During a large oil and gas development project, surveying the pipeline right-of-way can be among the most difficult aspects of the entire project. While most development projects are centralized in one area, pipelines must cross many miles of terrain, which will inevitably lead to issues, such as your pipeline crossing through privately owned land. In the very likely event that this occurs, you’ll have to be able to work with the property owner to secure an easement on the land, giving you the right to access the land during the pipeline construction process and later on to perform ongoing monitoring and maintenance of the completed pipeline.

During the pipeline right-of-way surveying process, it’s important that you gather detailed information about the proposed route quickly. This can be accomplished using a modern land surveying technology

The reason gathering detailed, accurate information is important at this stage as now is when you need to define the particulars of the project. For instance, you will need to know where you’ll need to secure easements and exactly how wide those easements need to be. Then, you’ll have to work with the landowner and an attorney familiar with pipeline law in the local jurisdiction to execute a legally binding agreement.

In addition, you’ll also need to be aware of things like stream crossings, agricultural developments, animal habitats, and historical areas. If your proposed pipeline right-of-way interferes with any of these, you may need to secure a special license to continue with your project or define how you intend to complete the project with the least amount of disruption possible.