Drilling For Oil In Hill Country
The Texas Hill Country hasn’t traditionally been a hotbed for oil and gas drilling. With energy prices at record levels, that’s changing.
They call it black gold. Some think there might be some hidden in the hills of Lampasas and Coryell counties. The work is already underway to launch this new industry in a place were normally agriculture is king.
The crews work long and hard, but the payoff just might be worth it.
“Oil and gas are at all time high prices, it’s a great time to explore our natural resources,” Jeff Evans with Scully Energy Corporation said.
Scully Energy is one of two oil companies drilling in the Lampasas County area.
In the last six months, Scully has drilled six wells seeking oil or natural gas on at least 5,000 acres.
“Just with the personnel alone, we use a lot of fuel, a lot of food. We have to sleep somewhere at night. We’re helping the economy in many ways and of course, the tax base will increase,” Evans said.
The companies continue to race to lease more land. Meanwhile, property owners make room for tanks and pumps hoping for a sweet deal on Texas Tea.
“It’s still hard to make a living on this livestock. This is an alternative. This is a way of making some money off your land and being able to keep it,” Lampasas County property owner F.A. Taylor said.
Not everyone completely welcomes this budding industry. Some developers think the land would be best used for subdivisions and housing. But whether they like it or not, this industry is sinking roots in the Hill Country.
