Exploration of unconventional oil and gas (UOAG) development on farmland: Findings from the Bakken shale of North Dakota

Abstract

Few studies have examined the land use, fragmentation, and conversion impacts from siting unconventional oil and gas wells on farmland. This exploratory GIS study examined these issues in the Bakken shale region in North Dakota. A total of 3,577 well pads containing 6,201 wells located on farmland were digitized and examined in this study. The findings indicate that in addition to land used for agricultural purposes (such as cropland and rangeland), other land types such as native woodlands and wetlands have also been converted to well pads and associated infrastructure.The single-well and multi-well pad footprints in this study were higher than the industrial estimates. The overall average well pad footprint is 6.45 acres while the average single-well pad and multi-well pad footprint is 5.26 acres and 8.60 acres, respectively. Eighty two percent of well pads had 1-2 wells sited on them. The findings show that the well pad footprint differed based on whether the well pad was located in a core or periphery county, on rangeland or cropland, and that single-well well pad footprint increased over time. Several issues that require further research are outlined.