Investigation of methodologies to
control dust on county roads in
western North Dakota
Funding Sources
50 % from Dunn and Mckenzie Counties
50 % from the Oil and Gas Research Program
through the ND Industrial Commission
Problem
• The volume of traffic involved in the oil field
in western North Dakota has surpassed the
ability of counties to adequately maintain
their roads
• Dust along county roads is having adverse
effects on county residents
Problems with dust
• Adverse health effects to humans and
animals
• Damage to vegetation
• Traffic hazard due to poor visibility
• Increased road maintenance
• Increased costs
• Adverse effects on soil and water quality
Current dust control efforts
• Mckenzie county has active dust control
program on 1400 miles of road
• Annual budget of $1.3 million
• Dedicated staff just for dust control
• Dunn County has hired an out of state firm to
manage dust on 1200 miles of road
• Provide dust control for ¼ mile around
residence with complaint
Project Process
Review available technologies
Counties will:
• select road test segments
• Select control methods
• Install control methods
• Evaluate costs and effectiveness
• Provide results to all counties
Schedule
November 2011:
methodologies
January 2012:
March 2012:
April – July 2012:
November 2012:
January 2013:
Review available
Select road test segments
Order materials
Install treatments
Evaluate treatments
Provide final report
What the Counties Want
The “Silver Bullet” Counties are looking for to
control dust should:
1. Be easy to handle and apply
2. Provide control for a year
3. Allow the road to be maintained
4. Be cost effective – preferably inexpensive
5. Safe for traffic and the environment
Control methods
Water
Magnesium chloride
Calcium chloride
Soil stabilizers
Synthetic polymers
Enzymes
Petroleum emulsions
Control methods
Bio – based oils
Lignin sulfonate
Tall oil pitch
Oilfield brine
Crude oil
Aggregate modification
What we have done so far
Reviewed available technologies
Selected technologies for further evaluation
Identified road test segments
Applied 9 dust control products
Dunn County – 11th Street SW
Mckenzie County – 154th Ave
Products Applied
Magnesium Chloride
Calcium Chloride
Durablend – calcium chloride with polymers
WISP – synthetic organic oil
Products Applied
Rhino Snot – acrylic copolymer
Coherex – petroleum emulsion
Durabond – lignin with additives
Oil field brine
Native clay
Products we didn’t try
Products the Counties had prior experience
with
Road stabilization products
Very expensive products
Difficult to use
What about Crude Oil
NDDOT Materials Testing Laboratory
Analyzed aggregate from Dunn and Mckenzie
Mixed aggregate with 3 different crude oils
Bakken
Red River
Tyler
What about Crude Oil
1% to 2% by weight in gravel aggregate
controlled dust
At a one inch depth, 1% mix is 40 bbl/mile
3% to 4% by weight was needed in scoria to
control dust
What about Crude Oil
Aggregate/crude oil samples were analyzed by
the ND Department of Health Laboratory
Diesel Range Organics from synthetic leach
tests were all less than 1.0 ppm
What about Crude Oil
Heavier crude oil like the Tyler seems to work
better
Bakken oil has too many volatile fractions
Will do field applications to verify results
Testing for contamination in road ditch
What We Have Learned
Good gravel is scarce
3 Mckenzie and one Dunn aggregate had no P.I.
Scoria creates significant dust
Magnesium chloride is chemical of choice
Preliminary Recommendations
Counties should include gradation and P.I.
specifications when bidding aggregate
Scoria should be used only on low traffic
volume roads such as drilling pads and site
access roads
To be effective, dust control products need to
penetrate the road surface or be mixed in