Although it’s not possible to completely restore a site to its initial conditions, the goal of surface reclamation is often to get as close to this ideal as possible. Depending on where the well pad is located, the restoration plan, and applicable laws, reclamation may take many forms.
At a minimum, the well pad is typically leveled to contour naturally with the surrounding land surface. Remaining fluid storage pits are drained and filled in. Steep slopes are best avoided during these processes, since they are more prone to erosion.
Once the topography is returned to its natural state, revegetation can get under way. There is a wide range in the quality and extent of site revegetation, but as a bare minimum an indigenous cover plant should be planted in non-arid climates to prevent erosion by running water. Arid plants will take much longer to grow and thus can significantly add to the site reclamation timeline.
Before/After Surface Reclamation
Sometimes landowners may request that certain features such as access roads and drainage ditches be retained during the restoration process. Unless retaining these features violates local regulations, oil companies are typically glad to save money by avoiding unwanted restoration activities.
Hopefully, thirty years in the future, it will be difficult to tell that all of the operations described in this course ever occurred at all.
Citations
Images courtesy West Virginia Surface Owners’ Rights Organization
Images: “Morning in the Field” by Jeja via iStock; “Reclamation Before & After” by West Virginia Surface Owners’ Rights Organization