A picture of the beaver dam at Turkey Point. Ice has collected on the spillways overnight creating a beautiful sculpture in the morning light. 11-07-07

Well Progress Update

This week I inquired as to the switching out of the rigs which a neighbor thought might have occurred, and according to the spokesperson I talked to at EnCana, there was no switch.  Perhaps if was some other kind of operational activity which caused the neighbor to speculate.

Also, the alarm that went off on the pad last week was attributable to a 'safety training test'. I was told that we could expect those periodically, but that in the event of an actual emergency the alarm would not cease, but continue to sound.

Last week I noted that I wasn't exactly at the top of the "notify in the event of change" list. I should clarify this. I actually received a call (that I didn't have to initiate myself) from an EnCana stakeholder relations person this week who informed me that no changes were to be reported. This is awesome and a truly appreciated courtesy that has not gone unnoticed! However, what I should have specified was that in the past, and in a specific, operational way (like say, for instance, 3500 feet of concrete dropping out of sight; or spewing condensate, or vast clouds of black particulate enveloping the valley late at night) I wasn't informed. And I'm doubtful that I would be informed of such occurrences today. These tend to be the kinds of things we have to discover on our own. But... this is a new day. Maybe these days I would be included. I'd like that very much as it would make determining what is going on around us, and how such activities could detrimentally affect us, much less difficult. Right now, however, I am able to receive at least general updates regarding ongoing well development - that, as of last week, I didn't even have to initiate. And that's a truly wonderful blessing - thank you stakeholder relations!

The sound abatement panels were taken down this week and the nearly constant thrumming, humming, grinding and racket is greater - probably by 15-20% and varying mostly by wind direction. Though the rig is close enough to see from our home, tree cover prevents much of the sound from traveling into the area. But, it vibrates at the kind of frequency that makes my eardrums pulse and can feel like it's grinding away in my head. Not fun. But it's probably much worse for folks closer to the activity. My mother sits at her desk upstairs and rocks slightly in her chair as the drilling continues. As she becomes accustomed to the disturbance, she can tell when the drilling momentarily halts because everything jolts to a stop. Same thing when sleeping. These disturbances are what I would predominantly consider a human nuisance, other than their unknown effects upon infrastructure such as homes. In the bigger scheme of things - like immediate threats to health and safety - these are issues which are truly bothersome, but are relatively temporary. As to their impact upon humans, for me, they take a back seat to much bigger issues of air, water and soil quality. However, noise and vibratory impacts upon wildlife - I consider that a very big deal indeed..

Once in a while, a heady combination of balmy evenings, caffeine intolerance, relentless eardrum pulsing, brain case rattling and the lingering effects of a new moon conspire to whig me out totally. Sunday night I joined the ranks of the racket-makers comprised of a cacophony of baying coyotes, bawling cattle newly relocated from the high-country, and of course the incessant grunting and grinding of the drilling rig. To this, I cranked the table-saw and some oldies into the unseasonably warm and humid night and proceeded to pound on a couple of 2 x 6 rafters where I immediately smashed my left middle finger and went howling into the darkness raising once again a chorus from nearby coyotes. And that was a good finger. I use it a lot these days. Darn it. Handywoman I strive to be... as evidence by the strip of 1" long bangs left over from a caulking mishap two weeks ago.

This post comes in a few days late, and I'm sorry about that. This is how it is though. Keeping up with the effects of the industry while keeping up with life in general keeps us hopping. From the moment they first barreled in from left field in '03 it was assess and elbows all the way. So, here we are again, and doing our best to keep up. I'll try to be more timely in the future. Thanks for waiting it out!
 

Conference Call - Area operations;  Schwartz well shut-in; No BTEX; Fracing plans still uncertain

I participated in a conference call today with several folks from EnCana's camp. The conference was pulled together by the stakeholder relations department so that I might benefit from a better understanding of how operations in the area have been progressing - specific to issues which were discussed at the sampling last week. I wasn't expecting this call, and I appreciate the effort behind it as it took time away from the many folks that were in attendance. (By the way, I've recently learned that to better reflect EnCana's broader approach to local community relations, what was once the "landowner relations" department is now the "stakeholder relations" department.)

During the call, I  inquired as to what new activity may be occurring and learned that Bill Barrett Corporation may be drilling in the vicinity - perhaps within a mile or so of the Schwartz well site. That remains to be confirmed, however.

The only activity then, at least that EnCana is engaging in, appears to be the drilling of well number two.

I asked EnCana's environmental health and safety group lead [EHS Lead] as well as their fracing manager to explain how or in what way the Schwartz well had been 'shut in'. I was referring to the same Schwartz well that was found to be responsible for the Divide Creek seep which occurred in 2004 and continues today.

As a family directly impacted by the seep, we were grateful that the well had been put into production after the seep emerged - as we surmised that doing so may aid in reducing pressure which could otherwise build underground and worsen the seep conditions at the surface. Other neighbors disagreed and petitioned the state and county to prevent the well from going into production. In our mind, production was by far the lesser of two evident evils. For better or worse, production prevailed and, once the casing was remediated (several thousand feet of cement had been lost during casing operations, prior to fracing)  the well began and continued producing formation gas until it was 'shut in' (recently) in order to drill the new wells which are currently underway on the Schwartz site. As far as I know, the 'shut-in' occurred a couple of months ago - in coincidental concurrence with the appearance of  what looks remarkably similar to activity we saw in our pond at the height of the seep in 2004. Over the last couple of years (until recently) we've seen no evidence of seep activity on our property, though it continues to be active on a nearby neighbor's.

I was informed that the way the well is shut in, involves 'plugging' the production hole while the annulus remains essentially plumbed to a combustor in order to burn off any gas which escapes through that avenue. The gas which escapes through the annulus is considered nuisance gas. To get a better visual on this configuration, imagine a skinny straw nested inside of a fat straw. The air space around the skinny straw is the annulus. According to the fracing manager, the COGCC requires EnCana to inform them, within 24 hours, if the pressure on the annulus reaches 150 psi or greater. He then said that the shut-in well had not reached that level of pressure. I asked if it had come close. The answer was "no".

I still haven't heard word from the COGCC on any further interest in sampling, though I was told by the field inspector from Denver that it should be done. Perhaps the state is going to rely on EnCana's results.

During the conference, the EHS Lead indicated that he had - just that moment - received an e-mail from the Cordilleran field technician who reported there were no BTEX present in the sample taken from the pond last week. BTEX represent a suite of harmful constituents present in raw natural gas, such as benzene, toluene, Xzylene, etc...

We, of course, couldn't be more overjoyed at this news since we are talking about a potentially catastrophic environmental situation once again, and the area has only begun to recover. I cannot communicate the level of heartbreak I felt watching a frog leap into the bubbling waters of the seep in '04. I pray that this will not ever occur again - here or elsewhere. It is also why I am so adamant that both EnCana and state health officials pay close attention to what is occurring in these waters under these new conditions. The results cited are in association with other tests which remain to be completed. So, we must wait and see. The samples collected from our pond back in 2004 revealed biogenic activity also, yet we'd not seen the activity prior and have not seen it again since the Schwartz well was remediated.

Again, there appear to be many questions looming on the horizon - questions which, unfortunately make production difficult for industry and so may ultimately go unanswered.

I asked once again the fracing manager if in fact, they will be fracing the Schwartz site using a method in which they frac multiple wells simultaneously. While, this appears to be the case, a subsequent conversation with a stakeholder relations representative suggested that there may be miscommunication/misunderstanding regarding how the procedure actually takes place. I am endeavoring to figure out once and for all whether or not EnCana plans to frac multiple wells at one time. Please bear with me. This answer, at least, should be forthcoming...

During this current time of conflict abroad and differing opinion regarding an unpopular war, I wanted to take a moment to thank the pilots who filled my morning sky with their precise reminder of the loss and sacrifice made every day by not just the folks on the front lines - but by their families who endure hardships, miss and pray for them.

I send a special prayer and salute to all of them, and ask our country's leaders to strongly consider the price extracted for our participation in a protracted conflict such as the current war represents. There are rarely easy answers, rarely can a situation be characterized as black or white. But there is right and wrong. It sickens me to see our military in the state it is currently in. It's vastly under funded, overtaxed and in many ways abused. And yet, in the spirit of its purpose - it carries on.

Before he transitioned into the spirit world, I sat with my father in the Salt Lake Veteran's Hospital and listened to a surgeon explain that chemotherapy might be helpful in treating his cancer, but he would have to travel to and from his home (9 hours one-way) once and twice a week for several months in order to receive the treatment. There was no way we could afford the gas to do that, nor relocate temporarily, not to mention it would separate him from his family, if he could physically handle the trips. There was no chemotherapy treatment available in Grand Junction (a two hour trip one-way West, but barely within manageable means) So, that option was taken from him.

One evening, while in Salt Lake, I walked down the corridor to the nurses' station to refill his water pitcher and noticed outside the doorways all along the hall, trays filled with remains of the evening meal. On each tray there was a tiny 1oz. container of what was supposed to be cranberry sauce. I bent to retrieve one and read the label. In fact, I'm not at all sure it even had cranberry in it - but maybe some kind of puree. It was mostly food coloring and sugar - stuff like that. And no nutritional value. Zip. No one had eaten their portion (big surprise, there) - and there they were on every tray... a contract which cost the government who knows how much. Wasted. Perhaps a tiny sum per tray, per day, but a huge collective waste. All this, and a man dying inside one of the rooms and without conventional options because the VA in Grand Junction had no capacity to conduct a chemotherapy treatment and they had no contract with the civilian hospital in Grand Junction. How many other vets in that same hospital that same night, and in fact all around the country were being denied treatment of one type or another because of funding. At the newly refurbished VA in Grand Junction I saw a sign stapled to a wall behind a young man with no legs that says if he's a combat veteran he can get two years of medical coverage after discharge. It used to be mainly Viet Nam and Korean War era vets that sparsely filled the waiting rooms. Now, it's more and more young people, in pretty difficult situations. Our veterans deserve better.

Our country depends upon and leans on our military today in ways never before anticipated.

I created the graphic above as a tribute to our country's service men and women - veteran, active duty, reservist and Guard. If you'd like to send it to your military friend or loved one, or their family, please feel free to do so. Here is a link to a higher resolution image if you want to print it and send it. (you can simply right click and copy the image to your computer.)

Remember our military today and everyday - keep it volunteer - keep it strong!

In The News
Note: The summary below each headline and corresponding date is my own account of the referenced article (strong editorial license included). Each article is, of course, recommended reading... if you're coming to this posting late, the Post Independent has an archive search feature.

Inside Bay Area
www.insidebayarea.com

Berkeley lawmakers OK home solar power plan
[11-08-07]

Also......................................

Earth2Tech
www.earth2tech.com

Q&A with Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates on Solar Financing Plan
[posted: 11-06-07]

My summary of the article follows: The city of Berkeley California has introduced a new plan to essentially finance homeowners wishing to convert their homes to solar-powered energy. With significant advances in solar roof tile technology over the past five years, this aspect could provide the missing piece of the completion puzzle by largely removing financing as an obstacle to solar conversion. The mayor's office has already received so many national and international inquires, they cannot field all the calls and e-mails. Whooo hoo! I've long been an advocate of solar power, as I believe it solves far more problems than it creates. Way to get the job done! I salute this effort as an excellent model of civic leadership. I hope other states, cities and municipalities will take California's lead and begin providing similar options as well as tax incentives to homeowners as a means of facilitating this timely transition toward more responsible energy consumption.

You know how bio-fuel is a great idea - especially for family farms - except that it uses a lot of water and it's not exactly "clean"? Well - family farm stability is a big issue to me - and not just because I'm a transplanted Okie. A few years ago my family and I were talking about bio-fuels and solar options, when my dad had this interesting idea. He suggested that participating farm acreages could be used to house large solar collectors which could be tied into the existing grid. I mean, one of the great obstacles to solar energy development is that, after the initial investment in infrastructure, it's basically free. No fat cat is going to rake in billions off somebody just trying to stay warm and find their way around in the dark.. But, if solar was essentially farmed, it could be sold - and once someone hears that distant but familiar ka-ching - good gracious, how the speculators and investors come running!

It's time that America's leaders provide pathways toward energy independence. People have been talking about it for decades at the same time technologies have been developed, bought and buried in the interest of oil and gas profits. A familiar corporate maxim is "we simply supply the demand", which essentially places the onus of consumer evolution on the shoulders of consumers. This is a load of horse hockey. Working people are locked into patterns of buying behavior which is closely tied to daily survival. Greedy corporations simply flock to the buffet. It has always been and will always be government policy that dictates the growth and direction of a nation, for it is policy which inspires invention and investment.

I am intrigued that Brazil has converted its entire energy consuming base to sugar cane! Wow. But, again, policy and incentive drive change.

The federal establishment of the Mining Law of 1872 and the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, implementing the concept of federal unitization for the benefit of Eastern development and Westward expansion, is what has led to the environmental degradation and threat to human health and safety like we are experiencing in the West - and, in fact, all over the nation. A failure of congress to revisit the intent of that Act and share authority among states and local interests continues to exacerbate those problems.

Berkeley's move has skipped ahead of the mired immobility that has long seized the juxtaposed ideal of solar power and its practical application as an energy source, and opened the pathway of opportunity. From here ideas and options can only grow.

Guess who just made it onto the "Beacon's" page!

In the Grand Junction Sentinel...
www.gjsentinel.com

State quiet on bonus from Roan
[11-11-07]

My summary of the article follows:  This looks a reasonable request, but possibly a thinly veiled strategy to apply pressure to the Governor and the Colorado Department of Natural Resources regarding Gov. Ritter's opportunity to review plans to drill the Roan. I love how all Republicans can seem to focus on is money [I'm an Independent, by the way]. You know, there are other values to be considered in this issue - the sacrifice of other multiple uses, the costs to the environment which these days are becoming more and more quantifiable as dollar signs are attached to preservation and what that means to not just taxpayers - but breathers of air and drinkers of water. Yes, the economic benefit should be considered - but let's hope the Governor and Department of Natural Resources look at the WHOLE benefit value - not just the cash skimmed off the top.

In the Grand Junction Sentinel...
www.gjsentinel.com

Panel rewriting rules to mitigate effects of energy development
[11-06-07]

My summary of the article follows: COGCC decides how it will implement House bills 1298 and 1341. Public comment period coming up - take five minutes and let 'em know what you think! P.S. this public comment period seems to be pretty difficult to pin down - I'm sending a letter to see when it is and how we can comment.
 

In the Grand Junction Sentinel...
www.gjsentinel.com

Chemical spilled on I-70: Powder 'not a huge hazard' as much as a nuisance
[11-06-07]

hmmm.

In the Grand Junction Sentinel...
www.gjsentinel.com

Drilling permit backlog 3 months
[11-06-07]

Holy cow - it seems the state has come down with a case of "rubber-stamper's elbow"! Maybe they should put it on ice.

In the Grand Junction Sentinel...
www.gjsentinel.com

Company touts production efficiency
[11-06-07]

My summary of the article follows: According to this article Williams Production "has cut as many as 26,000 water-tuck trips and reduced surface disturbance by 70 percent" all while increasing its drilling efficiency by utilizing 14 high-tech Flex rigs, which, according to the article, can do directional drilling of up to 22 wells from one pad.

This is a tremendous advance in the reduction of surface disturbance and ground water use, but, because the wells are clustered, production facilities are also clustered which can be a dose of both sweet and bitter medicine. With the clustering, comes a greater potential for VOC hotspots and intense localized impacts for longer durations. All in all though, this could be a major boon to wildlife as it retracts roads and reduces truck traffic! Good step forward Williams!

Better practices such as these are essential if industry is to find a warmer welcome among those it entrenches with it.

Entry -- 11-06-07

He was shot and killed at 6:30 Tuesday morning by the same hunters who had wounded him Sunday morning.

I prayed for this magnificent creature, that his spirit may pass without lingering trauma and be welcome into the spirit world by those who have gone before him. I asked also that his physical form find use and give life to another as deserving. And I prayed for his herd that they may continue without him - that either a new buck would find and lead them, or they would join an existing herd and not only survive the coming winter, but go on to great prosperity in the coming spring.

In my heart, I will carry the image of him herding his does along the ridge toward Summerhawk. I was blessed to have seen this animal in his prime - witnessed his countenance... beheld his manner.  Blessed to have come face to face with him two weeks ago and recognized him as an intimate aspect of my life and life on this mountain. And I'm glad I shared that encounter here.

Deer have long been a symbol of mankind's return to the wilderness, and, in this - the seventh week of a long journey into the unknown - I have been searching my heart to determine what my unusual encounter with this animal might have meant. I suppose the obvious thing might be that symbolically, I am rather like this buck in some important ways. Simply doing what I do, but to some, I am a target for it. Perhaps this great animal reminds me of a kind of sacrifice to come. It was dramatic in that I connected particularly and deeply with his spirit the first time I saw him. Traced with the hunter,  his blood, his flesh and his hoof prints. Captured a haunting image of him, fleeing yet another pursuit - though my own. And finally, heard the shot that ended his life two sunrises later. Such cycles are played out around and within us every day of our lives, and only sometimes we notice them. Only sometimes we recognize a parallel. Perhaps our nearness in time, my love of his spirit and our shared, silent dialogue was meant to remind me of the ways in which circumstances bind our lives and our fates and yield lessons to strengthen our resolve - regardless how brief our time may be.

A part of him will forevermore guide my spirit.

A friend has a saying: Plan as though you will live for a thousand years. Live as if today could be your last.

None of us know when our final breath will come, but until that time, may we carry and conduct ourselves exactly as this buck had -- regardless of outcome and according, always, to our greatest purpose.

Godspeed.

"The master came because it was time. He left because he followed the natural flow. So be content with the moment and be willing to follow the flow. Then there will be no room for grief nor joy - just the flow! And the fire burns on!" ― Blackcloud

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