It is recommended that the City Council consider a waiver request by Quicksilver Resources for a Gas Well Permit less than 600 feet from a Protected Use at the Alliance TCN Lease located at 3897 Litsey Road  

Pursuant to the City of Fort Worth Code Section 15-36 a permit for a gas well less than 600 feet from a residence, religious institution, hospital building, school or public park requires:

1. A waiver granted by the City Council; or

2. The written consent from all protected use property owners filed in the applicable county deed records.

Quicksilver Resources has requested that the City Council conduct a public hearing and grant a waiver to allow four gas wells less than 600 feet from a protected use to be drilled on the Alliance TCN Lease located at 3897 Litsey Road. The public hearing is necessary if they are unsuccessful in their effort to gain consent from all property owners. The closest protected use is a residential house, approximately 330 feet to the east.

Although this site is grandfathered pursuant to Section 15-34 to allow drilling as close as 200 feet from any protected use,  the closest protected use is at least 330 feet which is consistent with the minimum required distance in the current ordinance.

The access road is off of Litsey Road with a crushed rock all weather surface that will provide proper drainage and fire equipment support. The pad site is an all weather crushed rock surface approximately 250 feet by 375 feet in size. The site is of sufficient size for the drilling of multiple wells and has adequate road access to allow for emergency equipment if necessary.

Impact to Neighboring Property Owners:

The proposed gas development will be in compliance with all local, state and federal environmental regulations and will not adversely affect the floodplain, upland habitat, drainage patterns, erosion, water quality, or current or future use of the surface.

Damage to public thoroughfares adjacent to this lease area directly caused by the proposed gas development will be restored to city and state standards, as applicable, as the well is completed. Any substantial accumulations of dirt, dust and other debris deposited on public thoroughfares by gas development will promptly be removed.

Due to the 24 hour operations some noise interruptions will be encountered by those residents nearby the well site from the rig and some associated machinery and vehicles. Additionally, the drill rig is equipped for night time operations with low intensity lights for safe working conditions.

Drilling and production operations shall be conducted in a manner to minimize noise, vibration, dust and odors. Noise, vibration, dust and odors are generally limited to drilling, completion and re-working operations. Appropriate sound abatement equipment will be in place prior to commencement of drilling operations. The operator will be required to monitor the noise level 24 hours a day and provide the City with reports verifying the decibel levels.

Lighting will be directional on all nocturnal activities, toward the well site so that it will not be a nuisance or safety hazard to adjacent businesses, residential areas or public thoroughfares.

Work hours, noise levels, light intensity and dust will be kept within the levels required by the gas well ordinance.

Quicksilver Resources will comply with current landscaping and screening required by the gas well ordinance.

The production of natural gas resources at this site will have negligible effect on the orderly development of the surface use within the City. The drilling and completion phases will have a disruptive effect on residences within 600 feet.

Gas Drilling Review Committee:

The request was brought before the Gas Drilling Review Committee on September 24, 2009. The notes from that meeting were posted on the City's web page. Stephen Lindsey presented an overview of the request, representing that the site was obtained from Chief, the previous operator, in June or July of 2008. Quicksilver is proposing four additional wells. Drilling is proposed to occur from mid-January to March to avoid the holidays. Completion activities are proposed from March to May.  According to Mr. Linsdsey, there are 49 residences within the 600' setback. Forty-two waivers have been obtained. Two residences have not responded and five have declined to grant a waiver.  Typical distances to back property lines are from 330 to 360'.

Quicksilver reported that they conducted two community meetings with Chadwick Farms in July and August where citizens commented on problems with Chief as the prior operator.  The transportation route was described as I-35 along Litsey Road to the site (approved for other wells). Chadwick Farms minerals will not be developed through these wells. The access road will have sound wall to mitigate sound and dust. The road will be treated to prevent dust. The site will have a sound wall 30' or higher as needed. Interior sound walls around equipment will also be provided. Quicksilver will be sensitive to light placement in regards to surrounding uses.

Two citizens representing the community spoke at the Gas Drilling Review Committee. Concerns were raised related to both short and long term environmental health and safety impacts related to the request. Information related to their concerns was passed out to the committee. The committee was informed that there was an online petition against the wells. Both citizens spoke of an alleged incident on the well site in January, 2009. However, there was no record of a request for a response reported by the City of Fort Worth emergency personnel.

The location is in COUNCIL DISTRICT 2.