ExxonMobil relinquishes property in Diamond D Ranch area

Jefferson County — KFDM/Fox 4 News has learned ExxonMobil is ending a lease agreement for property in the Diamond D Ranch area off Highway 90 in west Jefferson County.

The company sent letters this week to members of the Diamond D Ranch Homeowners Association advising them of the decision.

Many in that community expressed concerns the land could possibly be linked to the company's carbon capture project, in which it plans to inject CO2 into the ground and store it.

Spokesman Brandon Maxwell with ExxonMobil told KFDM/Fox 4 the property isn't linked to the carbon capture project and emphasizes it's still moving ahead at other locations in the area.

"The Diamond D Ranch property is not part of the project," Maxwell told us. "ExxonMobil routinely evaluates its stakeholdings. The decision was made to release that acreage. Don't read anything else into it other than that. The project continues in other areas and is unaffected."

ExxonMobil hosted meetings in Jefferson County last year, allowing citizens to ask questions and raise concerns about the project.

A number of people worried about safety, the impact on the environment and on property values. The company says the project is safe.