| Natural gas deposits are often located in areas of | | | | natural reserves motivated legislators to send |
| magnificent beauty because they naturally occur | | | | surveyor J.S. Boyle to the area. The first oil well |
| within or underneath ancient rock formations, on | | | | was not constructed until a decade later, by Sun |
| land or underneath water, where fossilized plant | | | | Oil Company at Yarborough Pass. The permission |
| and animal matter has been compressed and | | | | for this and other wells drilled by Sun was |
| broken down over many millions of years. It then | | | | acquired through legislation proposed by Senator |
| is no coincidence that many of these fertile areas | | | | Yarborough of Texas, and Sun was the only oil |
| are within the boundaries of protected national | | | | company drilling on the National Seashore during |
| park areas in the United States. While debates | | | | the 50s and 60s. These oil wells produced small |
| continue on Capitol Hill over drilling bans or | | | | amounts of show, but very little commercially |
| permissions within these sanctuaries, it could be | | | | viable crude. |
| helpful to look at instances where drilling and | | | | There are currently three natural gas producing |
| extraction of resources has successfully coexisted | | | | wells in operation at Padre Island. These wells are |
| with picturesque beauty and protected status. | | | | under the close watchful eye of the National Park |
| Texas has long been a fertile ground for natural | | | | Service. Rangers help in monitoring to ensure a |
| gas and oil reserves. Its rich, though sometimes | | | | safe environment for the over 800,000 visitors |
| barren landscape possesses thousands of proven | | | | who visit the park each year. The National Park |
| mineral and petroleum deposits that have been | | | | Service describes their role in managing the park's |
| the state's mainstay for economic growth over | | | | resources as a "commitment to previous |
| the past century and a half. One such area that | | | | property owners by ensuring their ability to |
| has recently come under public scrutiny by | | | | recover the oil and gas mineral resources with a |
| environmentalists such as the Sierra Club and | | | | minimum of environmental consequences." Since |
| large oil outfits like British Petroleum is the | | | | the lands which make up the park were |
| protected seashore at Padre Island National Park | | | | previously private, the NPS has committed itself |
| located on the southeast tip of that great state, | | | | to help serve both the public and private sector |
| on the Gulf of Mexico. | | | | with its stewardship of the park. Oil companies |
| Exploration and development of Padre Island's | | | | such as Triple Diamond Energy Corp adhere to |
| cache of natural resources has been underway | | | | strict regulations when drilling and exploring this |
| for many decades. In the late 1930s, Texas' | | | | protected seashore. |
| growing interest in development of its state's | | | | |