24, 2007)

jmbapp said:


> To keep the water in.
> 
> Jason


Winner!:rotfl:


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## darthwader2000 (Jan 4, 2015)

bigfishtx said:


> They have been tight on money forever! You gotta walk in and talk to them face to face with a big smile.


All O&G operators in the state have to put up a cash bond to cover the cost of plugging their wells. They are required to plug a % of the non producing wells each year or they will not be allowed to sell oil.

They have the money!

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## RedXCross (Aug 7, 2005)

Regardless, this is fracked up, I wouldn't drink any stinky water.


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## bigfishtx (Jul 17, 2007)

darthwader2000 said:


> All O&G operators in the state have to put up a cash bond to cover the cost of plugging their wells. They are required to plug a % of the non producing wells each year or they will not be allowed to sell oil.
> 
> They have the money!
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


They do now, but back in the 60's they didn't and very few of those companies even exist today. Plus over the years, many fields have sold as asset sales and the buyer had as escrow for some liabilities but these were pretty limited. The bonds do not help at all with this situation.


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## Jolly Roger (May 21, 2004)

bigfishtx said:


> They do now, but back in the 60's they didn't and very few of those companies even exist today. Plus over the years, many fields have sold as asset sales and the buyer had as escrow for some liabilities but these were pretty limited. The bonds do not help at all with this situation.


can put in lease that all known old wells and any found old wells must be plugged to current specs, most people do not do this, as most people rely upon the oil comapines landman on the lease and he/she is not going to add anything that add cost to the company. It is part of my standard lease agreement, so far only found two old wells that were plugged but had them reworked them just in case. I think this should be standard for all oil/gas leases in Texas, but it is not.


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## darthwader2000 (Jan 4, 2015)

For an oil company to get approval to drill a new horizontal well they are required to do an environmental study. This includes plugging or re plugging old wells to protect ground water. To think that a frac at 9000' is going to effect at 300' water well a mile a way is hard to believe. What I have seen is it isn't the frac that messes with the water wells. It is the movement of the equipment on the roads that cause the cement jobs and the casing of the water well to fail. If we where able to get a frac to go 9000' we would not be drilling wells every 40-80 acres. I agree with the OP that the oil company messed up his well. Just as they messed up the roads leading to the well site. But it was from moving the heavy equipment- not from the frac. 


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## bigfishtx (Jul 17, 2007)

Jolly Roger said:


> can put in lease that all known old wells and any found old wells must be plugged to current specs, most people do not do this, as most people rely upon the oil comapines landman on the lease and he/she is not going to add anything that add cost to the company. It is part of my standard lease agreement, so far only found two old wells that were plugged but had them reworked them just in case. I think this should be standard for all oil/gas leases in Texas, but it is not.


Good to know. I can tell you that companies don't follow that rule in MANY cases. They frac'd one that I was pooled in about 15 years ago and there were 2-3 abandoned wells including two on me that were not touched.

If I get into any future leases I am going to make sure that is part of the contract.


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## Jolly Roger (May 21, 2004)

bigfishtx said:


> Good to know. I can tell you that companies don't follow that rule in MANY cases. They frac'd one that I was pooled in about 15 years ago and there were 2-3 abandoned wells including two on me that were not touched.
> 
> If I get into any future leases I am going to make sure that is part of the contract.


What darthwader2000 is referring to is in the drill track of a well. He is correct and they will fix old wells in there drill track. But most often they will adjust the drill track to exclude any old wells just for this reason. I would guess in your case the old wells were not in the new drill tracks.

if the old wells are not in the drill tack of a new well they will not fix the old wells unless there is language in the lease to do so. The cost will be paid for by the new wells, so it cost you money but in the long run I see people suing oil comapines and mineral owners for old wells that have not been maintained correct. My family own a lot of mineral rights under state parks and public land. Possible contaminant from old and new wells is an extremly important aspect of our lease agreements.

On a side note it was extremly common back in the day to build homes on old well sites. Road was built, good pad,etc... already in place for a home. Many old ranches are built on old well sites.


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## bigfishtx (Jul 17, 2007)

Jolly are you a Petroleum Landman? Thanks for your input. I hope the Op gets his situation resolved.


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## jmbapp (Aug 28, 2015)

I love frac. I have fracd more holes then most you could ever imagine.

Jason


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## Jolly Roger (May 21, 2004)

bigfishtx said:


> Jolly are you a Petroleum Landman? Thanks for your input. I hope the Op gets his situation resolved.


not a landman,

had some major problems with an oil company many years ago and the family volunteered me to handle it. It became my second job, and over the years have learned the business. Worked hard and got all my family's land leased to good producers. Overall think I am done with this aspect of oil and gas for some time, and admit I hated this side of it. That type of work does not fit my nature good at all.

Did learn a lot about my family, needless to say they were wild back in the day. Got a lease from 1930s that was used to pay of gambling/whore debt.


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## Ryan H. (May 10, 2011)

You'd be surprised what your local ag extension office can test for, might call them


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## kdubya (Jun 27, 2005)

I bet this would help you.

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=where+to+get+my+water+tested+in+texas

Kelly


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## Jolly Roger (May 21, 2004)

Ryan H. said:


> You'd be surprised what your local ag extension office can test for, might call them


that was what I was going to suggest, but seems TECQ is the route he is going. I would have suggested against any government, as they can find all kinds of problems on your land not associated with the water problem, but to each there own.


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## jmbapp (Aug 28, 2015)

Jason


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## ChuChu (Jan 23, 2010)

There's the problem! That HEB drinking water!


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## ChuChu (Jan 23, 2010)

jmbapp said:


> Lol, unlikely.
> 
> Jason


Unlikely hell, I witnessed it.


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## jmbapp (Aug 28, 2015)

ChuChu said:


> Unlikely hell, I witnessed it.


Lol ok you win.

Jason


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## ChuChu (Jan 23, 2010)

http://www.mysanantonio.com/opinion...lug-wells-raise-bond-requirements-9517464.php


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## ChuChu (Jan 23, 2010)

http://www.expressnews.com/business...f-drilling-and-a-big-cleanup-list-9228412.php


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## ChuChu (Jan 23, 2010)

http://www.gatehouseprojects.com/project/abandonedwells/


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## ChuChu (Jan 23, 2010)

wood plugging job


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## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

Wow, I can't believe all the argument on this thread.

Are there really 2Coolers that are naive enough to think that every job by every contractor for every fracking related business follows all the required procedures and laws? 

I a not saying fracking should be outlawed or that it is even inherently dangerous or hazardous. In any business, there are those that are too selfish about their pocket book to care about others.


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## jmbapp (Aug 28, 2015)

Whitebassfisher said:


> Wow, I can't believe all the argument on this thread.
> 
> Are there really 2Coolers that are naive enough to think that every job by every contractor for every fracking related business follows all the required procedures and laws?
> 
> I a not saying fracking should be outlawed or that it is even inherently dangerous or hazardous. In any business, there are those that are too selfish about their pocket book to care about others.


Umm....your naive. When a frac crew shows up the follow the operator and federal and state guidelines. Frac does not know have any idea of well quality or casing conditions. We know what type of casing to what depths and where the perfs are. After we leave we know zero about what happens with either production,capping, plugging, water disposal, spill reporting or any well issues.

Jason


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## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

jmbapp said:


> After we leave we know zero about what happens with either production,capping, plugging, water disposal, spill reporting or any well issues.
> 
> Jason


How is your statement different than mine?

Some of you sound like the typical mother defending her son .... "He was a good boy!"


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## jmbapp (Aug 28, 2015)

Whitebassfisher said:


> How is your statement different than mine?
> 
> Some of you sound like the typical mother defending her son .... "He was a good boy!"


Lol thanks frac is my baby.

Jason


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## ChuChu (Jan 23, 2010)

Fracing is not the problem. I have been around fracing for 50 years. Problem is improper abandoned wells and illegal disposal methods. Fracing became an issue because tree huggers couldn't find any other excuse to stop energy development. There was never any problems associated with fracing in the Luling area fields, and most of those wells are under 3000 ft. And I know personally that fracing has been done there since the sixties.


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## Grumpy365 (Oct 21, 2010)

So any updates or test results on your water to determine what's really going on?


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## Tiagra (Sep 10, 2005)

Most water softener companies can test it.


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## fultonswimmer (Jul 3, 2008)

I guess the majority did not get the part about "I am not trying to start a debate about fracking" but hey......the Donald would be proud of those who can not, will not, or absolutely refuse to buy into what anyone other than the expert....that being the Donald....has to say about anything and everything under the sun. We will not even get into what is happening in Okie land due to "oops....it can not be mentioned" and the increasing number of earthquakes. After all.....scientists....except those willing to buy into the Donald's ****....are liberal no nothings.
Sorry.....I forgot to read your instructions in your initial post.


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## kenny (May 21, 2004)

fultonswimmer said:


> I guess the majority did not get the part about "I am not trying to start a debate about fracking" but hey......the Donald would be proud of those who can not, will not, or absolutely refuse to buy into what anyone other than the expert....that being the Donald....has to say about anything and everything under the sun. We will not even get into what is happening in Okie land due to "oops....it can not be mentioned" and the increasing number of earthquakes. After all.....scientists....except those willing to buy into the Donald's ****....are liberal no nothings.
> Sorry.....I forgot to read your instructions in your initial post.


they say a picture is worth a thousand words.


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## pipeliner24 (Apr 10, 2013)

kenny said:


> they say a picture is worth a thousand words.


Some people only view history as what has happened in their lifetime,they don't think that things happen in cycles that sometimes take hundreds or thousands of year to repeat.


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## LandLocked (Apr 28, 2005)

Wado said:


> Might have a hole in the casing of their water well. If it's and old well with galvanized casing that could be the culprit. We had one turn to a salt water well on us and you wouldn't believe the smell of the water coming out of it. It turned my stainless steel kitchen sink a bronze color and I made the mistake of taking a drink of the stuff. We had Finch drill us a new well and he dumped a bunch of cement pellets down the old well after he pulled it. Usually when something goes wrong in shallow ground water wells the best thing is go find a local water well driller and see if he's had any problems, they usually hear about it pretty quick. Seismograph activity can get a water well also but I've never heard of any odors showing up afterwards.


Not uncommon for casing for water wells to be pvc. If there had been seismic activity nearby its possible the shock cracked or collapsed the casing. Its much more likely that a 60-100 foot seismic charge would negatively impact your well than fracing in that area.


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## goodwood (Mar 30, 2009)

Any results?


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## oponder (Sep 29, 2015)

I believe the scientists in Oklahoma said it was not Fracing that causes the earthquakes up there it was supposedly the salt water disposal well acting as a lubricant to the active faults.


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## Grumpy365 (Oct 21, 2010)

Did the OP die from exposure to contaminated water?

What were the results OP?


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## HoustonKid (Dec 29, 2005)

The oil companies silenced the op as part of their conspiracy to keep things "quiet." Nothing to see here. Move along, move along.


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## Jolly Roger (May 21, 2004)

I am curious also as to what the outcome was. Any updates? should have had more then enough time to have the water tested, etc..


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## RRbohemian (Dec 20, 2009)

I remember having to jump through circles to wash my pump after a cement job back in the late 70s and early 80s. They were watching the oil field back then and you better not have been caught dumping something that wasn't just H2O. I can imagine it's even stricter today for the cement and frac guys to keep them from dumping anything that is considered bad for the environment.


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## Its Catchy (Apr 10, 2014)

If it turns out to be contamination it is unlikely it was a direct result of Fracking. Most likely caused by mis-handling liquids and wastes. However, as has been pointed out I have seen ditches and trenches fill up and overfill from heavy rain, spills etc and run directly into stock tanks, streams etc.

I work in the Industry so hopefully this was not caused by neglect or even worse malice. The last thing we need is to give fuel to anti-fracking movement.


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