Felderhoff brothers’ drilling is a Texas company with 2 yards, one in Gainesville, and one in Jacksboro. Several years ago they completely modernized all of their equipment. They are the only drilling contractor that was awarded the Energy Star Rating by the US Department of Energy. Six months ago that has really paid off because the US Environmental Protection Agency and the US Department of Energy will be subsidizing any drilling that is done with an Energy Star Rating. You can click on the link to read the full “Energy Digital” article. http://www.energydigital.com/Felderhoff-Brothers-Drilling--A--new-direction_41506.aspx
I can tell you one thing; this group of guys is one of the nicest hardest working bunch of roughnecks that I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. These guys keep that rig clean running, the area around it clean, and the way it's supposed to be. I have never been more impressed by anything in my life, maybe a few exceptions (birth of my kids).
My hope is that all of the people in the community of flower mound will have the dignity to respect the work that these fine men do for us every day. It's because of them that our lights come on, that we can take a nice hot shower, and when it's cold outside like today, we can turn our heat on. So just think about it for a second, all of these men have families and children and in your opinion does it look like any of them are dying from toxins? This is how these fine hard working men put a roof over their family’s heads, and put dinner on the table. All I ask is please have some respect.
11 comments:
The debate is not about a bunch of manly guys working in adverse whether conditions, it is about whether society at large is pursuing sustainable methods that don't leave lasting and permanent damage to the environment.
I don't need to thank such people when I switch on my lights since I get my electricity through a 100 % Wind energy plan from Gexa Energy. There must be other energy companies offering such plans and I hope you Shiloh folks will check that out. Not only will this drive demand for cleaner sources of energy but it will also reduce natural gas usage in electricity generating stations. Drive down I-20 past Abilene and take a look at all the wind farms going up all the way to Roscoe and beyond. That is the future source of energy.
The people doing this gas drilling work are not doing it due to any altruistic motives. It is the profit motive that drives them. Find out what kind of paychecks the CEO's pocket. In the equation for profit one has to always factor in costs and unfortunately, the true costs are not factored in. The true cost needs to include the damage to the environment that will be left for future generations to solve. When this is done, free market forces will likely move these hard working men from jobs near gas rigs to jobs near wind turbines or solar panels. This is where our state and federal agencies need to step up and protect the people and the environment.
I do hope that these hardworking men have adequate insurance coverage and I hope that you lobby with their employer to ensure that.
Prakash, you might want to think about that. Your beloved Gexa Energy is a wholly owned subsidy of FPL Group, Inc. You speak of them as if they were holy than thou, but the truth be known, CEO Lewis Hay paid himself 11,540,000 dollars, and the President James Robo paid himself 4,829,000 dollars. FPL Group, Inc owns 81 units that use fossil fuels, such as Natural Gas and/or Oil, and has a joint ownership in 3 coal units. They also own and maintain 4 Nuclear Power Plants.
How about your heat? and How about your hot water? Does your car run on wind? Natural Gas even the Sierra Club is saying that Natural Gas is the bridge to the future. And I am going to give you a heads up, Wind is not going to be the future of power generation.
When they solve the problem of sustainable fusion on Earth, that is the future.
In the mean time thank god for Texas, and Gas & Oil.
As usual, Big Daddy, you completely miss the point. Nobody is saying the oil field workers aren't good men, or that we don't respect them. They, like millions of others, are hard-working people striving to earn a living the best way they can. No more, no less.
Hats off to them. All I ask is that they do their work in rural areas, away from our neighborhoods. Like has been done for decades, until recently. So the dangerous byproducts of their work -- fouling the air and water, etc -- are mitigated.
Few of us think natural gas = evil, or that natural gas workers = evil. We just don't want the drilling, storing and polluting done near our schools, lakes and neighborhoods. It's really not asking too much.
Ladd, They are working in the rural areas of Flower Mound. Last time I checked, nothing but trees, and cows out there. Second, they would drill out in the country if there was any gas left out there. The gas is where it is, and there is no way to control that, it was determined 300 million years ago by mother nature.
I don't know if you read, or saw the air quality reports that have been done in Flower Mound, but the air is not toxic.
There is no way to get around storing water, the wells produce it on their own. When the tanks get to a certain level, a tanker comes and empties them. So, thank of it as temporary storage.
The smartest thing to do would be to allow them to have an injection well on site. Then they could just put the water back where it came from.
Thanks for having respect for the roughnecks, those guy work really hard to make sure that what they are doing is not causing any environmental harm.
It really is asking too much, Ladd, because they are drilling on our land, not your land, tapping assets that we purchased when we bought our land and now wish to sell. Some of the anti-drilling crowd is concerned with supposed health risks; some are concerned with potential deterioration in their property values as a result of the drilling activity. Whatever the motivation, there is a solution that can satisfy both sides: if you really don't want the drilling than organize, incorporate or syndicate and buy the leases from the drillers and when those expire, buy the mineral rights themselves from the owners. And never, ever, drill. If you can get half the Town residents to agree to this, the cost would only be about $3,300 per person for every $100 million of rights that you acquire. Seems like a small price to pay versus the alleged health risks that are associated with drilling, or versus a 5% decline in the market value of a Bridlewood home. I can see you as the CEO of this venture, Ladd, and I look forward to your offer for my minerals!
Give me a week, Mr. Anonymous Arrogant Mineral Rights Owner, and I will be sharing with you the research I find on Mr. Zimmerman. I'm betting that he has made similarly bold and idiotic statements (hopefully while not hiding behind a shield of anonymity) to his fellow citizens. Until yesterday. Are you next? God help you if you are...
Watch this: http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/video/23017573/index.html
Ladd: Have you ever thought about Anger Management? I'm just saying it might help you out alot. Now ATTACK...
I'm looking forward to your research, Ladd. But do us all a favor and make your response 200 words or less. No more manifestos, please, like you posted to the anti-drilling site. Interesting that you had no responses to your manifesto - do you think anyone bothered to read the entire tome?
Anonymous, I'm sorry if reading is difficult for you. Apparently it's not too much of a challenge for most of the educated people who live in Flower Mound. My columns are 4 of the 6 most-read/popular articles on the Cross Timbers Gazette site. I'd do a Cliffs Notes version to help out the Shiloh folks, but I really don't see how that's worth my time.
BTW, it's tough to keep it short when I'm documenting so many actual accounts of the drillers' spills, leaks, emissions and explosions. Maybe if they weren't so sloppy, I wouldn't have so much to say. My next column, probably featuring Mr. Zimmerman, could be a doozy, depending on what I learn.
Ladd Biro, Investigative Reporter with the Cross Timbers Gazette! I'm sure the Pulitzer Board members are on the edges of their seats awaiting your Zimmerman investigation.
Ladd, I'm just trying to help you out. When you drone on and on in your weighty tomes it's just so, well, boring. You should learn to get to your main point quickly and reinforce it with some key facts.
My Husband is a motor man, who works his butt off every week hes out. He is doing so to provide a good life for his family. So those of you who have a problem with anything they do can get over it!!! I am proud to say my hubby is a roughneck!!!!!
Post a Comment