Close up showing triangles near Los Gatos south of San Jose indicating known oil seeps there.
Posted on 03/19/2005 4:50:11 PM PST by The Grim Freeper
Today, my mother asked me to come see something in their Los Gatos back yard. She took me out to the corner of their large lot (large for Los Gatos, anyway), and she pointed out to me some black, shiny substance seeping out of the ground in patches, and along a line about 10 feet in length. The last heavy rain had made this substance come to the surface.
I said "It looks like oil," and she said she thought so, too. I stuck my finger in it, and it was black, slick, and after I'd rubbed it around to almost a drying point, a little bit gunky. Like crude oil.
We know my parent's property sits on a water table, because the last big earthquake, they weren't anxious to sit in the house, so they sat on the ground, and the ground was all wet (even though it hadn't rained in months).
Also, the heavy rains have caused a number of cracks to appear and/or widen in the brick work and driveway and porches and patios of my parents older home. We definitely are expecting a "big one." We just don't know when, of course. We weathered the Loma Prieta earthquake with a minimum of property damage and some major "rattled" nerves.
But all that is to say, has anyone here ever heard of such a thing? Could crude oil be seeping to the ground surface due to the heavy rains? Could it be something else? If it's oil, what do we do? Do we report it?
Did you check for the nearest pipeline? Seriously though, be very careful, we (Bellingham, WA)had a pipeline explode because some kids set off illegal fireworks near a leak. They died and the whole park burned.
And in North Africa during WWII both the Germans and the Brits would dig wells for their use after which when that location was captured by the other side, oil would have seeped into it. Both sides accused the other of "poisoning" the wells with petroleum so they could not use it. Little did they know that Libya sat on one of the largest oil fields in the world.
But seeps go back to antiquity. It's where the Greeks got pitch to waterproof their ships. And Herodotus reported a small cave where a continuous fire came out of. It was a natural gas seep that was lit.
They are placing drilling rigs in neighborhoods here in North Texas to drill for natural gas in the Barnett Shale.
dont worry about it if you try to get that oil it will soon be considered a national wildlife refuge and john kerry will fillibuster any attempts to drill for it. He has to protect the caribou you know
This unhealthy seepage of oily goop would not be happening but for the fact that the enviro-wackos have banned oil drilling, and the oil has no where to go but your mom's backyard.
I wouldn't buy property without mineral rights. but ofcourse with the slant drilling it really doesn't matter. they could get to it anyway.
Close up showing triangles near Los Gatos south of San Jose indicating known oil seeps there.
|
Well, I just drove over there and found the pump. It is in the parking lot behind the SJNB Office Bldg. at 15405 Los Gatos Blvd (about 3 bldgs south of the Rotten Robbie Station.) It looks like it hasn't operated in quite a long time.
Not too far from the truth!
Expunged!
More like sucked dry.
Well? We ARE talking Texas for gawd's sake. Freedom is still a concept here.
Hy, I think we may have been neighbors. I was on Marchmont. I think I know the lot you're talking about there. Was there a red 1940s/50s house on it? I went to a garage sale there and bought a few good things just as it was sold.
Well in many parts of Texas and the USA you wouldn't buy any property them, because in some areas they have be separated for generations. In east Texas they started selling off mineral rights in the 1930's so there is maybe 1% of the mineral rights left and then it's on property of no value.
Yes, you should have seen it coming--from a mile away.
Hey, I can see my old house!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
Push on the house and see if it slides around.