Hunter Creek: The Successful Drilling of an Exploratory Well in an Environmentally Sensitive Area

Robin M. Smith

Chevron and the National Forest Service successfully utilized a multi-disciplinary team approach to design and implement innovative environmental solutions to drill an 8000 foot exploratory well in the Bridger-Teton National Forest, less than 20 miles from Grand Teton National Park.

Acquiring permission from the National Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management and ultimately the public to drill the Hunter Creek well involved substantial teamwork in identifying many potential, environmental pitfalls and offering creative, workable and cost-effective mitigation measures including conducting environmental and safety training, designing an environmentally friendly, "zero-discharge" drilling location, utilizing a helicopter and limiting vehicle use of the existing road, designing a waste minimization plan, an erosion control and reclamation plan, initiating a water quality monitoring program to establish baseline data and to ensure protection of surface and ground water, identifying threatened and endangered and "special status" species possibly affected by proj ct activities, and ensuring compliance with all mitigation measures and Federal and State regulations.

The Hunter Creek project successfully demonstrates that oil and gas exploration can be conducted with a 'soft footprint' in environmentally sensitive areas if mitigation measures are front-end loaded in the project and honored by all personnel involved. Teamwork, training and communication were found to be indispensable components of achieving success at Hunter Creek.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #91020©1995 AAPG Annual Convention, Houston, Texas, May 5-8, 1995