The operation of the site during drilling appears to be identical to off- 

 refuge operations. Crew shifts, supplies, and drilling schedules are unchanged. 



Placement and operation of production facilities. The Aransas Refuge has 

 wells yielding gas, oil, and a combination of both. Since the refuge is 

 located on a peninsula separated from the mainland by St. Charles Bay, it is 

 impractical to route all flowlines to an off -refuge production site. In 

 addition, there is significant oil and gas activity nearby in St. Charles Bay, 

 San Antonio Bay, Aransas Bay, and Mesquite Bay. The USFWS decided several 

 years ago that there was an increased threat of accident and spill if produc- 

 tion facilities for these wells were located in the bays. Though they were 

 concerned about the potential danger involving all forms of estuarine life, 

 the emphasis was on the whooping crane. Consequently, they allowed several 

 wells to be tied into new or existing production equipment in upland refuge 

 areas. Control and maintenance was better in these areas, and the production 

 facilities were removed from more sensitive environments. 



At one time, a company other than Continental had considerable production 

 equipment on the refuge, but it has abandoned its operations. Continental has 

 several locations with production facilities, the largest of these at the old 

 Continental headquarters. Equipment at that site includes four storage tanks 

 in a battery; separators; heater-treaters; dehydrators; emulsion treaters; 

 brine-holding facilities; pumps; and natural gas compressors. The site covers 

 about 1 ha (2.5 acres). The equipment was placed in the usual fashion for 

 upland areas. There is a concrete sill surrounding the tank battery and most 

 of the production site to contain minor fluid spills. The site is well cared 

 for and maintained. 



A second production site is located centrally near a series of more 

 recently completed wells. It contains separators, treatment equipment, com- 

 pressors, and distribution lines; it was built in a fashion typical of produc- 

 tion sites on upland areas. Many of the wells on the refuge have flow treat- 

 ment devices located near the wellhead. These devices are used to control 

 formation of hydrates in the lines or to separate petroleum products. 



At one time, produced water was disposed of by pumping it into the adja- 

 cent bays. This operation has ceased, and now several old wells are used for 

 brine disposal. The produced water is polished and pumped from the production 

 site for injection. 



The Aransas Refuge has had a long history of oil and gas activity. Now, 

 however, the majority of operations are associated with producing rather than 

 exploring. A few new wells may be drilled each year, though years may pass 

 without exploration. In 1972, Continental automated most of its activities on 

 the refuge and connected equipment to a central computer and telemetry facility 

 for continuous monitoring of production. This has the advantage that the 

 entire field is monitored e'^ery five minutes and production facility failure 

 can be detected quickly. 



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