Many deposits of natural gas are located below or in ancient rock formations both underneath water and on land.  These areas are usually where fossilized plants and animals have been broken down and compressed for millions of years.  These areas are extremely fertile and are often located in areas that have been officially placed under government protection in the form of national parks within the United States.  Heated debates continue on Capitol Hill as many companies try to lift bans on drilling so that companies like Triple Diamond Energy Corp. can begin researching the best ways to explore and extract this useful natural resource.

Some of the most fertile ground for natural resources in the United States can be found in Texas, the headquarters of Triple Diamond Energy Corp.  The barren landscape of Texas often leads the casual observer to believe that there is absolutely nothing below the surface.  In reality, the land below Texas is extremely rich and contains both oil and natural gas reserves.  One area in Texas that has been found to contain large quantities of valuable natural resources is the protected seashore of Padre Island National Park that is located at the South East tip of Texas, on the Gulf of Mexico. 

Padre Island National Park

The exploration of the resources found on Padre Island has been in the works for decades since the area was initially surveyed in the late 1930s.  When the large supply of natural resources was discovered, the Sun Oil Company at Yarborough Pass obtained permission to begin drilling in the area.  When oil wells were constructed ten years after initially obtaining permission, these wells did not produce as much commercially viable crude as was initially expected. 

Initially Sun Oil Company was the only company drilling Padre Island through the 1950s and the 1960s. But today there are now three wells in operation at Padre Island.  These three wells are currently working on extracting natural gas that can be used to provide those in the United States with a clean source of fuel. 

Oil Companies and Park Rangers Working Together

In order to avoid disrupting the environment of the area anymore than necessary, the National Park Service has had a close hand in the operations.  The National Park Service rangers closely monitor the wells to make sure that the environment remains safe for the hundreds of thousands of visitors that continue to come to the park each year.

The National Park Service takes their role in maintaining and managing the park’s resources very seriously they.  They are determined to ensure that the oil and gas resources available are recovered with as few negative affects to the environment as possible.  The National Park Service and its Rangers have committed themselves to serving the public and private by insisting that oil companies adhere to strict drilling and exploration regulations when extracting natural resources from the protected Padre Island seashore.