Better Fill up today

[Bullwinkle]

        My grandfather, that I never met because he died from being exposed to mustard gas in WW1, worked in the oil fields around El Dorado. My mother always regreted that his collection of tools, mostly German made and high quality, were sold at the estate sale. She said that if she had known she would have a son with a talent for mechanic work, she would have kept them.

       It truly is sad to see the land that has been exploited and ruined by those who didn't care what they did to it as long as they made money. Some of our landowners have worked to repair some of it, best done by bringing in dirt from pond digging and covering the tainted soil. Otherwise, as you say, it will never recover. Much like the effects of overgrazing, creating infestation of cedar trees that drink 30 gallons of water a day, as well as locust, buck brush, etc. It takes much work to restore the tallgrass. At least the cities haven't managed to stop us from burning, perhaps the best tool we have. Where we have gotten rid of the cedars, the springs have come back to life.

[dutch]

The damage to the streams and land from saltwater and sludge was going full blast back in the 1950s and 1960s. Back in about 1955 there were at least 4 oil producers that ran a LOT of saltwater down Clear Creek out 7 and 8 miles west of Howard. They ran so much down the creek that it killed the fish and some cattle. I still remember as a small boy my Dad going up the main hill that goes to the Windfarm (Killdeer Road) and stopping at the tank battery and gun barrel there. He stuck out his cupped hand under the pipe there and tasted the clear water squirting on the ground and running down the hill. It was strong saltwater.  After he got done with a cussin fit, he said get in the truck and we headed for home. He had my Mom wash up a couple of already clean pint canning jars and we went back up the hill and he filled the two jars with the saltwater and dropped me off at the house and he went on to Chanute to the State agency that oversees oilfield disposal laws.

A fairly short time later he got Noel Mullendore, a Howard attorney, to file suit against Elk Petroleum Company, Denton Oil Company, Cites Service gas Company, and, I believe, the last one was Conoco Oil for cattle damage from saltwater. He and Noel won the lawsuit and the oil companies were to build him two deep ponds for water and pay for the cattle. Harold Howell took his dozer and built the ponds. Everyone paid their fair share except Billy Denton who refused to pay. Dad submitted a bill to the estate of Billy Denton and Guy Morgan Denton, estate executor, made sure the court assessment was finally paid.  End of story as best I can remember.  I've got another saltwater story from the Sixties that I'll put up later.

[frawin]

The damage to the streams and land from saltwater and sludge was going full blast back in the 1950s and 1960s. Back in about 1955 there were at least 4 oil producers that ran a LOT of saltwater down Clear Creek out 7 and 8 miles west of Howard. They ran so much down the creek that it killed the fish and some cattle. I still remember as a small boy my Dad going up the main hill that goes to the Windfarm (Killdeer Road) and stopping at the tank battery and gun barrel there. He stuck out his cupped hand under the pipe there and tasted the clear water squirting on the ground and running down the hill. It was strong saltwater.  After he got done with a cussin fit, he said get in the truck and we headed for home. He had my Mom wash up a couple of already clean pint canning jars and we went back up the hill and he filled the two jars with the saltwater and dropped me off at the house and he went on to Chanute to the State agency that oversees oilfield disposal laws.

A fairly short time later he got Noel Mullendore, a Howard attorney, to file suit against Elk Petroleum Company, Denton Oil Company, Cites Service gas Company, and, I believe, the last one was Conoco Oil for cattle damage from saltwater. He and Noel won the lawsuit and the oil companies were to build him two deep ponds for water and pay for the cattle. Harold Howell took his dozer and built the ponds. Everyone paid their fair share except Billy Denton who refused to pay. Dad submitted a bill to the estate of Billy Denton and Guy Morgan Denton, estate executor, made sure the court assessment was finally paid.  End of story as best I can remember.  I've got another saltwater story from the Sixties that I'll put up later.

[redcliffsw]

There's probably a lot of saltwater recollections in eastern Kansas.  Got some myself.

A saltwater spill would be front page news nowadays.

[redcliffsw]

Bull I should have added that there are Big Areas in West Texas that are totally Barren from Saltwater that was run out on the Ground. Those areas will be Barren until the end of Time. Fortunately the Texas RRC does a great Job of Checking the Tank Batteries and Pipelines. Being from Rural Kansas it makes me so sad to see  all of the Polluntion caused by the Stupidity and Careless Pollution caused by Saltwater and Oil Leaks. I worked on Drilling Rigs in Elk County in the Early 60s and unfortunately there was a lot of Damage caused by the Slush Pits that were made for Recirculating the drilling Mud or Fluid. Some of the old timers might Remember JR Wap Fester, I was a Floor Hand on his Rig it was in terrible Condition, we had to use a long piece of Pipe to stand on to hold the Brake while we added another Joint of  Drill Pipe. I also Worked on Mendenhalls Rigs and they were First Class. In fact I was Working on one of Mendenhalls Rigs in Northeren Kansas when I called My Wife of 52 GREAT YEARS and told her I was  coming home to Howard and we were getting Married.

Fester - hadn't heard that name for a long time.  That's going way back.