Regulator building database of aerial maps to track Oklahoma oil field activity
The Oklahoma Corporation Commission is building a database of historical aerial photographs to help track oil and natural gas activity in the state.
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We're building a library for future use. We'll scan until we run out of money.”
Charles Lord
‘Critical' tool
The commission's 58 field inspectors have laptop computers that allow them to access the database. Aerial photos can help them find lease roads or identify choke points to deploy equipment when dealing with an oil spill.
“This is really critical for them,” Lord said. “This gives them a timeline of events that happen in the field.”
He said inspectors have been working for the past five years to map the GPS location of every known well in Oklahoma.
Once that effort is complete, those locations will be integrated into the agency's database of wastewater injection wells.
Eventually, the database will be made available to the public on the commission's website, Lord said, but that likely won't be until after the current oil and gas boom is over.
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