Arrow Energy has launched a two-year erosion control trial that will benefit councils and mining as well as the coal seam gas (CSG) industry.
The trial – an Australian first – is measuring and comparing the effectiveness of various erosion control products, from dust suppressants to hydromulch (seeded mulch mixture), under controlled conditions.
Arrow will use the results to guide its erosion control for gas well pads, access roads and pipeline routes but the data is applicable to controlling erosion anywhere, from roadworks to building sites.
Arrow Vice President Exploration Tony Knight said the trial would produce conclusive data about the effectiveness and best application of each erosion control product.
“We ran an initial six-month trial that attracted much interest from the Australian erosion and sediment control industry, and we’ve decided to expand the scope and commence a two-year trial,” Mr Knight said.
“Prior to that, there was a lack of evidence-based data relating to the performance of temporary erosion control products.
“We are widely distributing the results so what we find is available to landholders, councils and everyone else with an interest in controlling erosion.
“The first phase showed that the right combination of treatments can deliver some great cost and environmental benefits that will reduce the impact of our operations.”
The second phase, two-year trial is on Arrow’s own farm, Theten, near Dalby in southern Queensland. It is being overseen by Arrow’s soil and erosion advisor Kel Sanson, who is also on the Board of the International Erosion Control Association (Australasia).
“For the first trial, we set up control plots of bare dirt and applied erosion control products on other, identical plots alongside them,” Mr Sanson said.
“Then straight after application and at two-monthly intervals we rained on them with a simulator reflecting a one-in-50 year, 30 minute storm.
“It’s a heavy rate of rain, about 90mm per hour equivalent, so it’s a fair dumping. We obviously wanted to test the products under field conditions to see how well they can handle high intensity rainfall.
“The data from this trial was a first for the CSG-LNG industry as well as the erosion control industry. There was nothing available other than anecdotal evidence about the performance of these products across the erosion control industry.”
Mr Sanson said the trial produced data about each product’s effectiveness and decline over time and also considered its cost. He said the study would not highlight one best product as the data would allow users to choose the solution most appropriate for their particular needs.
“The data proved that some of the products tested can significantly reduce the erosion risk and some of them are very cost effective,” Mr Sanson said.
The first trial was run as a partnership between Arrow, Strategic Environmental and Engineering Consulting, Landloch and various product manufacturers.
The trial’s second phase is following a similar test pattern but uses larger 20x20m plots and will run over a full two years.
It is testing two erosion control products, along with a range of vegetation types and fertilisers, and will scientifically quantify the benefits and suitability of various control methods as a lead-in to longer term site rehabilitation.
The data will allow Arrow to determine the best, most cost-effective products to use on well pads and access tracks, and other areas of bare earth.
The tested products are:
Phase 1-
- EDC (Extreme Dust Control), supplied by Dust Control Solutions.
- Gluon, supplied by Rainstorm.
- Hydroguard, supplied by Perfect Earth.
- Vital Bon-Matt P47 VR1 and Vital Bon-Matt Stonewall, supplied by Vital Chemicals.
Phase 2-
- Vital Bon-Matt Stonewall.
- Hydromulch 2000.