Where We Drill: the Seven-County Metro

Birmingham, AL HDD service area — 7 component counties, principal and satellite cities — The greater Birmingham service area — U.S. Census Bureau county boundaries; cities marked are where crews most often mobilize.

The service area is the OMB-defined Birmingham metro — Jefferson, Shelby, St. Clair, Blount, Walker, Bibb, and Chilton counties, from the valley-and-ridge core to the coalfield west and the Coosa's lake country east. County pages below carry the local picture: the corridors, the bands, and the authorities whose permits govern crossings.

Jefferson County

The core: Jones Valley, the medical campus, Red Mountain, and a municipal quilt.

Shelby County

The growth engine: 280's corridor, Alabaster to Chelsea, and Cahaba country.

St. Clair County

The northeastern ridges: Pell City, the I-20 corridor, and Coosa lake country.

Walker County

The coalfield west: Jasper's hub, mined-ground diligence, and the Warrior's forks.

All component counties: Jefferson · Shelby · St. Clair · Blount · Walker · Bibb · Chilton.