Testing UAV-based Remote Sensing for Monitoring Well Pad Recovery

Description: This report is a summary of a joint project between the University of Alberta Applied Conservation Ecology Lab, the ABMI, and researchers from the University of Calgary, to explore the potential of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and aerial photogrammetry as a tool for the rapid assessment and monitoring of abandoned and reclaimed well pads. Flight trails were conducted and a new, more capable UAV was constructed with insights gathered from initial flight trails. This new, custom-built UAV was then used to survey pre-selected decommissioned well pads currently monitored by ABMI. Data was shared with the ABMI Geospatial Centre for analyses, and to use as a base on which to test and refine photogrammetry processing methods as well as assess its potential role in well pad recovery monitoring.