Corporate Colonialism on Rayzor Ranch

This is the third blog in my series about mineral wealth in Denton, drawing from 2013 data off the DCAD site.

Remember the three wells that Range Resources drilled in 2010 on Bonnie Brae St. right across the street from McKenna Park, homes, and the hospital? Those are the wells that kicked off our ordinance revision.

I’ve pulled the stats on the appraised mineral property values for each well. Guess what - Denton residents are not profiting. In fact, nobody within 3.5 miles is making a dime.

It reminds me of what Texas State Representative Lon Burnam said in Gasland II: the American story of exploiting resources at the expense of indigenous populations is nothing new...the twist here is that it is "upper-middle class suburbanites" who are “being treated the way that third world people have always been treated by corporate America.”

Rayzor Unit 1H

Total mineral wealth = $997,940

Total held by Denton Residents = $2,730

Percentage of Wealth Held by Denton Residents = 0.27%

Total held by Denton residents within 3 miles = $0

Rayzor Unit 2H

Total Mineral Wealth= $1,711,930

Total Held by Denton residents = $4,490

Percentage of Wealth Held by Denton Residents = 0.26%

Total held by Denton residents within 3 miles = $0

Rayzor Unit 3H

Total Mineral Wealth = $318,460

Total Held by Denton Residents = $930

Percentage of Wealth Held by Denton Residents = 0.29%

Total held by Denton residents within 3 miles = $0

In case you want to see the data, here is a sample – this is pulled from the Rayzor 2H well. These are the entities with mineral interests in this well. The figures on the right are dollars.

Hay Stephen J Jr Family Trust = Dallas		1060
Hay Stephen J Jr Marital Trust = Dallas		1060
Hay William Winn = Estes Park, CO		2130
Andrus Vaughn A = Sanger		2240
Andrus Brent W = Park City, UT		2240
Thomas John C = San Antonio		2900
Porter John R = Denton (1111 Emerson Ln., 3.5 miles from the gas well)		4490
Wright Claire F = Austin		5800
Fatheree Hunter S = Southlake		5800
State Of Texas = Austin		9170
White Michael Blayne = Southlake		14490
Allegiance Hillview Lp = Irving		20210
Bachtel Leslie Spcl Needs Trust = Austin		28970
Selby Robert R = Paradise Valley, AZ		28970
Ril Mineral Holdings Lp = This is the Rayzor family, now in Dallas and elsewhere widely scattered		379620
Legend Natural Gas Iv Lp = Rowlett		1202780