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Assumption Police Jury OKs drilling on relief well


NAPOLEONVILLE Assumption Parish Police Jury members voted 8-0 Wednesday to approve a letter of no objection allowing drilling that has already begun on a relief well to aid in rectifying a blown-out oil well northwest of Paincourtville.

However, the jury also voted to postpone acting on a similar request for the blown-out well itself and a request to begin drilling on an unrelated well, opting to seek legal opinions on both matters.

Aaron Landry, of John Chance Land Surveyors Inc., of Lafayette, said that while his firm applied for and received a state permit on behalf of Texas-based Mantle Oil and Gas L.L.C., which owns the blown-out well, the firm did not realize drilling needed to also be permitted by parish government.

The wild well, located off La. 70 near Paincourtville, stopped gushing early Tuesday morning after spraying oil, gas, sand other matter high into the sky for almost two weeks. The blowout caused evacuations of six nearby residences and temporary closures of roads and two nearby businesses, including No Problem Raceway.

The approved relief well, being drilled by Dugas & LeBlanc Co. Ltd., is located a half-mile from the blowout site, Landry said.

Police Jury President Martin Triche, a lawyer whose office is handling claims made by residents against the wells owner, recused himself from the discussion and abstained from voting on the well-related issues.

In voting to put off acting on proposed approval of the unrelated well, jurors asked that representatives from Kindee Oil and Gas Louisiana attend the next jury meeting to detail the companys plan for the well.

The jury also voted to table discussion on possibly amending its ordinance regarding buffering zones between trailer parks and neighboring residential areas.

After a public hearing on the matter, jurors debated whether to require owners of trailer parks to erect fencing at least 6 feet high around their property.

The parishs existing ordinance allows for the option of a buffer of shrubbery or solid fencing of wood or vinyl material anywhere between 6 and 14 feet high.

Juror Irvin Comeaux also requested that the framework of the fence face the inside of the park, something he said neighboring parishes require.

After a lengthy discussion on the matter, the jury chose to review the ordinances of neighboring parishes before making a decision.