2014 could bring a big oil drilling jump to Mississippi and Louisiana. Oil companies are hoping to h

By On Apr 19, 2024

(27 Feb 2014) FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: apus006225
VOICEOVER- SCRIPT:
UNDERNEATH THE SERENE PASTURES OF SOUTHWEST MISSISSIPPI…THE ELEMENTS FOR A POTENTIAL BOOM THAT COULD TRANSFORM THE REGION.
OIL COMPANIES PLAN A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN DRILLING ACTIVITY THIS YEAR…HOPING TO HIT A JACKPOT IN THE TUSCALOOSA MARINE SHALE, A FORMATION AT LEAST 10-THOUSAND FEET UNDERGROUND STRETCHING FROM SOUTHWEST MISSISSIPPI THROUGH CENTRAL LOUISIANA.
IT COULD HOLD 7 BILLION BARRELS OF OIL… WHICH WOULD PROVIDE A HUGE BOOST NOT JUST FOR OIL PRODUCTION, BUT THE REGION’S ECONOMY, AS WELL…
SOUNDBITE: Kelly Guilbert, Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc.:
“It’s fair to say that folks are excited. You know, we’re excited about the possibilities, the community is excited about you know, what this could bring here…”
THOUGH ENCANA IS STILL IN THE EXPLORATION STAGE, IT’S HOPING TO MOVE INTO THE FULL DEVELOPMENT PHASE LATER THIS YEAR.
IN THE MEANTIME, SOME LIBERTY BUSINESSES ARE ALREADY FEELING THE CHANGE…
UPSOUND: Wards Restaurant Cook
“It’s so busy, we can hardly keep up with it… ”
SOUNDBITE: Bernell McGehee, partner, Ward’s of Liberty Restaurant:
“From the people who are servicing the wells to the people actually working on the wells, we get a lot of people to come in and pick up $60 worth of fried chicken or whatever. So it’s been a nice increase.”
NICE ENOUGH THAT MCGEHEE AND HIS PARTNERS JUST EXPANDED THE PROPERTY BEHIND THE RESTAURANT TO ADD MORE PARKING.
SOME LOCAL RESIDENTS ARE BENEFITTING FROM THE EARLY ACTIVITY, TOO…
OIL COMPANIES HAVE ALREADY SPENT THREE HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS TO LEASE LAND OVER THE FORMATION.
THAT INCLUDES ALL 500-PLUS ACRES OF RHETT ANDERSON’S PROPERTY.
SOUNDBITE: Rhett Anderson, Tree farmer with hundreds of acres of land that Encana has leased:
“Now, I don’t think about having to go back to work. This is my work. I maintain the property. I watch after the timber and I feed the deer and the turkeys and that’s what I do for a living now.”
WHILE LOCALS ARE OPTIMISTIC, THEY UNDERSTAND FULL WELL THAT UNTIL IT BECOMES AN ALL-OUT BOOM… THERE’S STILL THE POSSIBILITY OF A BUST.
KELLY DASCHLE, ASSOCIATED PRESS.