Oil and Gas Exploration Impacts

Potential environmental impacts from exploration activities (including seismic surveys and
exploratory drilling) are generally temporary and of relatively small magnitude.

Activities during the exploration phase (including seismic surveys, testing, and exploratory drilling) are temporary
and are conducted at a smaller scale than those at the drilling/development, production, and
decommissioning/reclamation phases. The impacts described for each resource would occur from typical
exploration activities, such as localized ground clearing, vehicular traffic, seismic testing, positioning of
equipment, and exploratory drilling. Most impacts during the exploration phase would be associated with the
development of access roads and exploratory wells. Impacts to resources would be similar in character, but
lesser in magnitude, to those for the drilling/development phase. Potential impacts from these activities are
presented below, by the type of affected resource.

Acoustics (Noise)
Primary sources of noise associated with exploration include earth-moving equipment, vehicle traffic, seismic
surveys, blasting, and drill rig operations.

Air Quality
Impacts on air quality during exploration activities would include emissions and dust from earth-moving
equipment, vehicles, seismic surveys, well completion and testing, and drill rig exhaust. Pollutants would
include particulates, oxides of nitrogen, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and volatile organic
compounds (VOCs). Nitrogen oxides and VOCs may combine to form ground-level ozone. Impacts would
depend upon the amount, duration, location, and characteristics of the emissions and the meteorological
conditions (e.g., wind speed and direction, precipitation, and relative humidity). Emissions during this phase
would not have a measurable impact on climate change.

Cultural Resources
The amount of surface and subsurface disturbance is minimal during the exploration phase. Cultural
resources buried below the surface are unlikely to be affected; while material present on the surface could be
disturbed by vehicular traffic, ground clearing, and pedestrian activity (including collection of artifacts).
Exploration activities could affect areas of interest to Native Americans depending on the placement of
equipment and/or level of visual intrusion.

Surveys conducted during this phase to evaluate the presence and/or significance of cultural resources in the
area would assist developers in siting project facilities in order to avoid or minimize impacts to these resources.

Ecological Resources
Impacts to ecological resources (vegetation, wildlife, aquatic biota, special status species, and their habitats)
would be minimal and localized during exploration because of the limited nature of the activities. The
introduction or spread of some nonnative invasive vegetation could occur as a result of vehicular traffic, but this
would be relatively limited in extent. Seismic surveys could disturb wildlife. Exploratory well establishment would
destroy vegetation and impact wildlife.

Surveys conducted during this phase to evaluate the presence and/or significance of ecological resources in the
area would assist developers in siting project facilities in order to avoid or minimize impacts to these resources.

Environmental Justice
Exploration activities are limited and would not result in significant adverse impacts in any resource area;
therefore, environmental justice is not expected to be an issue during this phase.
Hazardous Materials and Waste Management
Seismic and exploratory well crews may generate waste (plastic, paper, containers, fuel leaks/spills, food and
human waste). Wastes produced by exploratory drilling would be similar, but occur to a lesser extent than those
produced during drilling and operation of production wells. They would include drilling fluid and muds, used oil
and filters, spilled fuel, drill cuttings, spent and unused solvents, scrap metal, solid waste, and garbage.

Health and Safety

The potential impacts on human health and safety resulting from exploration activities could include:
occupational accidents and injuries; , vehicle or aircraft accidents, exposure to weather extremes, wildlife
encounters, trips and falls on uneven terrain, adverse health effects from dust generation and emissions, and
contact with hazardous materials (e.g., from spills). The potential for these impacts to occur would be low
because of the limited range of activities and number of workers required during exploration.

Land Use
Temporary and localized impacts to land use would result from exploration activities. These activities could
create a temporary disturbance in the immediate vicinity of a surveying or monitoring site or an exploratory well
(e.g., disturb recreational activities or livestock grazing). Wire pin flags used for surveying could be shredded in
the making of hay. The leftover metal bits can kill livestock that eat the feed. Livestock and wildlife can also die
after eating ribbons attached to the flags. Exploration activities are unlikely to affect mining activities, military
operations, or aviation.

Paleontological Resources
Paleontological resources are nonrenewable resources. Disturbance to such resources, whether it is through
mechanical surface disturbance, erosion, or paleontological excavation, irrevocably alters or destroys them.
Direct impacts to paleontological resources would include surface disturbance during seismic surveys and the
drilling of exploratory wells and the construction of access roads and other ancillary facilities. The amount of
subsurface disturbance is minimal during the exploration phase and paleontological resources buried below the
surface are unlikely to be affected. Fossil material present on the surface could be disturbed by vehicular traffic,
ground clearing, and pedestrian activities (including collection of fossils).

Surveys conducted during this phase to evaluate the presence and/or significance of paleontological resources in
the area would assist developers in siting project facilities in order to avoid or minimize impacts to these
resources.

Socioeconomics
As the activities conducted during the exploration phase are temporary and limited in scope, they would not
result in significant socioeconomic impacts on employment, local services, or property values.

Soils and Geologic Resources

Surface effects from vehicular traffic could occur in areas that contain special (e.g., cryptobiotic) soils. The loss
of biological crusts can substantially increase water and wind erosion. Also, soil compaction due to development
activities at the exploratory well pads and along access roads would reduce aeration, permeability, and
water-holding capacity of the soils and cause an increase in surface runoff, potentially causing increased sheet,
rill, and gully erosion. The excavation and reapplication of surface soils could cause the mixing of shallow soil
horizons, resulting in a blending of soil characteristics and types. This blending would modify physical
characteristics of the soils including structure, texture, and rock content, which could lead to reduced
permeability and increased runoff from these areas. Potential impacts to geologic and mineral resources would
include depletion of hydrocarbons and sand and gravel resources. It is unlikely that exploration activities would
activate geologic hazards. Impacts to soils and geologic resources would be proportional to the amount of
disturbance. The amount of surface disturbance and use of geologic materials during exploration would be
minimal.
Transportation
No impacts on transportation are anticipated during the exploration phase. Transportation activities would be
temporary and intermittent and limited to low volumes of light utility trucks and personal vehicles.

Visual Resources
Impacts to visual resources would be considered adverse if the landscape were substantially degraded or
modified. Exploration activities would have only temporary and minor visual effects, resulting from the presence
of drill rigs, workers, vehicles, and other equipment.

Water Resources (Surface Water and Groundwater)

Minimal impact to water resources (water quality, water flows, and surface water/groundwaterinteractions)
would be anticipated from exploration activities. Exploratory wellbores may provide a path for surface
contaminants to come into contact with groundwater or for waters from subsurface formations to commingle.
They may also decrease pressure in water wells and affect their quality. Very little produced water would likely
be generated during the exploration phase. Most water needed to support drilling operations could be trucked in
from off-site