After a series of abandoned attempts by others, another company hopes to exploit oil in the fragile Apalachicola River Basin, sparking a new wave of opposition from environmentalists and other concerned citizens.
Clearwater Land & Minerals Fla, whose principals are from Shreveport, La., applied in December for a state permit to conduct exploratory drilling in Calhoun County in a well between the Apalachicola River, the largest river in Florida by volume, and the Chipola River, just north of the Dead Lakes.
The exploratory well was built by Cholla Petroleum, a Dallas, Texas, company that abruptly abandoned long-standing plans to explore for oil at the site in 2021. Cholla, which had conducted seismic testing for several years earlier, packed his gear and left. on the eve of drilling after the death of one of its main investors.
More than 200 residents have filed written objections with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, which is reviewing the application. They expressed fears about the risk of releasing toxic chemicals into nearby rivers, wetlands and wildlife habitats during a flood or hurricane and damaging the Florida aquifer, a source significant amount of drinking water.
“It’s still a pristine part of Florida,” said Jack and Joanne Harmon, who live in Franklin County. “There is always a spill and it would totally ruin the economy of this region.”
Ann Johnson, a native of the small town of Wewahitchka and president of its historical society, said she and most of her fellow residents were against drilling.
“Please consider the effects this could have on our community and our city, not only on our drinking water, but also on our fishing, which is a major source of tourist attraction in our region,” a- she writes.
Tallahassee regulatory attorney Allison Goodson wrote that the DEP and others have “worked hard” to try to restore Apalachicola Bay after its oyster fisheries collapsed. She said oil and gas wells consume thousands of gallons of fresh water that would otherwise support “already impaired flows” to the river, floodplain and bay.
“An exploratory well – let alone an operational, productive well – will result in the release of harmful substances into the wetlands and rivers that form the floodplain,” she said. “This is a ‘necessary and known cost of doing business’ in this area, even for the most responsible companies.”
Proponents of drilling say it would bring much-needed revenue to Calhoun County, one of Florida’s poorest counties, which saw its timber industry left in ruins by Hurricane Michael. In December, the Calhoun County Commission voted 4-0 in favor of the drilling permit application and submitted a short memo to the DEP saying it supported the project and had no objections or comments.
More:Florida’s timber industry is struggling. After hurricanes and factory closures, can we save it?
Calhoun County Commissioner Gene Bailey said the community could earn the same type of revenue from drilling as was harvested from the Jay field, which propelled oil production in Florida to record levels half a year ago. century. Proponents of drilling said if oil were discovered, it would bring millions to small Panhandle communities.
“We will get oil revenue,” Bailey said. “(Hurricane Michael) completely wiped out the lumber industry. There is currently no lumber industry in the county, and this was the principal industry. And then, we no longer have production here. »
Franklin County commissioners, meanwhile, voted unanimously on April 17 to send a letter to the DEP opposing the drilling. County Commissioner Ricky Jones said drilling carries too many risks and unknowns.
“Right now we know what’s going to happen because no drilling is happening,” he said. “It’s just the unknown and the fact that honestly…everything people do above us affects us in one way or another. We know we’re not a big county or large communities. But it still matters. And it still comes to us way if it ever gets into the water.
The issue has already cropped up during the 2024 election campaign. On Monday, Earth Day, Democrat Daryl Parks, a Tallahassee lawyer running against Sen. Corey Simon, R-Tallahassee, sent an email to his supporters saying he opposed drilling in the Apalachicola River basin.
Despite 70 dry holes, Clearwater says there is a ‘strong’ chance oil will be discovered
The DEP permitted the Cholla exploratory drilling site in Calhoun County in 2019, although the permit expired two years later. Around the same time, Spooner Petroleum, a Ridgeland, Miss., company that has been drilling in Gulf and Calhoun counties, also increased its stakes. Spooner plugged the Bear Creek well in Gulf County in 2021 after finding no commercially viable gas or oil.
But Clearwater is optimistic about its prospects. In its application materials, the company said the site was chosen after “careful review” of public and private geological and geophysical data, including Cholla’s seismic testing. Clearwater geologists compared the geology beneath Calhoun, Gulf and Liberty counties to that of oil fields in southern Alabama that have produced more than 50 million barrels.
“Clearwater believes that the likelihood of oil and gas being present at this location is high,” the geologists wrote in a Nov. 26 letter to the DEP. “The site was chosen after years of study.”
DEP press secretary Brian Miller emphasized in an email that Clearwater is only proposing to drill and test the well, not produce it commercially. He said the agency had requested additional information from the requester and was reviewing his responses, which he added was not uncommon.
“The DEP is committed to protecting Floridians and our state’s iconic natural resources, as well as ensuring compliance with the state’s environmental laws,” Miller said. “The DEP will not issue any permit that does not protect Florida’s environment or meet all requirements of Florida law.”
Cameron Baxley, Apalachicola River Warden, noted in a Dec. 22 letter to the DEP that the Apalachicola River is the most environmentally sensitive undisturbed floodplain ecosystem in the state and is legally recognized as an exceptional Florida water. She wrote that during major flooding, the drilling platform would be surrounded by running water.
Baxley argued that the Calhoun well is located on “much more sensitive” terrain than a proposed exploratory drilling site in Immokalee that the DEP rejected in 2021. She added that the historical failure rate of wells drilled in Calhoun, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf and Liberty counties are at 100% – with 70 dry holes out of 70 wells drilled.
“Most of the floodplain is connected … and if there were any kind of event that involved toxic brines and sludge entering the floodplain, it would be catastrophic for the habitat,” Baxley said. “We’re really trying to restore the bay, so it would be a high price to pay.”
The agency is expected to issue a notice of intent as early as Monday indicating whether it intends to approve or deny the permit, Baxley said. If Clearwater succeeds, it will have to go through a new round of approvals to begin commercial production.
Contact Jeff Burlew at [email protected] or 850-599-2180.
