Tour of Visible Air Emissions

Documenting Air Pollution Sources

Often times we wonder what might be coming off of an oil and gas well pad or out of a compressor station. While many of the emissions might be invisible to the naked eye, there are situations when it is possible to see such cases of air pollution. Let us take you on a digital tour of a few examples of visible air emissions.

Click on the images below to explore the various types and sources:

Top photo: Condensate and raw gas from 500 barrel tanks on the CHK Rine pad near Silver Hill WV. Bottom Left: Raw gas and condensate fumes released from a CHK pipeline during pigging operations. Bottom Right: Raw gas from storage tank at EQT Big 57 well pad near Mobley, Wetzel County, WV. — 1. Raw gas and or condensate vapors

Silica dust from blowing silica sand into the sand kings at a CHK well pad on Blake Ridge, Wetzel County — 2. Silica dust release during hydraulic fracturing operations at every well pad

Barite dust released during transfer from delivery truck to storage tank at EQT Big 182 well pad near Mobley, WV. — 3. Barite dust during drilling

Rock dust blowing off a Stone Energy well pad on American Ridge in Wetzel County — 4. Rock dust during drilling

Diesel fumes continuously released during hydraulic fracturing at an EQT well pad, Wetzel County, WV — 5. Diesel fumes from unregulated, off road, non-stationary power sources used during hydraulic fracturing operations

Diesel exhaust fumes from typical, on-road, semi-regulated diesel powered trucks used in Marcellus operations. — 6. Semi-regulated diesel fumes from on road diesel powered trucks

Unregulated, off road, non-stationary power sources used during drilling at an EQT well pad in Wetzel County, WV — 7. Unregulated, off road, non-stationary power sources during drilling

Unregulated, off road, non-stationary power sources during drilling at a Jay-Bee Oil & Gas well pad in Tyler County, WV — 8. Unregulated, off road, non-stationary power sources during drilling

Dust on various public roadways caused by heavy Marcellus truck traffic. — 9. Dust on public roads from heavy truck traffic

Emissions from open burning at well pad preparation sites and burning pipeline debris — 10. Emission from open burning at well pad prep sites and pipeline debris

Flaring during flowback operations and at pipeline and processing locations — 11. Flaring during flowback operations and other pipeline operations

12. Bentonite clay dust released during drilling at Marcellus Shale gas well

Visible Air Emissions Photo Index

Raw gas and/or condensate vapors
Silica dust released during hydraulic fracturing operations
Barite dust during drilling
Rock dust during drilling
Diesel fumes from unregulated, off road, non-stationary power sources
Semi-regulated diesel fumes from on road diesel powered trucks
Unregulated, off road, non-stationary power sources during drilling
Unregulated, off road, non-stationary power sources during drilling
Dust on public roads from heavy truck traffic
Emission from open burning at well pad prep sites and pipeline debris
Flaring during flowback operations and other pipeline operations
Bentonite clay dust released during drilling

If you have examples of other types of air pollution sources from oil and gas activities, send them our way.

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