Oil Exploration In Bangkok: 17 Days Of Living Anxiously

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17 days of living anxiously

Pongphon Sarnsamak

The Nation

Thawi Watthana farmers, residents wait to see if oil find is confirmed, worrying about their future and environment

BANGKOK: -- One way or another, the uncertainties of farmers and residents living near an oil exploration site in Bangkok's Thawi Watthana district should be resolved in 17 days, when it becomes clear whether oil has been found.

Most are now living with anxiety about their future and fears of possible environmental problems caused by oil contamination of local soil and water supplies.

"I am worried that the water in the canal that has supplied my 14-rai morning glory farm for 30 years will be contaminated by oil from the exploration site," said 65-year-old Pairath Laoharungpisith, whose farm is located behind the site.

Known as Petroleum Exploration Project Location TW-1X, the site is located on 7 rai on Buddha Mondhol 2 Road in Thawi Watthana district.

British firm Mitra Energy Limited was granted a concession to explore for oil in the area. The company began drilling a hole 16 inches (40 cms) wide and 2.5 kilometres deep on March 9. It was expected to take about 20 days to determine if there's a viable source of oil in the area.

The Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning (ONEP)'s experts have approved the company's environmental impact assessment (EIA) report.

The panel also asked the company to strictly control the environmental impacts on people living around the site, such as air pollution, noise pollution and contamination of the ground and water resources by leaking oil.

Meanwhile, Mineral Fuels Department director-general Songpope Polachan said the company will give the land back to the department and seal the drilling hole with cement if there are no oil resources found. He admitted that there was only a 10-per-cent chance of finding oil.

If the company finds oil, it will have to complete a series of further EIAs before establishing a permanent drilling station, as the area is surrounded by farms and residential communities.

"They [company representatives] did not tell me about the possible environmental impact on my morning glory farm," Pairath said.

He earns about Bt70,000 every 25 days selling morning glory to local markets.

"I am happy that Thailand has its own oil resources, but I will absolutely file a complaint to ask for compensation if there is any environmental impact on my farm," he said.

So far, no noise pollution or environmental contamination has occurred during the oil exploration, he added.

But an 80-year-old retired official, Phonchit Deeyeun, whose house is located 400 metres from the site, said he was not affected very much by the noise pollution caused by the round-the-clock drilling.

He said no representatives from the company had discussed with him the possible impacts on local residents.

"I was surprised to find out that they were exploring near my home. I don't understand why the relevant agencies allowed the company to drill for oil in the middle of the city, where there are many communities," he said.

Phonchit and his family are starting to think about their future if the company does find oil.

"I will move to another place if the company can offer satisfactory compensation," he said.

Lah Champpe, 48, whose noodle restaurant is located opposite the exploration site, said the company invited her to a meeting last month.

A group of the company's experts explained to her about the possible environmental impact of the operation. About 50 people living around the site were invited to join the meeting, she said.

"They showed us a video presentation talking about the possible environmental impact of drilling for oil, such as the spread of dust and noise pollution. But so far, I have not been affected," she said.

Previously, another group of residents of Thawi Watthana district filed a lawsuit with the Administrative Court against the Mineral Fuels Department seeking to stop the oil exploration. They were worried about the environmental impact.

A digital signboard in front of the exploration yesterday showed that the noise level was measured at 68.3 decibels while the safe level was 70 decibels. The amount of fine dust was measured at 0.104 milligrams per cubic metre, while the safe level was 0.330 milligrams per cubic metre. The level of PM10 (fine dust particles measuring 10 micrometers or less) was 0.047 milligrams per cubic metre, while the safe level was 0.120 milligrams per cubic metre.

-- The Nation 2012-03-12

[Ricardo]

Funny how people who ride motorbikes or drive cars or cook-with-gas or burn electricity start to object, when someone drills an exploratory-well nearby, where did they think their fuel came from ?

But the company clearly tried and failed to inform all of the local residents, what they would be doing, and what precautions they would be taking, to try to protect the local environment.

Hiring a few locals temporarily as security-guards or drivers might also have been a good idea.

[Unkomoncents]

I definitely feel for these people. Oil exploration is a dirty, dirty business. It poisons just about everything in the vicinity for kilometers. They seem pretty "mai pen rai" about this but I lived in Ecuador for a year and I can say that oil projects, unless extremely carefully executed, can be disaster for developing countries.

[Soutpeel]

Actually the "safe" noise level per internationally accepted norms is 85dB....not 70dB for a typical 8 hour exposure

60dB levels are the same as normal conversation, and 85dB is what you would expect in from traffic noise in a city center

[2unique]

I'd be more concerned about having the ground mineral rights sold out from under (literally) - the site is just down the road from my house and there are a lot of brand new residential moobaans in this area. Between Sai2 and Sai4 is a protected area with no factories or buildings over 8 stories - it would be interesting if the oil extends under the protected park at Sai4...

[Thai at Heart]

I know the guys drilling this hole very very well. Bet they didn't think they would get this famous....

Funny how the local pak boong farmer is the poster boy, there is a mansion the size of most minor holdiay resorts just across the road.

Edited March 12, 2012 by Thai at Heart

[h90]

I am living there, I have already 2 guys digging in my backyard for oil

[sparebox2]

I definitely feel for these people. Oil exploration is a dirty, dirty business. It poisons just about everything in the vicinity for kilometers. They seem pretty "mai pen rai" about this but I lived in Ecuador for a year and I can say that oil projects, unless extremely carefully executed, can be disaster for developing countries.

I don't think you are a petroleum engineer or geologist.

Some water based mud may be used, but are all accounted for and contained. They are all removed after drilling.

[NanLaew]

I was involved with the seismic survey that preceded this drill program. That survey itself was meticulously planned, rigorously vetted by relevant government agencies prior to being permitted. There was extensive socialization with the vast amount of communities involved before, during and after the professional execution of the project by a very competent, experienced contractor. After a total of about 4 months of active field work, the grand total of damage paid was around 200 baht for a pvc plastic stand pipe that was accidentally cracked by a turning vehicle. The lads breaking the pipe actually popped down the street, bought the hardware needed out of their own pocket and had it repaired to the owners complete satisfaction before the damage paperwork was filed.

The Company did hire locals for site security as well as boat drivers for the work being done along the khlongs. Most every onshore seismic survey in Thailand mandates the use of 'local content'.

About 2 months after the job was completed which includes a 'green team' sweep of all work areas to ensure that all evidence of the survey had been removed and all remedial action addressed, a local mansion-owner did track down local Company representatives to ask when the survey would be passing his door. We surmised that he had just read his backlog of mail and found the formal invitation to one of several community meetings held prior to the start. He did appear slightly aggrieved that the whole thing had happened right under his nose in broad daylight, several weeks earlier.

Admittedly, seismic surveys are low-key and spread out compared to the high-visibility and localised drilling. However, this Company goes above and beyond local and industry requirements to ensure that their exploration programs are conducted safely and in an environmentally conscious manner.

[Soutpeel]

I'd be more concerned about having the ground mineral rights sold out from under (literally) - the site is just down the road from my house and there are a lot of brand new residential moobaans in this area. Between Sai2 and Sai4 is a protected area with no factories or buildings over 8 stories - it would be interesting if the oil extends under the protected park at Sai4...

Think you will find the mineral rights have been sold out from under them a long time ago.....in a lot of countries, below a certain depth in the ground, mineral rights could belong to somebody else anyway, holding a chanote or deed on land doesnt mean any minerals etc belong to that person holding the deed or chanote.

A good example of this is in South Africa around the Johannesburg area, you hold the deed for the property but below a depth of around 50' mineral rights are owned by someone else and this is stated in the deed

[Soutpeel]

Admittedly, seismic surveys are low-key and spread out compared to the high-visibility and localised drilling. However, this Company goes above and beyond local and industry requirements to ensure that their exploration programs are conducted safely and in an environmentally conscious manner.

Mate cant say this on TV...you will be shattering resident TV greenies illusion that exploration companies are satan...especially in Thailand, cos Thai dont know what they are doing and dont care LOL

[NanLaew]

Admittedly, seismic surveys are low-key and spread out compared to the high-visibility and localised drilling. However, this Company goes above and beyond local and industry requirements to ensure that their exploration programs are conducted safely and in an environmentally conscious manner.

Mate cant say this on TV...you will be shattering resident TV greenies illusion that exploration companies are satan...especially in Thailand, cos Thai dont know what they are doing and dont care LOL

Ooo-er... I better <deleted> about the Samui work then, eh?

[ratcatcher]

I was involved with the seismic survey that preceded this drill program. That survey itself was meticulously planned, rigorously vetted by relevant government agencies prior to being permitted. There was extensive socialization with the vast amount of communities involved before, during and after the professional execution of the project by a very competent, experienced contractor. After a total of about 4 months of active field work, the grand total of damage paid was around 200 baht for a pvc plastic stand pipe that was accidentally cracked by a turning vehicle. The lads breaking the pipe actually popped down the street, bought the hardware needed out of their own pocket and had it repaired to the owners complete satisfaction before the damage paperwork was filed.

The Company did hire locals for site security as well as boat drivers for the work being done along the khlongs. Most every onshore seismic survey in Thailand mandates the use of 'local content'.

About 2 months after the job was completed which includes a 'green team' sweep of all work areas to ensure that all evidence of the survey had been removed and all remedial action addressed, a local mansion-owner did track down local Company representatives to ask when the survey would be passing his door. We surmised that he had just read his backlog of mail and found the formal invitation to one of several community meetings held prior to the start. He did appear slightly aggrieved that the whole thing had happened right under his nose in broad daylight, several weeks earlier.

Admittedly, seismic surveys are low-key and spread out compared to the high-visibility and localised drilling. However, this Company goes above and beyond local and industry requirements to ensure that their exploration programs are conducted safely and in an environmentally conscious manner.

Being a British company (B.P.Gulf spill acknowledged) Mitra is unlikely to cause environmental problems merely drilling an exploration hole.

http://mitraenergylimited.com/news/2012/news_press_detail1.html

Residents should be more worried about locally produced pollution from dumping cooking oil down drains and klong pollution from illegal sewage outlets in residential areas along klongs. I doubt most area residents know anything about this test drilling.

[thaihome]

I'd be more concerned about having the ground mineral rights sold out from under (literally) - the site is just down the road from my house and there are a lot of brand new residential moobaans in this area. Between Sai2 and Sai4 is a protected area with no factories or buildings over 8 stories - it would be interesting if the oil extends under the protected park at Sai4...

Think you will find the mineral rights have been sold out from under them a long time ago.....in a lot of countries, below a certain depth in the ground, mineral rights could belong to somebody else anyway, holding a chanote or deed on land doesnt mean any minerals etc belong to that person holding the deed or chanote.

A good example of this is in South Africa around the Johannesburg area, you hold the deed for the property but below a depth of around 50' mineral rights are owned by someone else and this is stated in the deed

I think you will find that in Thailand the mineral rights belong to the government, just like they do in Australia.

TH

[Thai at Heart]

Imagine where the possible "worries" could come from if this was a nuclear powerstation. Do they have enough newsprint to interview every Thai resident and all those in the neighbouring countries.

"A lifetime of living anxiously"........

[Soutpeel]

Admittedly, seismic surveys are low-key and spread out compared to the high-visibility and localised drilling. However, this Company goes above and beyond local and industry requirements to ensure that their exploration programs are conducted safely and in an environmentally conscious manner.

Mate cant say this on TV...you will be shattering resident TV greenies illusion that exploration companies are satan...especially in Thailand, cos Thai dont know what they are doing and dont care LOL

Ooo-er... I better <deleted> about the Samui work then, eh?

"Mums" the word...old chap...I wont say anything if you dont LOL

[2unique]

I'd be more concerned about having the ground mineral rights sold out from under (literally) - the site is just down the road from my house and there are a lot of brand new residential moobaans in this area. Between Sai2 and Sai4 is a protected area with no factories or buildings over 8 stories - it would be interesting if the oil extends under the protected park at Sai4...

Think you will find the mineral rights have been sold out from under them a long time ago.....in a lot of countries, below a certain depth in the ground, mineral rights could belong to somebody else anyway, holding a chanote or deed on land doesnt mean any minerals etc belong to that person holding the deed or chanote.

A good example of this is in South Africa around the Johannesburg area, you hold the deed for the property but below a depth of around 50' mineral rights are owned by someone else and this is stated in the deed

I think you will find that in Thailand the mineral rights belong to the government, just like they do in Australia.

TH

my understanding was the opposite and a fair compensation had to be paid - we have a Rotarian whose (oil)field of expertise is in this area so i'll get his feedback on Friday.

is idle curiousity at present as my house is I'd imagine too far away for it to be a worry however it does sound like the grandparents may be inconvenienced at some point later in life.

[Soutpeel]

I'd be more concerned about having the ground mineral rights sold out from under (literally) - the site is just down the road from my house and there are a lot of brand new residential moobaans in this area. Between Sai2 and Sai4 is a protected area with no factories or buildings over 8 stories - it would be interesting if the oil extends under the protected park at Sai4...

Think you will find the mineral rights have been sold out from under them a long time ago.....in a lot of countries, below a certain depth in the ground, mineral rights could belong to somebody else anyway, holding a chanote or deed on land doesnt mean any minerals etc belong to that person holding the deed or chanote.

A good example of this is in South Africa around the Johannesburg area, you hold the deed for the property but below a depth of around 50' mineral rights are owned by someone else and this is stated in the deed

I think you will find that in Thailand the mineral rights belong to the government, just like they do in Australia.

TH

my understanding was the opposite and a fair compensation had to be paid - we have a Rotarian whose (oil)field of expertise is in this area so i'll get his feedback on Friday.

Fair compensation for the land if they wish to develop the land...ie buy the land, at/slightly above a market rate but not royality rights to future production if any...bottom line, the oil if any may/will not belong to the land owner.

If landowners think they are going to be multi-billionaires over night if significant quantites of oil are discovered, because they own the land...guess again...doesnt quite work that way..

[2unique]

Fair compensation for the land if they wish to develop the land...ie buy the land, at/slightly above a market rate but not royality rights to future production if any...bottom line, the oil if any may/will not belong to the land owner.

If landowners think they are going to be multi-billionaires over night if significant quantites of oil are discovered, because they own the land...guess again...doesnt quite work that way..

that's pretty much what I was guessing at - developer/individual landowner compensation + cost of development if any + off you go and say no more bag of money - however with new technologies won't many just have the oil removed with no recourse or compensation for buying land on top of an oil field because their friendly local government sold an undeveloped plot to slide in at a slant?

[kruangfaifar]

I definitely feel for these people. Oil exploration is a dirty, dirty business. It poisons just about everything in the vicinity for kilometers. They seem pretty "mai pen rai" about this but I lived in Ecuador for a year and I can say that oil projects, unless extremely carefully executed, can be disaster for developing countries.

Oil projects can't be that bad. Didn't the US open the door to exploration in wilderness areas in Alaska not so long ago

Edited March 12, 2012 by kruangfaifar

[Soutpeel]

I definitely feel for these people. Oil exploration is a dirty, dirty business. It poisons just about everything in the vicinity for kilometers. They seem pretty "mai pen rai" about this but I lived in Ecuador for a year and I can say that oil projects, unless extremely carefully executed, can be disaster for developing countries.

Oil projects can't be that bad. Didn't the US open the door to exploration in wilderness areas in Alaska not so long ago

Why not...not much living there anyway....some bears, and a few deer...pretty sure they will move out the way once the noise starts anyway..

[belg]

if they find oil, what stops them from starting to drill themselfes and becomming multi millionaires?

[Soutpeel]

if they find oil, what stops them from starting to drill themselfes and becomming multi millionaires?

Maybe the fact that they dont own in the oil and they couldnt afford the day-rate of a land rig + all the junk you need to get production going,???

Little more involved than drilling a hole in the ground

[tx22cb]

if they find oil, what stops them from starting to drill themselfes and becomming multi millionaires?

Maybe the fact that they dont own in the oil and they couldnt afford the day-rate of a land rig + all the junk you need to get production going,???

Little more involved than drilling a hole in the ground

Oh, so not like the Beverly Hillbillies then? Dang!

[Chris Lawrence]

So what are the geo reports like for this site?

Poor farmer, but if oil, someone should do OK.

[Thai at Heart]

So what are the geo reports like for this site?

Poor farmer, but if oil, someone should do OK.

Not sure about the geo-reports, but it is surrounded by some seriously massive houses.

[rotary]

I'd be more concerned about having the ground mineral rights sold out from under (literally) - the site is just down the road from my house and there are a lot of brand new residential moobaans in this area. Between Sai2 and Sai4 is a protected area with no factories or buildings over 8 stories - it would be interesting if the oil extends under the protected park at Sai4...

Mineral rights do not belong to the land owner in Thailand. The mineral rights belong to the government.

[NanLaew]

So what are the geo reports like for this site?

Poor farmer, but if oil, someone should do OK.

Not sure about the geo-reports, but it is surrounded by some seriously massive houses.

Too true! I always wondered where all those fabulous hi-so mansions they show in Thai soaps were located. Now I know!

[richard_smith237]

The reason this has become an issue; the media circus is too lazy to travel out of Bangkok, with a lack of genuine issue it appears to be fear mongering and making up some rather daft stories.

Western companies such as this have to do it cleaner, better and more fairly than any local companies who operate in Thailand. We can be sure that the Environmental Impact Assesment and ongoing Environmental monitoring is more stringent than anywhere else in Thailand and likely to surpass that of operations in many Western Countries where the exploratoin is more understood by locals.

[NanLaew]

^ Pretty much true. Plus there's years of a clean oil drilling history onshore Thailand to be considered. It just happens to be mostly in Isaan and Central areas so doesn't even come up on the average Bangkok punters radar. But, this oilwell is smack in the middle of Bangkok's hi-so NIMBY-land so expect a lot of wailing gnashing of teeth by the ignorant great washed.