Thursday, April 26, 2012

Are things about to get Fracked up in Washtenaw County?

Superior Well Services trucks driving north on 1-75 last summer


There's natural gas in them thar shale formations!--Bill Paxton, CEO Paxton Resources
OK, so I lied. Bill Paxton is not the CEO of Paxton Resources. Nevertheless, Gaylord based Paxton Resources, has indicated its desire to drill for gas in Saline Township. Concerns about ground and surface water contamination notwithstanding, Fraked Up! a recent article from Hollywood Interrupted is worth a read. It paints an interesting picture of life inside a fracking boomtown in North Dakota.

There is also a great summary of the current political state of fracking in Michigan on this morning's Environment Report.

1 comment:

  1. Ben,

    We are drilling for oil, not natural gas. None of the (4) wells we operate in Washtenaw County have been hydraulically fractured. We are not exploring a shale play at all.

    If you, or anyone who reads this has questions about what we're doing, call us at 989-732-9400. We are indeed operating in the county and will be for quite some time. Regardless of your feelings about the industry, it is my personal feeling that we might as well learn to live together in peace and find common ground through dialogue. (It looks like we already have some friends in common on FB believe it or not.)

    Here's a map that you can use to identify all of the (232 or so) oil and gas wells which have ever been drilled in Washtenaw County (or any county in the state). As you'll see, we are not the first people to do this. http://ww2.deq.state.mi.us/geowebface/

    I absolutely don't mean this message to come off as antagonistic, or combative or anything like that. Actually, you're write-up is less inflammatory than some of the newspaper articles I've read. I honestly welcome the opportunity to field questions. That said, I don't have all the answers, and some of them you may not like. But at least I'll be honest.

    In closing let me just say that I am also a young guy and recognize that there is a lot of fear and concern associated with an industry that often appears huge and faceless. While I cannot speak for the entire industry, I can assure you that we (Paxton) are a privately owned Michigan business. We are a family. We are risking our own dollars to explore for energy in Michigan. The money generated (if any) from our operations benefits the landowners directly, the Townships, the County and the State. We are committed to operating safely and responsibly. There is absolutely no benefit, or interest in cutting corners at the level we are operating at regardless of what you read on the internet.

    Thanks for your time...

    -Paxton
    (I'm posting anonymously because its quicker than setting up an account, but this is Greg Jr.)

    P.S.
    Bill Paxton is one of the most underrated actors in the game... But we are in fact named after a geologic formation. Go figure.

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