Title
Ordinance - Third and Final Reading of an Ordinance Amending the Regulations in Chapter 114 of the Mansfield Code of Ordinances, "Gas Well Drilling and Production," Pertaining to Definitions, Health and Safety, Signage, Hours of Operation, Maintenance, Completion and other Drilling, Operation and Production Activities (OA#09-005)
Requested Action
To consider the subject proposed ordinance amendments.
Recommendation
The Council Subcommittee on Gas Well Regulations met on November 17, 2009, and recommended the proposed amendments for Council's consideration.
Description/History
The Council Subcommittee held a worksession on November 17, 2009, with representatives of several gas well operators drilling in Mansfield to review comments on the proposed ordinance. The companies represented at the meeting were Carrizo Oil and Gas, Chesapeake Operating, Inc., Edge Resources, Jacobs Engineering, and Cornerstone NG Engineering.
After review of all of the comments the City has received and a discussion with the representatives, the Subcommittee modified some of the provisions of the proposed ordinance. The modified paragraphs are shown in blue text in the revised ordinance. Deletions are marked in red. The Subcommittee also requested that Staff research the following items:
1. A limitation of open hole formation testing and drill stem testing to daytime hours - Section 7 (Z) in the revised ordinance.
On the advice of Mr. Larry Hulsey, the City's Gas Well Inspector, Staff has removed open hole formation tests from this restriction.
2. A provision requiring reduced emission completions - Section 7 (W) in the revised ordinance.
Staff consulted with the gas division at the City of Fort Worth. Fort Worth's drilling ordinance requires that all gas well operators use reduced emission completions whenever their drill sites have access to a sales pipeline. Gas well operators that have successfully employed reduced emission completions under Fort Worth's ordinance include Chesapeake, XTO and Devon. Also, Chesapeake stated at the Subcommittee worksession that they have used reduced emission completions.
Staff recommends that this provision remain.
3. A requirement that proven technological improvements to industry standards to mitigate the effects of dust, vibration and odor be adopted as they become available - Section 8 (A) in the revised ordinance.
After review, Staff recommends deletion of this sentence and leaving the remainder of the paragraph intact.
Justification
See information above
Funding Source
Not applicable
Prepared By
Felix Wong, Director of Planning