Well pad construction system and methods

A method of preparing a well pad comprising:

• identifying a construction area;
• compacting the construction area to generate a compacted medium within the construction area;
• excavating the compacted medium using an excavator, where excavating the compacted medium creates an excavated area within the compacted medium;
• installing a cellar in the excavated area;
• and
• backfilling a gap between the cellar and surrounding medium with a backfill material,
• where compacting the construction area selectively uses high energy impact compaction (HEIC) using an impact roller, and
• where the impact roller comprises a non-cylindrical impact roller with three rounded lobes connected by three joints, each rounded lobe comprising from about 120° to about 180° of a cylinder.

A drilling site comprising:

• a compacted medium comprising an excavated area;
• a cellar disposed within the excavated area;
• backfill material disposed between the cellar and the compacted medium, where the backfill material comprises controlled low-strength material (CLSM);
• a compactor disposed at the drilling site, where the compactor is moveable over the excavated area, the compactor comprising an impact roller for compacting the excavated area prior to excavation, and where the compactor applies high energy impact compaction (HEIC) at the drilling site;
• a drilling rig disposed longitudinally above the cellar;
• and
• a drill pipe disposed longitudinally below the drilling rig, the drill pipe passing through the top and the bottom of the cellar for drilling a borehole downward below the cellar.