Directional drilling easier on habitat

Instead of conventional single-pad, single-well development, Questar and other companies are employing directional drilling for natural gas at Pinedale from surface pads with up to 16 wells per pad.

Directional drilling originally was pioneered in off-shore drilling operations for the oil and gas industry.

The directional wells at Pinedale can reach out roughly a half mile in any direction from their surface point of origin.

Wells on a single pad are typically spaced anywhere from 8 feet to 16 feet apart.

The directional drilling in Questar's case will reduce habitat disturbance from the 1,500 acres allowed under current law to about 500 acres.

Directional drilling costs roughly $500,000 more than a conventional vertical well.

In exchange for utilizing directional drilling, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management has granted Questar limited winter access drilling.