Chesapeake Energy withdraws TCU permit request

by Steve Smith of West and Clear

Chesapeake Energy withdrew its request yesterday for a high-impact drilling permit at the proposed TCU drilling site north of Amon Carter Stadium, according to an email from District 9 City Council representative Joel Burns.

Although many assumed that this site would be the next flashpoint as gas drilling operations move into the more densely populated areas of Fort Worth, that will not be the case, at least for now. There was no indication whether TCU would seek another site on its campus. There was also no word whether or not the proposed Alton Road pipeline would be postponed or canceled. During Tuesday’s pre-council hearings, District 3 representative Chuck Silcox had the pipelines permit hearing postponed until December 2 and indicated he would not be inclined to allow the City to issue a pipeline permit until the TCU well was permitted.

An energy industry source indicated that the combination of Tuesday’s rejection of the Eighth Avenue permit, combined with deteriorating relations between Chesapeake, the University and the neighborhoods around TCU led to the decision. Evidently, the University feels that Chesapeake threw them under the bus with the neighborhoods.