Titan Update Feb. 3, 2012

The first phase of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) operations for the Titan pad site at 7504 Pleasant Run Road began on Tuesday, January 31st.  By the end of the day Friday, February 3, 2012, six of the seven wells should be fracked with the final well to be fracked by Saturday, February 4, 2012.

Once fracking operations are completed, flowback will begin immediately.  Per the requirements of Chapter 3.1 of the Land Development Code, flowback operations may only occur during daytime hours (7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.) and flaring or venting of gas is not permitted.  The length of flowback depends on how long it takes for frack water to return to the surface before gas is detected.  For the purposes of the Titan site, flowback operations involve capturing the fluid that was forced into the well bores at high pressures in holding tanks placed on the pad site.  Frack fluids will be stored in the tanks, which will then be vacuumed into mobile tanker trucks and transported out of the City.  Noise during flowback should be minimal as there will be little mechanical operations other than the trucks entering and leaving the site.  The frack fluid will run through a separator before entering the holding tanks.  It is in the separator that the gas flowback will be detected.  The instant that gas is detected, the well be shut-in and flowback will cease.  Air quality will be continuously monitored (24 hours) during flowback operations to ensure compliance with City, State and Federal air quality regulations. 

COLLEYVILLE GAS DRILLING ORDINANCE
Colleyville’s gas drilling ordinance is one of the strictest in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. The ordinance has been in effect since 2008. The city’s regulations include, but are not limited to, the following: 

·          All fracturing operations, including flowback operations, are limited to daytime hours only (7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.), Monday through Sunday.  

·          No more than 20 trucks per day are allowed on the site during fracturing for the duration of the permitted maximum 11-day period. All trucks must follow the approved route utilized during drilling and approved under Ordinance O-10-1779. 

·          No venting or open flaring of gas is permitted at any time. Titan will not be flaring or venting any of the wells as part of the fracturing. The company will immediately shut off the wells if any gas is detected as part of the fluid flowback process. Air quality will be continuously monitored during fracturing to ensure compliance with all city, state, and federal regulations. 

·          Due to the current Stage II water restrictions, Titan may not utilize any city water for their fracturing operations. Titan will obtain any necessary water from a private water well located on site. 

·          Any noise associated with the fracturing process must comply with the city’s gas well regulations and the noise management plan, as submitted before drilling began. Titan will install 20-foot sound blankets around the site prior to commencement of fracturing. As stated above, fracturing operations are allowed during daytime hours only. 

·          All water wells located within 2,000 feet of the seven existing gas well bores have been tested for baseline water quality by an independent environmental scientist hired by the city of Colleyville. Once fracturing is complete, per the requirements of the city’s gas well regulations, these water wells must be re-tested within 60 days by the same environmental scientist. The wells will be tested for volatile organic compounds (VOC) and chemicals contained in the fracturing fluids. Information about these chemicals and compounds was submitted by Titan, as required by the city’s gas well regulations.  Information about well testing and fracturing fluids is available on the city’s website at Colleyville.com.