Navigating NIMBY nimbly.

“Just because the economics aren’t favorable doesn’t mean we’re going to stop executing on things like owner outreach... because that’s fundamental to who we are.”

- Becky Escott, Director of Communications for BKV

In 2023, the population in Denton County, Texas officially surpassed one million people, up approximately 100%
since the initial boom of the Barnett Shale in the early 2000s*. Rapid growth has made life—and work—more
complicated in places like Northlake. Especially for oil and gas production, where “Not In My Back Yard” issues are compounded with every new yard and new resident in the region.

To successfully navigate this literal change of landscape, BKV has focused on proactively managing community relations and outreach with an expanding group of stakeholders. “When this area was rural, operations were much easier. No one lived nearby, so when a well was drilled, it was in the middle of a large field and not near a home or business,” said Jackie Montgomery, Land Records Administrator for BKV. “Today, almost everywhere we operate, we’re increasingly falling under municipal oversight and operating in the middle of communities, which can be challenging.”

A recent workover project illustrates the point. As a restimulation well, it involved a lot of activity in a short amount of time— workover rigs, frac crew, equipment mobilization and noise. While Northlake technically regulated the site as an extra-territorial jurisdiction (ETJ) with fewer regulations, BKV ran operations to municipal standards, which are higher.

The BKV team worked closely with community leaders and homeowners to coordinate activities, transportation routes and work schedules. They conducted noise-impact studies, building sound walls higher than required to minimize noise and bright lights. And as with all successful outreach, communication was critical.

“As part of our standard outreach, we provided a comprehensive public website to the city and local HOAs,” said Jackie. “This lets them know in advance exactly what work would be happening and how long they could expect it to last. Even if it’s just for a week, we put up sandwich boards with QR codes around the community, so anyone curious could go straight to the website and find answers.”

Going above and beyond isn’t easy, especially when commodity prices are down, as they were in 2023, but that hasn’t changed the company’s commitment to doing things the right way. “Just because the economics aren’t favorable doesn’t mean we’re going to stop executing on things like owner outreach,” said Becky Escott, Director of Communications for BKV. “Because those things are fundamental to who we are. We’re willing to do whatever’s appropriate to maintain our relationships and bolster our reputation as a good neighbor. And then some.”

Discover more BKV Way stories like this in the 2023 Sustainability Report.