Posted on 02/04/2004 3:06:27 PM PST by VRWCmember
Crude Oil Bubbles Up Into Woman's Home
Officials Find No Cause For Sticky Situation
LONGVIEW, Texas -- When visiting the home of an east Texas woman, you can't help but think about the television show "The Beverly Hillbillies." That's because Leila Letourneau's home is literally filling up with so-called "black gold." Oil, that is.
According to Letourneau, she returned home Monday to find that an inch of raw crude oil had seeped up from the ground and into her home.
Despite the unusual occurrence, Letourneau said hers is the only house in the neighborhood to be affected.
"I went to both neighbors on either side to see if they were having any problems, across the street to see if anybody else had come home to this type situation, and none of them (...had) anything," Letourneau said.
Fire officials are investigating the cause of the problem.
Meanwhile, Letourneau said there are a number of pumping jacks near her neighborhood, but that there were no reported leaks.
Slideshow: Tour The Oily House
I don't know it any waterflooding is taking place around Longview, but considering the age of the field, it's probable.
We didn't plug wells forty years ago like we do today, and I might have roughnecked on that very well that is flowing into her living room.
Either scenario would fit.
The neighbors wouldn't necessarily have oil in their house if the flow from a ruptured casing was following a subsurface fracture that came to the surface under her house.
Which brings another point into play:
The house evidently is not built on a pier and beam foundation, but how is the oil coming through the concrete slab?
I hear "Twilight Zone" music playing........
If she's one of THE LeTourneaus, she is already a millionaire.
Bet she wishes she'd a'put the house up on them thar concrete blocks, instead of the car.
LETOURNEAU UNIVERSITY ALUMNUS NAMED TO BUSH ADMINISTRATION
(LONGVIEW, Texas)- LeTourneau University alumnus Robert McFarland was nominated by President George W. Bush and was confirmed by the U.S. Senate to be the Assistant Secretary of Veterans Affairs on Thursday, January 22, 2004. McFarland graduated with a degree in business management and is a former vice president and general manager of the government sector at Dell Computer Corporation in Austin, Texas.
Before his resignation in May, he managed the military, federal, state and local government business for the computer company. During McFarland's tenure with Dell, which began 1996, Dell became the top supplier of computers to the federal government, expanding its presence in the Defense Department. McFarland is a Vietnam veteran of the U.S. Army where he served two years' active duty and two more years on reserve.
Eeewyu! Ugh! Once I had stuff bubbling up in my laundry sink downstairs. Complete with floater stools and rag-paper. That weren't oil! Used the wet-dry vac, then jammed a rolled-up wad of newspaper in the drain. Then my neighbor's got a flood. Bad underground sewer line. Yuck!
I have to correct you on that. In Texas, the mineral estate is definitely superior to the surface estate, and an oil company definitely can force themselves onto the land. The Sheriff will help, if necessary.
That's not customary practice, and oil companies definitely want to maintain good relations with surface owners, so financial arrangements are almost always reached.
But if you only own surface rights and are dead set against allowing the owner of the mineral rights to get what is lawfully his, you're going to lose. That's the law.
DZ, this is just like an easement.
The oil company has the legal right to go in, no matter what the surface owner says.
They try to negotiate damages first, but, if necessary, they'll go in and talk later.
I don't know; I really doubt it.
The people who report this stuff don't have the foggiest what they're talking about.
Reminds me of a guy named Richardson........
But the cause of this will eventually be made public; I'm sure of it. Perhaps it will only be published in the Longview newspaper, but the Railroad Commission will investigate.
Of course, if this can somehow be blamed on Halliburton, we'll all hear of it.
Why, sweetie pie! If you're gonna be there, of course!
I haven't seen your new hair do in person!
(I ain't ridin' no Metro Rail thingie!)
Well, let's see if we can make the connection:
LeTourneau builds offshore jackup rigs.
Halliburton has equipment on most offshore jackup rigs.
YEP! There it is!
I'll bet this is a plot by the LeTourneau family and Halliburton to scam millions off the American taxpayer as a superfund clean-up site with Halliburton doing the work!
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