Investigation: Will new oil well drilled in Abilene neighborhood dampen revitalization?

Sojourner Oil Company began drilling a new oil well in a north side Abilene neighborhood over the winter holidays. The operation is loud and produces smoke within the neighborhood, yet so far, no members of the public have spoken out in protest of this new oil well.

This new oil well will join a slew of others, all within walking distance of Ortiz Elementary School. But how did this happen? Why did city council approve the construction of a new oil well despite the ordinance that states that oil wells cannot be drilled within 200 feet of an existing structure? Abilene Reporter News investigated over the last several months to find out the reasons why.

A look back at city council's approval

Just minutes after passing a resolution to revitalize downtown Abilene, city council members voted October 12, 2023, to pass a resolution to allow a new oil well at 2482 Burger Street in northwest Abilene. While oil pumps within the city limits are not uncommon - there are more than 100 - this site needed additional approval from the council because the well is just 85 feet from nearby structures.

The resolution passed 6-1, with only Councilman Brian Yates opposing the new oil well. The councilman brought up the question of why the city is trying to rebuild Abilene, when at the same time installing an oil well within the city limits. He also emphasized that the city would be pushing people away at a time when the council is trying to revitalize Abilene’s urban core.

Councilman Yates expressed that Sojourner Oil Corporation needs city council approval in order to move forward, and that the council is the last barrier to speak for the community. He summarized his opposition with a philosophical point: “the question should not be if we can drill, it needs to be ‘should we drill?’”

Drilling has begun on the new oil well, located within a well-populated northside neighborhood, Just 800 feet from Ortiz Elementary School and close to St. Vincent's Catholic Church. When reached for comment in November, church staff replied, "our media spokesperson has no comment at this time."

'Council has never denied a drilling permit'

In a follow-up email conversation with Councilman Yates, he remarked that he “would assume that there will be some measure of noise and inconvenience for the houses that back up to this site” but that to his knowledge, “council has never denied a drilling permit.”

In general, within the City of Abilene, oil and gas production are permitted by default in every zoning category. According to Councilman Yates, the only reason this oil well came before City Council is because the proposed site is within 200 feet of an existing structure, and in this case, it is within 85 feet.

The councilman stated that nearby landowners could receive financial benefits from the oil company. It is, however, unlikely that home-renters or residents outside the required 200-foot radius would see any of these financial benefits.

Councilman Yates walked back his previous statements from the council meeting by saying that “the impact on the Rebuild ABI initiative is negligible, since there is an ample supply of lots and houses within the city limits that need attention and redevelopment.”

In the December 7, 2023, city council meeting, however, the council voted in favor of three new-build homes that qualify as part of the Rebuild ABI initiative. These homes will be located less than a mile from the new oil well site.

Landowners and council-approved drilling

For the six other councilors who voted in favor of the new well site, it was noted that there is a sizeable pocket of oil in that vicinity from which the new well will pull. They also stressed that nearby landowners all agreed to Sojourner’s request without any objections.

When asked for comments from adjacent neighbors, one neighbor who wished to remain anonymous said that she was aware of the new oil site and had agreed to it.

A representative from Sojourner Oil Corporation noted that their agreements with local homeowners had spanned decades; and, that homeowners who agreed to the drilling and associated well would receive payments in compensation for living in close proximity to a well.

Potential profits for city of Abilene

The biggest factor for the six council members who voted in favor of the drilling was the potential revenue for the city. They noted that there are other existing oil wells nearby, in addition to a little over 100 producing wells within city limits.

According to Shale XP, an oil and gas data visualization and research company, Texas is nationally ranked as number one in highest levels of oil production. This new Sojourner Oil well will join more than 1.6 million drilled wells in Texas.

Abilene Independent School District (AISD) could also stand to benefit from the oil well. AISD currently receives interest from another independent oil gathering company known as BML Inc., according to Dr. Joe Waldon of AISD.

'Never crossed my mind it was dangerous'

Abilene Reporter News (ARN) conducted a phone interview on November 15, 2023, with Dr. Joe Waldron, AISD Associate Superintendent for Operations. He is the designated representative for Ortiz Elementary School in regards to the new oil site on Burger Street.

In the interview, Dr. Waldron explained that he had received a letter from the City of Abilene explaining the proposed oil-drilling site because Ortiz Elementary School fell within the notification zone. Law requires the City of Abilene to notify the district because of its proximity to the elementary school.

Waldron remarked that while he had received notification, he had not yet notified parents or the Ortiz school administration of the new drilling site, noting that he will notify parents "likely after the project has started."

Dr. Waldron stressed the normalcy of drilling near schools in Texas, as was the case with his previous school district. He was, however, unaware of the potential dangers of oil field accidents.

ARN referenced an event in 2020 to Dr. Waldron, explaining that a man died from an explosion at another Sojourner-owned oil field in Jones County, according to local media. Jones County is about 30 miles outside of Abilene.

When this unfortunate event was referenced and Dr. Waldon was asked if he was aware of the dangers of a drilling site, Dr. Waldon remarked that he was surprised and that "it never crossed my mind it (oil drilling) was dangerous."

When asked if possible oil fumes could have any effect on the school children, Dr. Waldron referenced his experience in another school district with nearby oil wells, saying that the fumes would generally have no impact.

According to the Yale School of Public Health, however, "studies have reported associations between residential proximity to oil and gas operations and increased adverse pregnancy outcomes, cancer incidence, hospitalizations and asthma."

Additionally, more than 19 separate studies have shown adverse health effects to unborn children who are exposed to oil and gas development prior to birth. A panel of dozens of health experts recommended a minimum safe distance from an oil well and residential home to be 3,200 feet.

Other possible risks related to exposure to oil and gas drilling can include respiratory problems, asthma, coughing, eye and nose irritation, nausea, headaches and dizziness, fatigue or trouble sleeping.

In a follow-up question, Dr. Waldron was asked if Ortiz Elementary School had any emergency plans for an oil-related accident at the Burger Street site, to which he replied, "we'll have to explore that." He later remarked, however, that "AISD has done a lot to prepare" by practicing other emergency plans, and that all schools regularly work to be ready for the movement of kids in the event of any number of disasters.

Sojourner Oil and its history

Sojourner Oil Corporation has been in business in Abilene since 1946. As of now, Sojourner operates a total of 428 producing wells, according to Mineral Answers, an energy industry payment company.

When reached for comment, an employee who identified herself as "Elma" remarked that the corporation has had agreements with homeowners for years, in fact dating back to 2008. She also highlighted that the corporation has paid on average about $250,000 in tax revenue to the City of Abilene every year for the last 30 or so years.

When William Sojourner joined the conversation, he also emphasized how much Sojourner Oil has contributed to tax revenue for such organizations as the Abilene’s educational system.

When pressed for comment on possible noise and oil fumes for local residents, Sojourner pointed out that the corporation is monitored by several agencies and city ordinances. When asked to name these monitoring agencies, Sojourner declined to comment further.

In the end, the City of Abilene owns the mineral rights to the land in question at 2482 Burger Street and stands to make a profit from the new well. If Sojourner succeeds in their operations, both they and the city will benefit. But as Councilman Yates initially alluded, do the benefits outweigh the risks? Is Abilene revitalizing by building up or drilling down? For now, it seems, the answer is both.

This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Will new oil well in Abilene neighborhood harm revitalization efforts?