University of Colorado at Boulder
BMP of Oil and Gas Development

Spotlight:Questar’s Liquids Gathering Systems (LGS)
in the Pinedale Anticline

Questar won a 2008 BLM BMP award for its three LGS facilities in the Pinedale Anticline of western Wyoming. The LGS carry condensate and produced water from wells to centralized gathering facilities, reducing truck traffic. Questar also uses multi-well pads to further consolidate its equipment and facilities. More information on Questar’s efforts is available on the 2008 BLM BMP website.                             

The use of LGS facilities was a voluntary commitment made by Questar, Shell, and Ultra in the FEIS for the Pinedale Anticline. Once all three companies have their LGS facilities in place, they will eliminate 165,000 truck trips per year that used to be required to service well sites in the Pinedale Anticline. More information on the LGS is available on the Pinedale Anticline Project Area website and in section 2.7 of the ROD for the Pinedale Anticline Project Area (September 2008).

Benefits of the LGS

  • The Questar LGS decreases truck traffic and lowers emissions of NOx, VOC, and dust. Between November 2005 and May 2008, Questar’s LGS eliminated over 35,600 truck trips, minimized surface disturbance, eliminated all liquid storage tanks, significantly lowered NOx emissions due to reduction in truck trips, captured condensate vapor that would have previously been released into the atmosphere, and consolidated production facilities to require less surface disturbance.