The Greenwood Memorial Park drilling site that could service up to seven gas wells for Chesapeake Energy goes back to the City Council for consideration yet again tonight at 7, this time with three petitions circulating — two against and one for.
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Wendy Davis filed a bill in the Senate yesterday that would give local governments more authority in prohibiting the Railroad Commission from issuing permits for disposal wells.

Disposal wells became a hot issue locally in 2007 when Chesapeake Energy received a permit for an East Fort Worth disposal well before the city declared a moratorium on disposal wells permits. Currently, the city is exploring a pilot program at the East Fort Worth site that would pipe water in from four or five wells and use catalytic heat to dehydrate the heat before injecting it into the earth.

SB 752 — along with last week’s bill to require the Texas Department of Transportation to allow gas gathering lines in freeway rights-of-way — would be a step in the right direction to address some of the problems that Fort Worth has stumbled across as it has begun living with urban gas drilling.

Things are so bad. How bad are they? So bad that Chesapeake Energy CEO Aubrey McClendon is selling his wine collection to raise some cash — unloading 9,000 bottles at a time when the market for high-end wines is collapsing. According to the Wall Street Journal Wealth Report blog, “Sotheby’s says it expects the sale to fetch at least $5 million–not much for a former billionaire, but these days every little million helps.”

The Startlegram reports that the city Board of Adjustments unanimously turned down a request from Chesapeake Energy for a four- to six-unit natural gas compressor station at the corner of Cooks Lane and Interstate 30. Chesapeake had previously withdrawn the request after neighborhood opposition.

The Star-Telegram reports that the City Council delayed action on the proposed permit for a natural gas well site near the Crestwood neighborhood and Greenwood Cemetery after listening to residents who were split over the plan.

Earthworks’ Oil & Gas Accountability Project (OGAP), an organization that works with tribal, urban and rural communities to protect their homes and the environment from the impacts of oil and gas development, is seeking donations to begin a Texas chapter.
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A waiver for a High Impact Gas Well Pad Site Permit requested by Chesapeake Energy for the Greenwood Lease located at 3595 Rockwood Park Drive goes to council for a vote on Tuesday, according to this M&C. It looks like Carter Burdette was able to pound out a consensus position between the neighborhoods and Chesapeake and the waiver is expected to pass. For a map of the site, check the jump.
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Heritage Park, Fort Worth’s birthplace and site of a Marvel of Modernism according to the Cultural Landscape Foundation, has suffered from years of shabby treatment and neglect from the city. To further add to the indignity, the Parks and Community Services Advisory Board has on its action items for today, “Review and provide recommendation on a gas well permit within 600-feet of Heritage Park.” If you would like to attend the meeting and offer input, it is scheduled for 4 p.m. at the Fire Station Community Center, 1601 Lipscomb in the 76104. To see the agenda, click through to the jump. (Photo above courtesy of Kevin Buchanan)
UPDATE, 2:44 p.m.: Here’s the deal — Heritage Park extends way north up the Trinity River. The well site that is at issue is the Henderson Bazaar site (the weekend market place). This site was permitted previously as a single well site and now Chesapeake is coming back and apply for a second well permit.
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Why is it that the Star-Telegram gives me a headline that Chesapeake Energy made double-digit production gains in 2008, but elsewhere in the world, I get Chesapeake Energy taking a $1.8 billion Q4 charge, ending the year with $1.75 billion in cash on hand and planning a $500 million debt offering? In the S-T, I get a valentine, while the Reuters report out of Houston talks about a management team that is “losing its credibility” — analysts’ words, not mine. C’mon, S-T … is this an intention omission?

BP and Chesapeake stocks are up as talk of a bid for Chesapeake Energy swirls. And I thought Stock Show weather was my only 2009 prediction that might come to fruition today.