Project Profile: Restore South Spirit Oil and Gas Site

South Spirit oil and gas site at Padre Island National Seashore when it was still active in 2010.

NPS Photo

Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
Revegetation of Hazard Mine Lands | FY23 1,500,000

The National Park Service will remove orphaned oil and gas infrastructure from the South Spirit oil and gas site at Padre Island National Seashore. The project will address public safety concerns and benefit threatened and endangered species, including the Northern Aplomado falcon and Piping Plover. Site restoration will include restoring wetland and upland habitat, and improving the overall health of the surrounding landscape.

Why? Various habitats in the park are regionally and nationally important because they directly support federally- and state-listed species. More than half of all Piping Plover over-winter along the Texas coast, and nearly three-quarters of those forage on islands, including Padre Island National Seashore. Abandoned structures provide artificial habitat for the Great Horned Owl, a predator of the endangered Northern Aplomado falcon.

What Else? The abandoned well pad consists of non-native soils in which invasive vegetation grows. Removing non-native soils, recontouring the landscape, and revegetating the areas will create a healthy habitat for wildlife.

Bipartisan Infrastructure Law – Ecosystem Restoration

This project was made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law – Ecosystem Restoration, signed on November 15, 2021. It is a historic investment in the restoration and protection of the environment.