To drill for natural gas, you need well pads. And to build those, you have to disturb the land. Typically, the soil is left nearby in something called a soil stockpile, waiting to be used when the land is ready to be restored.
“But there’s not really been anything to see how long soil stockpiles can support vegetation growth,” said Michael Curran, who co-authored the soil stockpile research.
Curran specifically studied southwest Wyoming’s Jonah Field near Pinedale – one of the top producing natural gas fields in the country. But the area also has some of the harshest weather in the country.
“Keep in mind that the Jonah Field gets four to seven inches of precipitation and 39 to 50 frost free days a year,” Curran said.
Read more at Wyoming Public Media’s website here: https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/natural-resources-energy/2024-05-07/study-finds-soil-to-be-used-to-reclaim-gas-fields-holds-nutrients-longer-than-expected
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