A Lot of Gas

"Those numbers are good, very good," says Ron Bliss, a certified petroleum landman in Dallas who had been one of the hundreds of people Dvorin contacted about the deal over the years. "But it could go poof in two days. The pressures sound good, but it doesn't mean it is not limited in size."

The well, dubbed "Callejo #1," has to produce a significant amount of gas over at least a year and a half before Dvorin and his partners can recoup their investment, much less make a profit. But Jason Dvorin says predictions are that the well has a life of about 15 years. "But only the shadow knows for sure," he adds.

The Dvorins are involved in negotiations to sell their gas--which is so pure it doesn't need to be refined--to Lone Star Gas, whose distribution line sits just a few hundred feet from the Coppell well. Within a few weeks, Lone Star Pipeline is set to tap the Dvorins' line and install a meter, so the Coppell well could go into production soon. Sanford is so optimistic about his first well that he's secured permission from the city of Coppell to drill a second well on the Callejo property, about a half-mile away from the first well. He plans to begin drilling in June.

Sanford Dvorin's goal is to become the predominant operator of Barnett shale within the Dallas-Fort Worth area. He thinks the formation can support about 100 wells. To that end, he's been busy leasing new properties in the western part of Dallas County every day.

"No matter what happens in my life and my family's life, nobody can take away the fact that we made Dallas County history," Dvorin says.

After all he's been through, maybe you can forgive the man for gloating. Last week, on a lark, he called back Michael Hart, one of the hundreds of operators he contacted who told him he was nuts.

"Remember me--the guy with the Dallas County gas well project?" Dvorin said. "Well, I'm here to tell you were wrong."

"It's still not worth a flip," Hart said. "I can breathe more gas than can come out of this thing," he added.

"I have two words for you. Happy Birthday," Dvorin said, and hung up.