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Prepare for a huge economic explosion
Gerald Black, News Editor - Wednesday, July 28, 2010

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‘Eagle Ford’ will soon become an everyday word in your vocabulary. It isn’t a bird and it isn’t a car or truck.

It is a geological layer of shale below about 11 (plus or minus) counties – including Atascosa and McMullen counties. The layer where the activity is taking place is also called a “play.” The Eagle Ford Play is already having a growing influence on the business and population of the area. It is soon expected to be a boon to the economy and growth in the region not seen locally for decades.

The latest in technology has allowed the oil and gas industries to now harvest the fuel which was once almost impossible.

The Eagle Ford Shale is going to be more prolific than the Barnett Shale Play that had been very productive in the Dallas - Ft. Worth area.

Precinct 4 Commissioner Weldon Cude said, “The Eagle Ford Shale Play is about 7,000 feet on the shallow end and about 14,000 feet at the deep end.” In private life Commissioner Cude is in the water well drilling business.

“We’re going to see lots of jobs,” Cude continued. “We’re going to see lots of money being spent. We’re going to see an increase in the tax base. We’re going to see a lot of wealth coming to the county. We’re going to have an explosion in home sales and rental properties.”

Clifton Shearrer at Brohill Realty said Monday, the realty company has more than 55 units they lease and rent. “As of yesterday,” he said, “we had no units available. We’re also finding a need of service properties – which is 3 to 5 acres of land with a light industrial building. This type of property will bring good lease money,” Shearrer continued.

He said, “People are looking for property for royalties and tax investments. There will be investment in used homes.” Shearrer said there are already people looking to start in these investments. The housing market is no longer just for new homes.

He did say new construction homes are now moving again “and if it continues, we will see an increase in the pricing of homes. There will be an increase of track homes instead of just custom-built homes.” Shearrer is also looking for an increase in retail services.

Cude said we will see an increase in employment, better jobs and better paying jobs than the area has seen over the years.

In McMullen County, the drilling of wells is about one year ahead of Atascosa County. “That’s true,” Cude said, “however, Pleasanton is the largest incorporated city in the ‘play.’ We have IH-37, U.S. 281, Texas Hwy. 16 running north and south, a railroad spur, and an airport. You’re going to see jets out here at the airport very regularly. You’ll see a lot of large twin-engine airplanes. There will be a lot of new commercial buildings being built. We will see a lot of new infrastructure being added. We’re going to see this county do very well.” This will be during the next two to three years, Cude estimates.

This source will not be like the Austin Chalk Play, Cude said. In the Austin Chalk, wells were drilled, pumped dry and then capped. There was no long term source there. There is now the technology to make this shale play work for a long time.

This will not just benefit the county, according to Cude. He believes all of the cities in the county will reap huge benefits as well.
What about growth

Cude estimated the county’s growth could be increased by 25-50 percent within the next three to five years. “That’s my estimation, and I believe it,” Cude said smiling.

“Pleasanton is prime for doing so well, because of the Interstate, the other major highways and the railroad.”

“The people will go to where the good pay is,” Cude noted. He believes our local people need to realize they must charge a little more and be ready to pay the higher wages to keep the good employees. The increase in cost for items Cude said will include the cost of drilling a well — and the cost of a hamburger.

Farmers and ranchers who are leasing their property for oil and gas wells are already paying off their loans.