Lightning Strikes Denton Gas Well

from Texas Sharon

Three days after Drew Darby steamrolled HB 40 through the Texas Legislature, leaving cities with little control over oil and gas development, residents in North Texas experienced a lightning strike at one well and a M4.0 earthquake. There were also tornadoes last night so…fracknadoquake or maybe frackquakenado.

Lightning Strikes Denton Gas Well

Outstanding photos by David Minton

Lightning loves to strike oil and gas facilities. I have lots of blog posts about lightning striking wells.

The strike in Denton last night hit the wellhead at a Vantage Energy well. The Denton Fire Department has been dealing with the fire all night. Vantage said they would not have a crew on site for 7 hours. I guess they needed a good night’s sleep. So, raw gas from the wellhead is being flared and monitored by the fire department. I wonder if Vantage will reimburse the city.

Here is a press briefing filmed by a resident.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYu6kS2OC40]

While Drew Darby and Myra Crownover were home asleep in their beds, the people in Denton were afraid their homes would burn and the people in Mansfield and Irving worried about frackquakes.

Video from gas well neighbor.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAkeARlOT2I]

More in post last night. I’m sure the Denton Record Chronicle will have a story up soon. I will update as more information becomes available.

CBS: Denton gas well burns after lightning strike Good video.

NTDaily: Natural gas well explodes in Denton. Great video taken by resident.

This appears to be the location of the Vantage well. It is likely that Vantage purchased this site with the intent to expand the pad and add more wells.

[googlemaps https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/embed?mid=zPXP_DrnzBD4.k3KBiUVtiDCw&w=640&h=480]

Building homes this close to gas wells is not smart. People need to be warned of the danger before buying homes close to oil & gas faciliies