Kirk Siegler:
"Each day, Jim Precup of the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission logs about 400 miles criss-crossing the oil and gas fields of northeast Colorado.
“It’s absolutely staggering,” he says.
Not just the mileage, but also the workload.
Precup has to supervise his agency’s inspectors, but because there are so many wells, he’s also in charge of inspecting 12,000 himself.
“It’s not an easy job, it doesn’t suit everyone,” Precup said one early morning after making a quick coffee run at the Johnson’s Corner truck stop off Interstate 25 in northern Colorado.
From there, it was east into booming Weld County, where he spends most of his days.
Drill rigs, storage tanks, hauler trucks seem to be everywhere once you’re east of I-25 in the county; now home to one of the highest concentrations of oil and gas wells in the country. Drilling operations are sandwiched between homes, schools and stores and in the middle of farm fields.
Precup hops out of his truck to have a look at one of them. Inspectors can show up whenever they want, unannounced, and he climbs a ladder to the top of a large green, well tank. Precup pops the hatch to one of the tanks’ lids and peers inside.
He’s looking for potentially harmful gasses escaping from the well itself, and for spills seeping into the ground that could contaminate water below.
Things here look pretty good.
“All of this stuff is looked at by an inspector at a glance, just like that,” Precup says clapping his hands together. “Five to seven minutes we’d assess this, another 10-15 minutes we’ll be onto our next one....”
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"Unapologetic pursuit and tracking of patterns within the news others make since 2010."
Showing posts with label COGCC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label COGCC. Show all posts
May 14, 2012
February 17, 2012
SandBox Comments: Glenwood Springs Post Independent "State official: Produced water spill was handled correctly"
John Colson:
"PARACHUTE, Colorado — An environmental specialist for the state's gas regulatory agency said Thursday the agency was properly notified concerning a Feb. 11 spill of gas well “produced water” west of here.
“Williams did make the proper verbal notification,” said Chris Canfield of the Rifle office of the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC). He was referring to WPX Energy, formerly part of Williams Production RMP.
A tanker truck belonging to Summit Energy Services slid out of control on Garfield County Road 300 (the Parachute-Una Road) on Feb. 11, spilling an estimated 500 gallons of liquid into a nearby ditch, according to Colorado State Patrol Trooper Kevin Rae.
Under the rules, the company was required to submit a verbal report of the spill within 24 or 48 hours of the incident, Canfield said, speaking from an office in Denver..." (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
"PARACHUTE, Colorado — An environmental specialist for the state's gas regulatory agency said Thursday the agency was properly notified concerning a Feb. 11 spill of gas well “produced water” west of here.
“Williams did make the proper verbal notification,” said Chris Canfield of the Rifle office of the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC). He was referring to WPX Energy, formerly part of Williams Production RMP.
A tanker truck belonging to Summit Energy Services slid out of control on Garfield County Road 300 (the Parachute-Una Road) on Feb. 11, spilling an estimated 500 gallons of liquid into a nearby ditch, according to Colorado State Patrol Trooper Kevin Rae.
Under the rules, the company was required to submit a verbal report of the spill within 24 or 48 hours of the incident, Canfield said, speaking from an office in Denver..." (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
February 1, 2012
SandBox Comments: Grand Junction Daily Sentinel/Dennis Webb "Neslin leaving state oil, gas post for law firm"
A special thank you goes out to David Neslin for his service as our COGCC liaison. You will be very hard to replace.
Dennis Webb:
"David Neslin, who shepherded through numerous rule changes as director of the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, is leaving his job to become a partner at a law firm and represent energy industry clients.
Neslin on March 1 will join Davis Graham & Stubbs LLP in Denver, where he will deal with oil and gas and public lands matters...."
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
Dennis Webb:
"David Neslin, who shepherded through numerous rule changes as director of the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, is leaving his job to become a partner at a law firm and represent energy industry clients.
Neslin on March 1 will join Davis Graham & Stubbs LLP in Denver, where he will deal with oil and gas and public lands matters...."
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
November 3, 2011
SandBox Comments: Glenwood Springs Post Independent "Antero temporarily pulls South Gravel Trend drilling plan"
Thank you, Antero!
For pulling off, well over a month ago, the drilling plan review that was on the COGCC schedule for December.
Knowing that long before John's poking Silt Mayor David Moore on behalf of the submission of public comments from the citizens of Silt...you were on top of things is a terrific feeling.
The citizens of Garfield County can remain feeling comfortable that their local oil and gas officials are looking out for everyone's interests.
(Learn more? Click title and comment to start discussion)
For pulling off, well over a month ago, the drilling plan review that was on the COGCC schedule for December.
Knowing that long before John's poking Silt Mayor David Moore on behalf of the submission of public comments from the citizens of Silt...you were on top of things is a terrific feeling.
The citizens of Garfield County can remain feeling comfortable that their local oil and gas officials are looking out for everyone's interests.
(Learn more? Click title and comment to start discussion)
"Truth goes through three stages. First it is ridiculed. Then it is violently opposed. Finally, it is accepted as self-evident."
October 31, 2011
SandBox Comments: Grand Junction Daily Sentinel "State looks to open up fracking"
(Learn more? Click title and comment to start discussion)
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