If tests indicate the well is a dry hole, not capable of producing commercial quantities of natural gas, the drilling crew plugs the well bore with cement and cleans up the site. A similar procedure is followed if a producing well is no longer economical to operate.
In order to maximize production of the Marcellus Shale formation while minimizing our environmental footprint, Talisman Energy USA uses multi-well drilling sites.
This means that, rather than drilling a single well on a 5 acre pad, up to 8 wells may be drilled on a single pad. This practice allows for equipment to be shared while minimizing surface disturbance. Once all of the wells on the site are drilled, completed, and producing, the site is reclaimed to a smaller size, leaving enough room to provide for maintenance during the life of the wells. Reclamation plans are set when construction first begins, including stripping and stockpiling the topsoil and using cut and fill practices. During reclamation, this native soil is placed back in the order it was removed and the land is returned to its natural state. It is our goal to disturb as little land as necessary during our operations and leave the land in equal or better condition when our operations are complete.
