original owners in 1934. This was also the year the first well was drilled on 

 the land now making up the refuge. Since 1934, approximately 30 wells have 

 been drilled in various parts of the refuge. Refuge records showed that only 

 four wells were producing at the time of this study, though in 1972 there were 

 two oil and six gas wells in production. 



Texaco owns a large portion of the minerals outright. However, other 

 mineral owners have leased mineral rights to various exploration companies, so 

 there has been a variety of development. Considerable litigation has taken 

 place to determine rightful ownership of minerals on several tracts, and in 

 some instances the issue has not yet been resolved. 



Preexpl oration. The area has been extensively surveyed by explosive 

 seismic methods. SITrveys have been done for Pan American Oil, Atlantic Rich- 

 field, and Texaco. Since Texaco is a mineral owner (not lessee), it has had 

 the right to survey refuge land any time, though the company has generally 

 conducted major activities only when migratory waterfowl are not present. 

 Atlantic Richfield surveyed an area in East Cove in 1968. Two shot lines at 

 right angles were followed. Survey lines were 5.5 km (3.4 mi) and 6.1 km 

 (3.8 mi) long, respectively. Methods for transport included boat, buggy, and 

 helicopter, since access to some areas was restricted by permit. 



In 1974 a very extensive seismic survey was taken for Texaco. Four 

 survey lines ran the width of the refuge (38 km, or 22 mi) while 6 lines ran 

 the breadth (19.3 km, or 11.5 mi). The total survey encompassed a length of 

 250 km (170 mi). This was a part of Texaco's plan to have approximate three- 

 mi grid coverage of the entire refuge. The company anticipated having even 

 more intensive coverage in areas of potential prospects, though refuge records 

 do not show that it followed through with this plan. The refuge promulgated 

 regulations concerning seismic activities that restricted marsh buggy movement, 

 required consolidation of trips, and protected levees during the survey. 



Gravity surveys have also been conducted on the refuge, though all surveys 

 were done in the 1950's. 



Access to site. Eight wellsites have been approached by road. These 

 include all the wells between Mud Lake and Calcasieu Lake. Raised roadways 

 were built to reach these wells, and later a compressor station was built in 

 the same area. One well near Stark's Canal was reached by building a levee 

 with several low bridges approximately 2.3 km (1.5 mi) into the prairie marsh. 

 Staggered borrow pits provided the fill for the levees. Later, however, 

 cattle and wildlife movement over the solid fill between borrow pits caused a 

 continuous channel to form into the interior. Now brackish water from the 

 highway canal occasionally intrudes into the interior of the refuge marsh 

 area. Two other wells were accessed by building sturdy bridges over the 

 canals that run through the refuge. Equipment was moved to the wellsite by 

 roads built on top of levees that impound some of the marsh. The levees had 



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