# Energy development



## #1DEER 1-I (Sep 10, 2007)

Just a few questions on energy development. Since it affects our wildlife a lot, I was just wondering in areas around Vernal once a company is done drilling do they have to reclaim the drill pad and road leading to it and replant the area? Also is there limits on how many pads can be operating within a certain distances of each other?


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## 30-06-hunter (Sep 22, 2013)

#1DEER 1-I said:


> Just a few questions on energy development. Since it affects our wildlife a lot, I was just wondering in areas around Vernal once a company is done drilling do they have to reclaim the drill pad and road leading to it and replant the area? Also is there limits on how many pads can be operating within a certain distances of each other?


Yes, you can look it up via Google for the specifics.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Take a look via Google earth, not exactly alot of "reclaimation" going on from the images. In fact its quite startling how many developed sites exist out there. Also, density using the map's ruler seems around 600ft between sites.

40° 2'23.56"N 110° 2'31.33"W or 39°59'20.63"N 109°26'32.79"W

-DallanC


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

You have to figure that out in the basin that once the drilling and pumping is done and everything is reclaimed that they sportsman will only have a few access roads into the area again. The oil and gas exploration and drilling opened up the Book Cliffs to the common person to the point where he could access it. Just how many roads will be closed after they are done is the question. 

It is my understanding that the oil companies don't need to do any reclamation until they have pumped the area dry.


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## #1DEER 1-I (Sep 10, 2007)

DallanC said:


> Take a look via Google earth, not exactly alot of "reclaimation" going on from the images. In fact its quite startling how many developed sites exist out there. Also, density using the map's ruler seems around 600ft between sites.
> 
> 40° 2'23.56"N 110° 2'31.33"W or 39°59'20.63"N 109°26'32.79"W
> 
> -DallanC


Google earth is the exact reason I was asking. I've been trying to keep up on the highway they're trying to cut through the book cliffs and wanted to see what the wells looked like from above and it looks disgusting how many pads exist and don't look at all reclaimed, along with the mazes of roads it's no wonder deer and other wildlife can't cope with it. You would think there would be better less destructive ways to extract areas.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

The paved road is pushed through, unless you are talking about a different one other than the Seep Ridge road. They are still talking about another one from Thompson Springs through Sego Canyon into the road less area but that is all it is is talk right now.

It will be interesting in how the oil company that holds the leases for the oil and gas in the road less handle the situation.


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## Trooper (Oct 18, 2007)

Roads last a long time in this part of the world.


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## #1DEER 1-I (Sep 10, 2007)

Critter said:


> The paved road is pushed through, unless you are talking about a different one other than the Seep Ridge road. They are still talking about another one from Thompson Springs through Sego Canyon into the road less area but that is all it is is talk right now.
> 
> It will be interesting in how the oil company that holds the leases for the oil and gas in the road less handle the situation.


I was talking about the one through Sego canyon. Then got looking at all the wells and was just wondering how long after a sight is done to reclaim sights and get rid of roads.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

The last I knew the greatest density for drilling wells on public ground was one hole every 5 acres. That's what they went to in Bonanza and Bitter Creek (Vernal) and the Anticline, Moxa Arch, Red Desert (Wyoming). The disturbance level on the Anticline Field (Pinedale WY) was limited to 46% on BLM land. Most wells have a pad that covers an acre, then a road, then a pipeline right-of-way, and many a powerline right-of-way. There are tons, and I mean tons, of regulations for in-situ reclamation and reclamation after a well has been shut in and capped off, but Mother Nature is not very co-operative in those high alkaline Utah, Wyoming and Colorado sagebrush desert soils. After a field plays out some of the roads will stay if they support commerce, recreation There are general rules but each BLM field office has it's own way of managing the oilfield (or timber or coal or mining) roads, it's own limitations.

Being self sufficient comes at a price and only 7% of the population holds a hunting license....so wild game will lose.

We've gone over this many times here, especially back when the UWN was a political forum disguised as an outdoor forum.

*GaryFish* is up on the BLM regulations. I hope he chimes in. I've been working oil and gas since 1969 and now spend most of my "hydrocarbon" time doing accident investigations, failure analysis. Doing a fire and explosion at a new plant at the moment. Worked the Vernal Utah Red Wash, Bonanza, and Bitter Creek fields in the late 70s early 80s, and off and on thru the 2000s. Watched the Bonanza Power Plant go up an the antelope herd out there go down.

Drill, baby, drill.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Natural gas wells around the Green River west of the Book Cliffs, 2009:


I don't know what it looks like now and It would probably sadden me to look.

You get what you ask for.


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## #1DEER 1-I (Sep 10, 2007)

While it's true only 7% hold a hunting license , I think the majority of people support protecting our wildlife and wild places from a lot of destruction. Hunters aren't the only people for protection and wise management of these areas.


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## #1DEER 1-I (Sep 10, 2007)

Also with reservation and private land, are reclamation stipulations the same?


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## klbzdad (Apr 3, 2012)

wyogoob,

Here ya go. Doesn't look too bad except the river looks a bit parched.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

#1DEER 1-I said:


> Also with reservation and private land, are reclamation stipulations the same?


Development of natural resources on private land is contractual and then there are rules governed by the Feds for in*ters*tate pipelines and different rules for in*tra*state. We had pipelines on the Ouray Indian Reservation on the other side of the White River but I don't remember the rules on the Reservation being different than the BLM rules.

During the boom of the late-70s early-80s ipipelines under 10" in diameter in the Vernal BLM district were not buried, they were just laid on the ground. The wells were short term; 15 to 20 year expectancy, so the Vernal BLM office minimized disturbance to the delicate desert ecosystem by not digging up and burying those pipelines. At the same time pipeline companies in the Rawlins BLM district, operating the same kind of short term facilities in the same type of enviroment had to bury all of their pipelines. In Evanston (Kemmererrerrerer BLM district) the gas company could pick if they wanted to bury the pipelines. Chevron laid their lines above ground, Questar and Amoco buried their stuff.

My point is the rules for right-of-ways on public, and private, was different from place to place.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

klbzdad said:


> wyogoob,
> 
> Here ya go. Doesn't look too bad except the river looks a bit parched.


Thanks for posting the recent pic. If you compare that pic to my 2009 photo the right-of-ways look better, the vegetation has taken a hold some on the right-of-ways and along the roads.

.


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## klbzdad (Apr 3, 2012)

Yup. If you zoom in it looks much better but I wanted to match your photo. Reclamation does work though. Built a radio station in Moab some years ago and had to run a mile and a half of powerline up the side of the Lasal Mountains and it was visible from town. I helped hand seed that path which really sucked ass!!!! However, you can hardly see a thing up there now. The scar is all but gone.


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## #1DEER 1-I (Sep 10, 2007)

So does private land reseeding mostly depend on what stipulations the landowner puts on things? And one more question wyogoob, or anyone, are there special restrictions during winter months when wildlife are using the ranges?


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

klbzdad said:


> Yup. If you zoom in it looks much better but I wanted to match your photo. Reclamation does work though. Built a radio station in Moab some years ago and had to run a mile and a half of powerline up the side of the Lasal Mountains and it was visible from town. I helped hand seed that path which really sucked ass!!!! However, you can hardly see a thing up there now. The scar is all but gone.


It depends IMO. The stuff we tore up in the early 80s in sagebrush/quakie/serviceberry country looks fine, but after 2 or 3 attempts to reseed stuff out in the desert much of it looks terrible and then there's erosion problems on the hills. I used the help of the County Extension Agent for reclamation/seeding. The BLM has reclamation-smart people on staff also.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

#1DEER 1-I said:


> So does private land reseeding mostly depend on what stipulations the landowner puts on things? And one more question wyogoob, or anyone, are there special restrictions during winter months when wildlife are using the ranges?


The entity that runs through your property will normally use a Land Man, an agent, to deal with "damages" to each private landowner. They (he) will provide the company's reseeding plan as part of the contract with the private landowner. The owner, or his legal representative, can negotiate bigger and better reclamation efforts. If it's a well the owner usually just rolls over so he can get all the royalties he can from the operator. If it's a cross-country pipeline or powerline there's some eminent domain issues and the owner may have to take what's offered to him as far as reclamation/reseeding goes or "reasonable" crop damage payments.

.


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