Descriptive Statistics and Well County Maps

Energy developments that rely on horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing (also called fracking) technologies generate enormous amounts of truck traffic on state, county, and local roads. Quantifying the number of truck trips and resulting 18-kip equivalent single axle loads (ESALs) associated with the development and operation of oil and gas wells is a critical requirement for designing and maintaining pavement structures on energy sector roads. However, this is not enough. In order to implement roadway design, construction, and maintenance plans in energy sector areas, it is also necessary to document the location, number, and characteristics of existing and planned well developments. This report includes relevant descriptive statistics that document locations and trends of oil and gas energy developments in the state. It also describes a methodology to prepare maps showing existing and permitted oil and gas wells at the county level, and provides a link to 120 county maps documenting these developments in the Barnett Shale, Eagle Ford Shale, and Permian Basin regions. These maps can be used for a variety of applications, including, but not limited to, documenting historical well development locations and trends as well as preparing short-term and mid-term energy development predictions.