Natural Gas Production on Padre Island

Natural Gas Development

• Began in early 1950s but tapered off mid-1990s
• The BNP natural gas operation is the first time Padre Island has been drilled since 1995
• Only two natural gas drilling operations took place in the 1990s in 1994 and 1995. Both wells came up dry
• There have been a total of 70 oil and gas permits issued in the history of Padre Island
• Currently, Padre Island has 6 oil and gas pipelines that link together 60 gas wells
• The permits for the BNP project were granted by the Department of Interior in June 2002

How much Natural Gas is there?

• Total amount of untouched natural gas estimated to be beneath Padre Island National Seashore: 80 billion cubic feet
• Total amount in BNP’s planned drilling area: 70 billion cubic feet
• Sierra Club has estimated this to be worth only a one-day supply for natural gas consumption in the US!

And what is it worth?

• Total revenue from BNP operations could reach estimated $3.4 billion; the Texas Permanent School Fund is likely to receive approx. $107 million or 20-25% of the revenue (this is being used to buy in the local community)
• Sierra Club is asking Bush for a federal buy-out of the lease (this would stop the drilling but also contribute money to the Texas Permanent School Fund