Not every oilman is gaining from the U.S. shale boom. Just ask Joe Warren. Warren, a partner at Brown & Borelli Inc., is caught in a historical hiccup, of sorts. More than a third of the 65 to 70 old-line vertical wells his company operates in Oklahoma are negatively affected by horizontal drilling, he says. The new-style wells can run sideways for miles in a shale play, carrying sand, water and chemicals that can leak into older wells, gumming up the works. The cost: For Warren’s company, it’s about $250,000 a year in lost production and $150,000 in added operating expenses, he said. It’s an issue spurring rising anxiety among small drillers. Already, several lawsuits have been filed while a group representing old-guard drillers is gathering data, aiming to force legislation guaranteeing compensation when damages occur. “We […]