As E&P companies continue to explore shale plays and new drilling opportunities throughout the US, the reality is that each different play and region has its own set of challenges and requirements.

And while E&P firms have moved into more rewarding areas, so has the army of consultants that provide the necessary expertise to achieve success. Since each new well pad’s logistics and details can vary significantly, firms can partner with an experienced consultant to manage the many moving parts of initiating drilling production, keeping projected milestones on schedule, and mitigating issues as they arise. The best consultants will anticipate all potential roadblocks and planning steps so that when drilling operations begin, they can ramp up effectively and continue without delay.

Land development

Three major attributes of a proposed well site must be explored from the very beginning of the development process: road access, water sourcing, and site grading.

Proximity of a proposed well pad site to nearby roads will dictate what costs might be involved in accessing the site and building a dependable transportation network. Building new roads or maintaining and repairing existing ones can cost millions of dollars for a remote location – often much more than the funding to build a drill pad.

Water sourcing is by far the largest and most costly factor in determining the possible success of a potential location. To begin drilling, some wells will need up to 7.5 million gallons of water over the span of their time-lines. Water sources can include public water supplies, local streams and rivers, recycled fluids from previous drilling use, or a combination of these.

Site grading and stability are important first steps after a location is selected, particularly in areas with rolling hills and mountain ranges such as Colorado, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Wyoming. Consultants can perform geotechnical investigations to discover the soil and bedrock components and, in turn, determine if stabilization measures are needed to avoid future soil slides.

Consultants not only evaluate water source options but can recommend the most cost-effective methods to convey the water to a drilling pad via a temporary or permanent pipeline, from a centralized water impoundment, through rate lines, or through trucking efforts. Most of those options necessitate technical investigations, reporting, permitting, and sometimes remediation plans to be in place.

Environment and resources

With any type of land development, state and federal regulatory agencies are involved to protect wildlife and the environment through permitting and reporting.

As E&P companies explore potential drilling sites, pipeline routes, and water impoundment locations for development, proximity to wetlands and streams can become a concern. Consultants can perform investigations to identify project alternatives that avoid or minimize impacts to aquatic resources. When avoidance is not possible, consultants submit permit applications for proposed stream and/or wetland encroachments to state and federal regulatory agencies. Compensatory mitigation is sometimes required by the agencies to offset stream and wetland impacts caused by natural gas development.

The presence of rare, threatened, and endangered species also should be researched before any development begins. State and federal authorizations for proposed natural gas activities will be contingent upon demonstrating that such development will not adversely affect these species or their habitat. Prior to permit authorization, E&P companies must also show that cultural resources will be avoided and adequately protected.

Other activities protecting the environment include baseline water quality sampling in surrounding areas, stream gauging and flow monitoring, and land surveying.

Logistics

Along with these activities, detailed plans take shape concerning the logistics and schedule for a well pad. Pipelines might be routed and truck routes outlined. Impoundment designs and mitigation efforts will be finalized.

If an operator is considering recycling its flowback and production waters, the E&P company should discuss water treatment options with treatment consultants in the early stages of planning. Freshwater quality is not always consistent, and in some states recycled water cannot be transferred between sites without an extensive permitting process. Depending on the shale play and location, operators can consider either recycling straight flowback to blend with freshwater by using a simple filtration process of solids and disinfection or installing a primary treatment solution to treat the fluids further before reuse.

Soil evaluations should be conducted prior to design and construction, particularly for water impoundments. If the soil textures are unsuitable, these will need to be amended to attain the right consistency. Geologists also can provide due diligence investigations for sites that might contain any plugged and abandoned wells or other potential environmental liabilities associated with past land use.

Operators must develop pollution protection plans, often before construction can begin, in case of any accidental spills or leaking of substances on the surface to an outlet such as a creek or wetland. The plan details identify what risks can be anticipated, any chemicals that might be involved, and site layouts and substance storage.

The complexities of designing a well pad site and the ongoing support needed to keep production on schedule translate to the need for experienced consultants. Operators should award projects to consultants that demonstrate strong relationships, proven communication skills, responsiveness to schedules, a reputation for quality, and a passion for project management.

Case study

An oil and gas operator purchased land previously drilled in West Virginia. The engineering consultant first performed due diligence to determine liability and any necessary remediation activities. Following the formal report and clearance to begin the planning phase, geoscientists conducted subsurface and soils investigations, identifying multiple well pads in need of stabilizing measures.

Land development specialists provided cost estimates on building heavy-duty access roads for sites between 1.6 km and 2.4 km (1 mile and 1.5 miles) from the main road as well as road maintenance and repair costs. As a result of the report, certain well sites were targeted for further development and production.

The client decided to lay temporary water lines to pump water from nearby streams into a centralized impoundment. Qualified bat surveyors investigated the area according to the guidelines established by the US Fish and Wildlife Service to determine whether endangered Indiana bats were present; none were. Wetland biologists also investigated the area to delineate any wetlands that might be present. The scientists identified two wetlands along the proposed pipeline route and secured encroachment permits from the US Army Corps of Engineers.

Geoscientists provided soil classification to determine necessary steps for the impoundment installation, and team members formulated erosion and sediment control plans for construction as well as pollution protection.

The client planned to recycle flowback water with a simple filtration system, so the consultant included the equipment, permit for reuse, and timing into the schedule.

Drilling operations ran smoothly on schedule.