Well Pad Grading Optimization

An exploration and production (E&P) company planned to redevelop one-square-mile of leased land neighboring their oil production operations in San Ardo. Over the course of development, the company planned to drill up to 350 wells from which to produce oil. Cannon was chosen to optimize the civil plans through balanced cut and fill, work schedule efficiency, and ease of site access. As such, Cannon designed the well pads, sited the central processing, and planned associated access roads.

The existing project site was mostly undeveloped, hilly land with a few existing roads and several waterways. To create the well pads, some hills needed to be cut and some valleys filled. Project costs were directly tied to, and could be reduced in relation to, the quantity and timing of these cut and fill operations, ancillary civil work such as staging, and roadwork.

The project goal was to develop an optimized civil plan that considered the quantity of earth moved, the order of operations, environmental impact, and capabilities of the civil construction partners, to be as efficient and cost effective as possible. Cannon further supported the planning efforts by assigning surface locations to bottom hole locations once well pads were determined.