121
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
D. J. Soeder, Fracking and the Environment,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-59121-2_7
Chapter 7
Effects on Landscapes
According to O&G opponents, pastoral, rural landscapes become “industrialized”
when shale gas and tight oil development takes place. Although this is true, it is also
temporary. Large drill rigs, earthmovers, tons of gravel, and dozens of hauling,
monitoring, and pump trucks are needed to drill and frack a well. It can be extremely
disruptive and overwhelming while it is happening, but like all construction sites,
eventually they finish up and move on.
Because a lot of shale gas development has occurred in locations that do not have
a history of large-scale oil and gas drilling, local populations were often stunned by
the size of the operations and the amount of equipment needed to install these wells.
Places like southwestern Pennsylvania and northern Arkansas were familiar with
small, truck-mounted drill rigs that could penetrate a few thousand feet of rock to
drill for oil, gas, or water. They were now faced with gigantic triple drill rigs towering above the trees that could bore many kilometers into the Earth (Fig. 7.1). These
are huge. They were shocking. Many people who had signed drilling leases and then
found one of these in their backyard didn’t realize exactly what they were getting into.
Oil and gas drilling of both conventional and unconventional wells is a 24 hours
per day, seven days a week business. They come in, rig up, and start the job. They
don’t leave until the job is finished. Crews live in trailers on site, and work around
the clock in 12-hour shifts. The noise is deafening, especially the screech when pulling pipe or setting casing. The rig is lit up at night like a Las Vegas casino, and the
derrick is visible from miles away. (In fact, one of the best ways to spot drill rigs in
an area is to look for them after dark because the derrick lights are easy to see.)
People come and go at all hours, usually in large, loud pickup trucks. Natural gas
may be flared off while completing the well, and light up the underside of a cloudy
sky for miles in all directions. Anyone unfortunate enough to live across the street
from one of these operations is not going to get much sleep.
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
D. J. Soeder, Fracking and the Environment,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-59121-2_7
Chapter 7
Effects on Landscapes
According to O&G opponents, pastoral, rural landscapes become “industrialized”
when shale gas and tight oil development takes place. Although this is true, it is also
temporary. Large drill rigs, earthmovers, tons of gravel, and dozens of hauling,
monitoring, and pump trucks are needed to drill and frack a well. It can be extremely
disruptive and overwhelming while it is happening, but like all construction sites,
eventually they finish up and move on.
Because a lot of shale gas development has occurred in locations that do not have
a history of large-scale oil and gas drilling, local populations were often stunned by
the size of the operations and the amount of equipment needed to install these wells.
Places like southwestern Pennsylvania and northern Arkansas were familiar with
small, truck-mounted drill rigs that could penetrate a few thousand feet of rock to
drill for oil, gas, or water. They were now faced with gigantic triple drill rigs towering above the trees that could bore many kilometers into the Earth (Fig. 7.1). These
are huge. They were shocking. Many people who had signed drilling leases and then
found one of these in their backyard didn’t realize exactly what they were getting into.
Oil and gas drilling of both conventional and unconventional wells is a 24 hours
per day, seven days a week business. They come in, rig up, and start the job. They
don’t leave until the job is finished. Crews live in trailers on site, and work around
the clock in 12-hour shifts. The noise is deafening, especially the screech when pulling pipe or setting casing. The rig is lit up at night like a Las Vegas casino, and the
derrick is visible from miles away. (In fact, one of the best ways to spot drill rigs in
an area is to look for them after dark because the derrick lights are easy to see.)
People come and go at all hours, usually in large, loud pickup trucks. Natural gas
may be flared off while completing the well, and light up the underside of a cloudy
sky for miles in all directions. Anyone unfortunate enough to live across the street
from one of these operations is not going to get much sleep.