Water management

Colorado Commissions Says New Well Rules Mean Strong Groundwater Protections

The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission approved new rules governing well construction, testing, and related matters, which the agency says will result in the strongest rules nationwide to protect groundwater from contamination from oil and gas activity.

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The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) on 10 June approved new rules governing well construction, testing, and related matters, which the agency says will result in the strongest rules nationwide to protect groundwater from contamination from oil and gas activity.

The agency adopted what it calls its wellbore integrity rules as part of a much broader effort to implement aspects of Senate Bill 181, which was passed last year and requires sweeping changes in how oil and gas development is regulated.

According to the COGCC, among other measures, the rules adopted require:

  • Frequent testing and monitoring of pressures in the well, which provides an indication of the health of a well and whether leaks may be occurring, and clear standards for operators to remedy identified problems
  • Strengthened standards for pressure-testing well casing and cement to ensure wells can withstand operations throughout their lives, including during high-pressure hydraulic fracturing
  • Particularly strong casing and well cementing standards to keep oil and gas from groundwater formations that are used or having the potential to be used for drinking water
  • Measures to prevent hydraulic fracturing of new wells causing leaks in nearby wells

The new rules grew from recommendations made by an entity known as the State Oil and Gas Regulatory Exchange, or SOGRE, followed by extensive meetings involving the COGCC, industry, environmentalists, and others. The rules had widespread support by the time they were considered by the commission.
“These are the strongest well integrity rules in the country and will prevent air and water pollution while protecting the communities who live and work in the oil field,” Adam Peltz, with the Environmental Defense Fund, said in a joint news release from the COGCC.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said in the release, “The consensus reached by state agencies, oil and gas operators, citizen, and environmental organizations has helped to create an oil and gas regulatory environment that protects health, safety, welfare, and the environment.”

Dan Haley, president and chief executive officer of the Colorado Oil and Gas Association, said in the release that, in most cases, companies already are doing what was recommended by SOGRE and the new rules will result in consistency for everybody.

“We agree that beefing up the rules and making them consistent with best practices is the right thing to do,” he said in the release.

Read the full story here.