About two dozen earthquakes have rattled the Azle area in recent weeks, and residents are strongly suspecting the natural gas drilling industry is to blame.
The quakes have been occurring almost exclusively near drilling activities across North Texas. Prior to the industry’s development of hydraulic fracturing, which shoots millions of gallons of high-pressure water deep into the earth’s crevices, North Texas had few occurrences of earthquakes.
Now quakes are as common as the gas wells. Numerous studies have linked the two.
Expect a large turnout at next Tuesday’s meeting between Azle residents and the commissioner of The Railroad Commission of Texas. That’s the agency that regulates the drilling industry, if by “regulate” you mean “aids and abets.”
Railroad Commissioner David Porter will lead the town meeting at 5 p.m. Thursday at the Azle High School auditorium, 1200 Boyd Rd.
Locals activists who have sought accountability from the drillers and more oversight from the regulators aren’t expecting much more than a dog and pony show.
“The majority of activists [in] the area including myself figure that this presentation will downplay the potential impact that drilling and fracking or even gas production injection wells may be having on this increased occurrence of earthquakes in North Central Texas / Parker / Wise County,” said Gary Hogan, president of the North Central Texas Communities Alliance, a group that looks for solutions to problems related to drilling.
“Our [railroad commissioner] is there to support gas operations,” Hogan said, referring to the agency’s history of protecting the oil and gas industry. “However, many of us hope to turn out to hear the blah blah blah.”
One look at Mr. Porter’s record and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see where this is going to go. Most of his contributions are from natural gas companies and his career has focused on working alongside these companies. I think the citizens of Azle are going to need to band together and get an attorney to fight this. Below is a quick look at the commissioners record and contributions.
Before taking office, Commissioner Porter built a successful small business around his CPA practice in Midland Texas, providing accounting and tax services to oil and gas producers, royalty owners, oil field service companies and other small businesses and individuals. On November 2, 2010, David J. Porter was elected to serve a six-year term as a Texas Railroad Commissioner. Since taking office, Commissioner Porter served on the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission as well as the Interstate Mining Compact Commision as an Associate Representative by Texas Governor Rick Perry.
TABLE 1: Top 20 Contributors
Contributor Total % of Total Sector
ANWAR, JAVAID
$25,000 5.87% Energy & Natural Resources See Records
FINLEY, JAMES D
$20,000 4.70% Energy & Natural Resources See Records
PARSLEY COFFIN RENNER LLP
$16,000 3.76% Lawyers & Lobbyists See Records
ATMOS ENERGY
$10,000 2.35% Energy & Natural Resources See Records
DAVIS, J DAVIES
$10,000 2.35% Uncoded See Records
DAVIS, J DAVIES
$10,000 2.35% Uncoded See Records
POWELL JR, LOYD
$10,000 2.35% Uncoded See Records
TEXAS OIL & GAS ASSOCIATION
$10,000 2.35% Energy & Natural Resources See Records
SPECTRA ENERGY
$7,500 1.76% Energy & Natural Resources See Records
CONOCOPHILLIPS
$7,500 1.76% Energy & Natural Resources See Records
BASS ENTERPRISES
$5,500 1.29% Energy & Natural Resources See Records
GOOD GOVERNMENT FUND
$5,500 1.29% Uncoded See Records
TARGA RESOURCES CORP
$5,000 1.17% Energy & Natural Resources See Records
MARATHON OIL
$5,000 1.17% Energy & Natural Resources See Records
CHESAPEAKE ENERGY
$5,000 1.17% Energy & Natural Resources See Records
MARTINEAU, DAVID F
$5,000 1.17% Uncoded See Records
MARTINEAU, DAVID F
$5,000 1.17% Uncoded See Records
PARSLEY COFFIN RENNER
$5,000 1.17% Uncoded See Records
STAI, DIAN GRAVES
$5,000 1.17% Finance, Insurance & Real Estate See Records
MATTHEWS, J J
$5,000 1.17% Energy & Natural Resources See Records
TABLE 2: Top 15 Industries
Top Industries Total
Oil & Gas
$165,676
Lawyers & Lobbyists
$54,450
Electric Utilities
$22,287
Commercial Banks
$6,000
Accountants
$3,500
Construction Services
$2,500
Miscellaneous Finance, Insurance & Real Estate
$2,000
Telecom Services & Equipment
$1,000
Miscellaneous Finance
$1,000
Automotive
$1,000
Home Builders
$1,000
Candidate Committees
$1,000
Chemical & Related Manufacturing
$1,000
Candidate Self-finance
$-3,928
http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=134576