Figure 1. Housing Development Within An Oil Field.

In addition to studying how much oil and gas will likely be produced in the region, we are also exploring the impact of the petroleum industry infrastructure (pump jacks, well heads, access roads, tank batteries, etc.) on land use. As we drive through the new housing development, which is part of the city of Thornton, you will notice several oil wells virtually in the back yards of large new homes. As urbanization continues, and as exploration and production of oil and gas continues, there is likely to be many more examples of the juxtaposition of the petroleum industry infrastructure with other land uses. Here we have an example of housing next to oil operations.

Figure 2. Oil Pump In A Farm Field

Down the road we see an excellent example of how farmers have worked with the petroleum industry to minimize disruption of agriculture. This sharing of the land surface between the oil and gas infrastructure and other industries is not uncommon, but will likely again become an issue of conflict between land owners and mineral owners as renewed interest in drilling occurs in the area. With many new wells to be drilled in the near future, it is likely that in the next couple of years, much more land will be devoted to the petroleum industry infrastructure and this will undoubtedly become a point of tension between the petroleum industry and surface land owners, with planners probably caught somewhere in the middle.

Not only does the petroleum extraction infrastructure affect agriculture and urbanization, but it can also affect extraction of other natural resources. The competition between resources occurs within our study area, with the resource of greatest value standing the best chance of development over those resources of lesser value. Many existing oil and gas wells occur in areas containing potential sources of aggregate resources. The super imposition of wells with high quality aggregate are likely locations where the value of one resource will have to be placed in competition with the value of another resource. The resource of greatest value is likely to be developed.
 
 

U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey URL: http://rockyweb.cr.usgs.gov/frontrange/virtour/thorn.htm Contact: Carol Mladinich  mailto:csmladinich@usgs.gov Updated: 05/16/2001