Williams recently notified Flower Mound officials and the Railroad Commission of Texas that it has withdrawn its pending amended Rule 37 hearing for the Ace B #5H well, located near Bakersfield Park, and that the company will complete the well at a regular distance in compliance with the field rules for the Barnett Shale.
“In the world of Rule 37 cases, this is a rare victory for the residents and cities that are forced to coexist with gas drilling operations,” said Al Filidoro, Flower Mound Mayor Pro Tem. “We have a policy of vigorously protecting the Town’s property and assets against gas drilling encroachments and will continue to do so in the future.”
The Town of Flower Mound was notified in May 2011 that Williams Production proposed to drill a gas well whose termination point would be approximately 50 feet from Town-owned property.
The well site, the Ace B pad site, was located in far western Lewisville adjacent to the Town’s wastewater treatment plant and Bakersfield Park. The field rules for the Barnett Shale require that the termination point of a gas well must be at least 330 feet from a property line. Since Williams’ proposed well termination point was only 50 feet from Town property, the Town protested Williams’ request for an exception to the Barnett Shale field rules.
“Regardless of the fact that the pad site in question is in Lewisville and was approved by their city council, we maintain a responsibility to file Rule 37 Protests and vigorously defend our parklands and other assets,” said Filidoro. “The Town supports our rule 37 protest filing and those submitted by individual land holders to protect their property, homes, and families.”
The Town’s protest was filed with the Railroad Commission of Texas approximately three months ago and was set for hearing on September 21 in Austin. By correspondence received on Monday, August 29, Williams notified the Town that it has withdrawn “its pending amended Rule 37 hearing for our Ace B #5H well in Denton County, Texas” and that “Williams will complete the well at a regular distance from the protestant’s lease line.”
