WorldWide Drilling Resource

Drilling to save salamanders and swamps Compiled by Jasmine Dodds, Associate Editor Wide ling e ou e World Dril R s rc ® The At ant c Coast P pe ne (ACP) s an nterstate p pe ne ntended for natura gas transm ss on, wh ch wou d serve a s gn f cant number of pub c ut t es and the r expand- ng energy needs n V rg n a and North Caro na. The natura gas transported by th s project wou d be used to generate e ectr c ty, heat homes, and run oca bus nesses. The ACP wou d ncrease the re ab ty and secur ty of natura gas supp es, and transport the gas safe y. The project wou d be about 594 m es n ength, and nc ude a connected p pe ne (a so known as a atera ) br ng ng add - t ona supp es to Hampton Roads. An- other two, shorter atera s w connect to Dom n on V rg n a Power e ectr c generat- ng fac t es n Brunsw ck and Greensv e Count es. In both West Vrgna and Vrgna, the ppe ne woud be 42 nches n dameter, wh e n North Caro na ts d ameter wou d be 36 nches. The Hampton Roads atera wou d be on y 20 nches n d ameter, and the two shorter atera s wou d have a d am- eter of 16 nches. Three compressor sta- t ons have been out ned for th s project: one at the beg nn ng of the p pe ne nWest V rg n a s Lew s County; one n centra V r gn a s Buck ngham County; and a f na one near the V rg n a-North Caro na state ne n Northampton County, North Caro na. The p pe ne s capac ty s expected to be 1.5 b on cub c feet of natura gas per day. The route for the p pe ne has generated p enty of d scuss on, requ r ng severa reroutes to protect var ous env ronmenta and h stor ca nterests. The team cont nues work to f ne tune the proposed pathway, survey ng and obta n ng nformat on from affected andowners to determ ne the best route w th east mpact. Hor zonta d rect ona dr ng (HDD) has been ca ed on to save severa env ronmenta concerns, such as the Great D sma Swamp Nat ona W d fe Refuge, Cheat Mounta n, and the George Wash ngton Nat ona Forest. Both Cheat Mounta n and the George Wash ngton Nat ona Forest are home to two un que spec es of sa amander, wh ch wou d be destroyed f the p pe ne company d dn t ut ze HDD methods. These are on y three of the count ess obstac es the ACP s a m ng to route around. However, “the major cha enge,” ac- cord ng to Dan e A. Week ey, Dom n on v ce pres dent of corporate affa rs, s cross- ng theAppa ach an Tra , wh ch s overseen by the U.S. Forest Serv ce. The p pe ne company, n an effort to m n m ze mpact, has proposed us ng HDD to bore 4500 feet through the mounta n, about 800 feet be- neath the scen c tra and parkway. Its con- t ngency p an, wh ch was requested by the Forest Serv ce ear er n the year, s to dr a second ho e ns de the same r ght of way and, f that were to fa , use an a ternat ve method of cross ng v a a shorter, sha ower tunne wh ch wou d requ re add t ona tree c ear ng, but not w th n 350 feet of the tra tse f or 600 feet of the parkway. TheAt ant c Coast Ppe ne s expected to be n use by ate 2018, and a though there s no perfect route, theACP team can certa n y be commended for the r energet c efforts to keep the andscape and ts n- hab tants as und sturbed as poss b e. Above: the Great Dismal Swamp Wildlife Refuge. Photo courtesy of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Northeast Region Right: Cheat Mountain salamander, one of the populations preserved thanks to HDD techniques. +- )+-" &*#+-) /&+* ' *!/& ' *!/& +) 222 ' *!/& +) / -/ 4+0- 0.&*".. 2&/% +0/% +-" 6. (" !&*$ ) *0# /0-"- "3,+-/"- -+1"* ./ (&.%"! .&* " .&* " +1") "- 0- ,-+!0 / (&*" 5 % ))"-. &/. 5 (0./"- !-&(( % ))"-. &/. 5 1"- 0-!"* !-&((&*$ .4./"). 5 &*$ &/. 0$"- &/. 5 -"2 -+!. -+!. 5 ))"- -" '+0/ /+*$. 5 + ' /++(. "/ (" +* ))"-. &/. ## 45 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® AUGUST 2016