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Researchers

Background:

During the second half of the 1990's Coal Bed Methane (CBM) production increased dramatically nationwide to represent a significant new source of income and natural gas for many independent and established producers. Matching these soaring production rates during this period were the advancements in Geographical Information Systems (GIS) technologies generating terra-bytes of new data for the oil & gas industry. Coupled to these accelerating initiatives are many environmental concerns relating to production wastes and water table depletion. It is these concerns that have prompted this project for the development of Best Management Practices (BMP) utilizing GIS technologies for efficient environmental protection during CBM production.

Perhaps the greatest gain from this project is not the specific knowledge that will be obtained per site, but the broader applicability of the concepts that can be applied throughout the CBM regulatory agencies and private industries. That is to say that the concept of using GIS data to develop environmental safe practices thus streamlining regulatory activities has a far and wide reaching applicability. This will also be the first known attempt to provide the general public access to a key portion of the environmental review process, allowing producers to have prior knowledge of specific site conditions, providing tremendous long-term savings to the industry.

Click to download the Public Abstract (pdf format)

Objectives:
The following are the stated objectives for development of the Montana WebMapper.

  1. Utilize GIS technologies to analyze environmental concerns and production practices in the Montana portion of the Powder River Basin. This portion of the research will focus on defining zonal regions based upon the spatial relationships of the CBM practices and existing and future environmental concerns.
  2. Extend GIS tool's capability to be used in the MBOGC permitting process. This tool will allow for the modeling of effects of proposed wells and will allow MBOGC to make more effective, timely decisions that may also alleviate many legal, moral, and ethical issues faced by the Board on a day-to-day basis. This tool will also be accessible to the general public from the Internet, so that producers and other interested parties can have full knowledge of the possible environmental conditions and ramifications of a particular site, allowing tremendous possible savings throughout the production phase. The framework for this tool is believed to be generic enough to make its use a viable option in other regions.
  3. Develop public outreach materials to educate industry, regulators, and private citizens in utilizing GIS technologies to improve environmental reviews and enhance decision making. Hardcopy and electronic information will allow oil and gas companies to plan efficient management and mitigation of CBM activities. The same materials will allow state regulators to evaluate and oversee access to public lands for new production projects.
      

Disclaimer

Restriction of Liability: Neither ALL Consulting, the Montana Board of Oil & Gas Conservation, or the State of Montana, nor any of their employees make any warranty, expressed or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of any information or data provided in this project. The data included in this project could include technical inaccuracies or typographical errors. ALL Consulting, the Montana Board of Oil & Gas Conservation, or any another associated affiliate may update, modify, or revise the data in this project at any time, without notice. Please note that decisions should not be made solely on the use of this data; field confirmation is highly recommended.