Accommodation of Saltwater Temporary Pipelines on the Roadside

Abstract

Drilling and completing oil and gas wells, particularly when using horizontal and hydraulic fracturing techniques, requires enormous amounts of water. Generally, it is cheaper for the industry to move fluids by pipeline than by truck, hence the interest in using permanent and/or temporary pipelines to transport water in areas where oil and gas developments take place. This paper describes temporary pipeline installation and operation practices and how they impact roadside maintenance activities as well as offering guidelines on how to install and operate temporary pipelines. A GIS database of temporary pipeline locations was developed from permits issued by the Texas Department of Transportation between July 2011 and August 2016. General trends indicate that temporary pipelines are typically 3, 4, 8, or 10 inches in diameter. Operators tend to favor certain highway segments to install temporary pipelines within the right of way. When multiple temporary pipelines are installed on segments repeatedly, this can affect maintenance operations. Several trends were observed that necessitate the development of guidelines for temporary pipelines. Many temporary pipelines were placed away from the right of way line, which creates conflicts with maintenance operations and results in some temporary pipelines being in the clear zone. Many temporary pipelines are not anchored in place and roll into the bottom of ditches or do not maintain a uniform alignment, which affects roadside maintenance. The percentage reduction in overtopping flow rate due to installing temporary pipelines through culverts is also analyzed.