Restoration priority for well pads in the Permian Basin of west Texas and southeastern New Mexico, USA

Keywords: Ecosystem restoration; Oil and gas; Well pads; Disturbance
Abstract Type: Paper Abstract

Abstract

The Permian Basin, located in West Texas and southeastern New Mexico, USA, has experienced rapid energy development in the last decade. The construction of hundreds of thousands well pads in this area has produced a broad range of environmental impacts in vegetation, soil, and aquatic environment. Recovery of plugged and abandoned oil or gas pads in the western United States is slow and marked by varying success. To ensure that these disturbances do not result in damaging, irreversible environmental change in the region, a prioritization strategy is needed to maximize the effectiveness of restoration efforts. In this study, we develop a method of assessing the damage-potential of constructed well pads based on a set of locational soil attributes and land cover variables, we then apply this method to a dataset of >10,000 well pads located in the Permian Basin. The results show that the well pads occupying the highest priority groups occur in several discrete geographical areas, as opposed to being spread more evenly throughout the study area. The clustering of well pads with similar respective restoration priority scores is a significant result since it makes the logistical challenge of targeted, prioritized restoration much easier for producers/authorities tasked with maximizing the effectiveness and impact of restoration efforts conducted in the Permian Basin. To expand the scope of this exercise and increase its value, data pertaining to the age of well pads, their proximity to local streams, and their spatial density, should be procured and incorporated into the assessment.