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It’s a development that was unexpected even to the oft-surprising Elon Musk. As reported by Bloomberg, the Tesla Motors (NASDAQ: TSLA) SpaceX, CEO, revealed in a regulatory hearing that it plans to drill for natural gas near its Boca Chica spacecraft development facility in the southeastern corner of Texas near Brownsville.
At the hearing, conducted by the Texas Railways Commission and aimed at helping resolve a dispute, attorney Tim George said SpaceX will use the methane extracted from its efforts “in connection with the operation of their rocket installations “. No further details were immediately available. George represents Lone Star Mineral Development, the SpaceX subsidiary created last June which will be responsible for the drilling.
Image source: Getty Images.
Such activity has yet to begin because Lone Star Mineral Development is locked in a fight with rival energy company Dallas Petroleum Group. Lone Star bought its 806-acre site from privately-held Houston Mesquite Energy; Dallas Petroleum claims to have many inactive wells on the property.
Another SpaceX affiliate, land acquisition firm Dogleg Park, says Dallas Petroleum blocked SpaceX’s access to the site in an attempt to effectively extort money from Musk’s company.
Boca Chica is the site where SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy rocket are currently being developed and tested. Last month, a prototype unmanned spacecraft was launched from Boca Chica. The flight saw Starship reach a new height record (around 40,000 feet) and achieve some goals, although it exploded on impact upon landing.
Texas is sort of a new base for Musk and his companies, including the famous Tesla – at the moment Tesla is building one of its gigafactories near the capital, Austin.
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