--> Abstract: Landscape Visualization and Visual Impact Assessment in the Energy Industry, by Robert Van Wyngaarden and Kevin Graham; #90039 (2005)

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Landscape Visualization and Visual Impact Assessment in the Energy Industry

Robert Van Wyngaarden and Kevin Graham
Golder Associates Ltd, Calgary, AB

As the search for hydrocarbons moves further into sensitive areas, developments face increasing stakeholder scrutiny. One of the most immediate and apparent impacts of a project is the visible impact. The sight of a drilling rig on a mountainside or an LNG terminal on the shore leads people to think about the other potential impacts these developments could create. There has also been an increased public value placed on visual aesthetics themselves as natural spaces become more fragmented by development. The ability to accurately visualise project elements as they will appear on the landscape allows for more effective stakeholder communication.

Recent advances in software, hardware, and data have allowed for the creation of photorealistic renderings depicting project construction and evolution over time. Golder Associates has incorporated visualisation into the environmental impact assessments performed for a variety of clients. Golder's visualisations integrate details from a variety of data sources including: public and private GIS data repositories; CAD drawings; photos; landscape descriptions; and remotely sensed imagery. All of these data elements are combined together to create a single realistic image or animation. Using a variety of GIS-based, CAD-based and true landscape modelling software programs, accurate representations of future landscapes can be generated. The resulting perspective images are then used to assess the visual impact of the proposed project and to enhance stakeholder communication. Visualisations created for a variety of energy industry applications including seismic exploration, drilling, mining, and delivery of hydrocarbons will be demonstrated; along with an explanation of the methods used in their creation.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90039©2005 AAPG Calgary, Alberta, June 16-19, 2005