Daily Skiff

An alternative drilling site is being evaluated for an on-campus natural gas well, a university administrator said.

The university signed a lease in August that proposed a drilling site in the remote parking lot north of Amon Carter Stadium, but an official location for the site of the Chesapeake Energy natural gas well has yet to be determined, said Brian Gutierrez, the vice chancellor for finance and administration.

Watch video from the gas well tour

"We would hope to come forth with a recommendation [for a site] by the end of May," he said.

Gutierrez said there will only be one well built on campus.

He said some of the considerations for the alternative site include its location, site preparation and traffic patterns in the area.

According to Chesapeake public relations manager Jerri Robbins, there are several factors at play in the search for an alternative site.

She wrote in an e-mail Thursday that "TCU and Chesapeake are jointly exploring options that will produce the most minerals for both the university and surrounding neighborhoods, in a manner that is sensitive to the needs both of students and residents."

The drilling lease is in the university's name, but it is being operated by Chesapeake Energy, according to a permit filed with the Railroad Commission of Texas.

TCU's on-campus lease is filed with Chesapeake, but there are various other mineral holdings around Texas that are in the university's name, according to Railroad Commission records.

The original drilling schedule was set to run from January to July in 2008, 2009 and 2010 according to a university statement issued in August.

The originally-proposed drilling site near Amon Carter

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