Update On Our Drilling Operations in Rural 
St. Tammany Parish 


On June 29th , after a long and thorough public and regulatory review process, the Helis Lacombe Bayou well began its operational phase deep in the woods off state Highway 1088. Helis owners and employees wish to thank the many business and community leaders and residents who have supported this project from its inception in the face of often very aggressive and acrimonious discourse.

Despite the differences of opinion that may exist regarding this project and the need for America's own energy independence, our commitment to safe, clean and quiet operations remains the same, and we expect to be held to the high operational, safety and environmental standards Helis sets for itself everywhere we operate.

We are also grateful for the more than 10,800 people who have shown support for this project by "Liking" our  Facebook page , which we will continue to keep active throughout this initial phase of our exploratory drilling. Our website will continually be updated as well (www.helisenergyproject.com).

As we have informed regulators, parish leaders, the community and media, we anticipate this initial phase to last until late July or early August, at which time we will rig down, remove all equipment from the site, secure the well and access to the site, while we further analyze our data and possibly plan for pursuing an additional permit from the Corps of Engineers.

For clarity's sake, remember that this phase is exploratory only, drilling more than 9,000 feet below the aquifer to approximately 13,000 feet.  There will be no production and no hydraulic fracturing in this phase. In that respect, our well is no different than the more than 50 oil and gas wells that have already been drilled in the parish, along with approximately 40 others in Lake Pontchartrain just off the parish's shoreline dating back to the 1930's!



Coordination with Parish First Responders

Recognizing community concerns regarding the potential safety of this project (despite its location more than 1.2 miles from Lakeshore High School and nearly 2.5 miles from the nearest neighborhood), Helis undertook the extraordinary steps of conducting a two-phase educational and readiness training program for parish First Responders, culminating in a site tour for over 30 officers and employees of the Sheriff's Department, state police, parish fire department, Haz-Mat teams, EMS and others, as well as a crisis readiness exercise designed to simulate an incident on site, and test the various parties' ability to coordinate and respond as safely and efficiently as the public would demand.

We are especially grateful for the engagement of these response organizations, and applaud them for the detailed questions they asked, and for their commitment to protecting the public's interest in the unlikely event of an incident at the site.



Looking ahead, we will continue to keep you informed of our project and our progress, and invite you to visit our website and Facebook page often for more timely updates.

About Helis Oil & Gas
Proud to call Louisiana home for over 80 years

Helis Oil & Gas is a privately owned oil and gas exploration and production company that has owned and operated wells throughout the nation, including properties in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana and North Dakota.  The company has had extensive operations on private, federal and state lands, as well as in federal offshore waters and inland state waters in Louisiana.  Helis Oil & Gas has drilled in sensitive environments, such as wildlife preserves, always with the highest regard for its surroundings.  Helis Oil & Gas regards itself as a respectful guest in the communities in which it works and has historically been committed to contributing to these communities through philanthropic and civic endeavors.  

 

Learn more about the St. Tammany Energy Project at http://www.helisenergyproject.com/.