The impact of access roads and drilling pads has been identified by the Environmentally Friendly Drilling Program (EFD) as one of the major problems to be managed when conducting oil and gas operations in environmentally sensitive areas. Since 2005 the EFD program has been identifying technology and sponsoring research in reducing surface impact.  Three major projects are underway specifically addressing such technology. 

 

    1.    The "Disappearing Road Competition" is a yearly nation-wide scholastic competition sponsored by Halliburton to create a new concept of moving men and materials to and from well sites. A brief description of this year's awards is attached. From this program will come new ways to move across the landscape in a minimal way. http://sites.google.com/a/pe.tamu.edu/disappearing-roads-competition/

    2.   The Research Partnership to Secure Energy of America (RPSEA) http://www.rpsea.org Unconventional Oil & Gas Development (Environmental Issues) is funding a new project by Texas A&M University to construct and then perform demonstrations of low impact O&G lease roads designed to reduce the environmental impact of field development in sensitive new desert ecosystems. A summary of the winning projects is attached here while more information on the site is at:

Low Impact Access Roads Demonstration (Pecos Research Test Center)

    3.   The EFD program and DOE are sponsoring a study on the feasibility of using agri-business hydrology GIS models and databases to optimize siting of O&G operations on sensitive landforms. The concept is to modifiy biophysical hydrologic models developed in agriculture to determine the impacts of land management on water quality and the landscape. These models could serve terrestrial exploration and development in the oil and gas industry by providing a tool to evaluate environmental impact from drilling and recovery prior to operations. Minimizing Surface Impacts by Optimization of O&G Facilities.http://sites.google.com/a/pe.tamu.edu/optimization-models-for-surface-placement-of-o-g-drill-sites/Home?previewAsViewer=1

 

See attachments.