Gilbert Armenta's Story of Oil and Gas in San Juan County, NM--Part IV

PART IV

And then it goes on to say, "Give us this day our daily bread." It is not saying "Give us 10,000 oil and gas wells." Or what is it saying? I get it. We are asking to be fed what we need every day what we need until the day we die.

I was born in 1946.  When I was three months old my mom and dad did a new oil and gas lease for 5 more years. Well, what do you know? They drilled a gas well. Now this oil and gas lease lives on forever. When they drilled the first well, it caught on fire and they had a mess all over the farm trying to put it out. You might ask, "Did they pay for the damage they did?"  You bet they did. A total of $200 'take it or leave it.'

When mom and dad agreed to the lease they were told that all the gas would be gone in 10 years. Well, many 10 years have past and now we have over 12 wells and counting--on just 160 acres. Each well takes over five acres to drill. So, as you see, the oil and gas companies have taken all, most all, of my farm.

Now, to drill a gas or oil well will do them no good. They need to sell their product. That means pipe lines--miles and miles of them.

Yes, on the farm you cannot build or work the land without asking the oil and gas company, first. This is by law, and yes, the gas companies went to the goverment and passed this laws for them.

Next: What happend after the first gas well was drilled in 1950?

 Gilbert