MUST WATCH RAW: Firefighters detail cause of deadly Firestone home explosion 21:06 Min., Firestone Fire Chief Press Conference, May 2, 2017, News9
Transcribed from the conference:
This monitoring uncovered the presence of combustible gas in the french drains in the window wells of the Martinez home, and the basement and french drain of the adjacent home on April 17th. The residual gas in the adjacent home was ventilated by emergency response crews, and once completed and sensed, readings in the adjacent home found no presence of gas.
… Analysis of the gas found that it was pre-refined product directly from the wellhead that had not been odorized with mercaptan, as domestic gas is before it is transported to buildings.
This pre-refined gas is a mixture of methane; which is lighter than air or rises, and propane; which is heavier than air or sinks to the lowest point – and various other minerals and elements. It is much more volatile than refined gas, such as natural gas and propane that are used in everyday consumption.
Once investigators were able to begin excavation in the basement of the Martinez home, the sump pit was uncovered and testing revealed that the same gas found in the excavation pit where the line was cut, was the gas present in the french drain of the home and adjacent home, and was also the same gas found in the sump drain that is connected to the french drains around the home.
Deadly Firestone explosion caused by odorless gas leaking from cut gas flow pipeline, Governor orders inspection of all oil and gas lines within 1,000 feet of occupied homes by Bruce Finley, May 2, 2017, The Denver Post
A fatal house explosion was caused by odorless gas seeping from a cut-off underground pipeline into the house through French drains and a sump pit, Frederick-Firestone Fire Protection District chief Ted Poszywak said.
Fire investigators found a 1-inch diameter black plastic pipeline running from an Anadarko Petroleum well near the house that had been cut when a tank battery was moved before the Oak Meadows subdivision was built, Poszywak said. That pipeline leaked the gas from a point 6 feet from the southeast corner of the house at 6312 Twilight Ave. in Firestone. Investigators said they found the gas valve at the Anadarko well in the “on” position.
Poszywak said leaking gas “saturated the soil and migrated into the French drains of the home.”
Soon after the firefighters released their report Tuesday, Gov. John Hickenlooper ordered oil and gas companies statewide to inspect and pressure-test oil and gas flowlines within 1,000 feet of occupied buildings. Hickenlooper said companies must make sure flowlines not in use are properly marked and capped, and that any abandoned flowline cut off underground is sealed.
Frederick investigators found “prerefined gas” — gas that had not been odorized for safety — in the basement sump pit and French drains, Poszywak said. “Those inside the home would not have smelled it.”
The gas was a volatile mix of methane and propane, he said. It “found an ignition source inside the home. It erupted into a sudden and violent explosion” that killed homeowner Mark Martinez and his brother-in-law Joey Irwin and critically injured Martinez’s wife, Erin.
Family members have said Martinez and Irwin were working on a water heater in the basement of the house.
… “It was the pipeline rather than the wellhead that caused the buildup related to the explosion,” Poszywak said.
… “We do not have any definitive answer for what happened,” Oak Meadows subdivision builder Century Communities spokesman Andy Boian said. “We are 100 percent committed to finding out what happened.”
… State Sen. Matt Jones, a Boulder County Democrat, on Tuesday warned of “a recipe for disaster that could cause people to get hurt.”
… Pointing to the recent Colorado Court of Appeals ruling that oil and gas production can only be done if it does not hurt people and the environment, Sierra Club “Beyond Oil and Gas” campaign director Harv Teitelbaum said COGCC regulators too often waive rules and approve projects “in service of drilling operator convenience and economic expediency
“As a result of these loopholes and rubber-stamped waivers, homeowners and prospective buyers in newer housing developments are not adequately informed of the potentially fatal risks they face,” he said.
Sierra Club members “are very concerned about this, and suspect that this is not an isolated situation,” Teitelbaum said. “Even if not right on top, corrosion in nearby lines, combined with various pathways for gas migration, present a serious, ongoing, widespread risk. … All operators in Colorado should be required to immediately suspend operations at similar wells, fully inspect and report on those wells — not on a voluntary basis — with monitoring systems put in place to alert authorities to any leaks. Long-term, this problem will only get worse as corrosion, geologic action and age affect the integrity of all old wells.” [Emphasis added]
Dear Boulder County Commissioners by Shane Davis, May 2, 2017
… August 2012 I gave a formal presentation to the COGCC entitled “The Failures of the State of Colorado to Prevent or Mitigate Adverse Impacts to its Citizens and the Environment.” LINK
The grand loophole of all exists in the COGCC Rules and Regulations. The entirety of the COGCC’s regulations are nothing more than worthless words due to a ‘Waiver Loophole’ that allows any operator to not abide by any rule or regulation regarding oil and gas development and operations that causes them ‘undue financial burden.’
With a single sentence from the oil and gas industry that states “abiding by this rule will cause XYZ Operator and its operations undue financial burden” the industry then does not have to abide by the rule or pay its expense to do so, and is then waived by a simple signature of COGCC Director Matt Lepore. This is the ‘Comprehensive Waiver Loophole.’
I lived in Firestone. It was not only a horrific inspiration to launch a full state-wide resistance against the unregulated fracking industry and the State agencies that gave them right of way over public health safety and environment, but it forced me to move to a place that did not have any real immediate danger. I could not protect myself from the inherent dangers of the fracking industry.
Our civil rights to safety have been stripped from us by federal exemptions and enforced by state supremacy that is arbitrary and capricious, which appears to recklessly endanger public health safety and environment. [In Canada too, thanks to the Supreme Court of Canada ruling in Ernst vs AER]
As I’ve said for years now, this is not an anti-fracking issue, it’s a civil rights issue and every single human has the constitutional right to live without obstruction to safety. Facts don’t lie, the oil and gas industry and the COGCC do. I believe Firestone could have been prevented, and I tried like hell to prevent it.
I don’t want to ever come back here and tell you what needs to be done as far as moral and ethical obligations to the people and environment of Boulder County. You know what to do to protect the people and we are all counting on you to be as courageous as us. Even if you battle the odds and lose, we will still support you for your courage. The best option is to never allow fossil fuel extraction into Boulder County and we are counting on you to protect us.
We are smarter than a fossil fuel and ‘We Are the Energy of Change.’ [Emphasis added]
Shane Davis
May 1, 2017
Boulder County
In wake of fatal house explosion, Gov. John Hickenlooper orders review of all oil, gas operations by Matthew Jonas, May 2, 2107, The Daily Times Call
Investigators have determined that the origin and cause of the explosion that destroyed a home April 17 was gas that entered the home as a result of an abandoned flow line attached to an oil and gas well near the home.
The flow line, while abandoned, had not been disconnected from the wellhead and capped, according to a news release from the Frederick-Firestone Fire Protection District.
“Investigators found the lines terminated 6 feet from the foundation, and lines had been cut all the way through. The lines had been abandoned. … Both lines were traced back to the well head, where a two-inch line was disconnected and capped, but a one-inch line was connected. This was on the on position until turned off (after the explosion),” Fire Chief Ted Poszywak said at a news conference in Frederick on Tuesday.
The line started leaking when the well head, which had been shut in for the entirety of 2016, was turned back on Jan. 28; so it took basically four months [Correction: January 28 to April 17 = 2.5 months. That’s mighty fast industrial gas migration!] to saturate the soil, and seep into the home through the sump pump and something called “French drains.” The homeowners would have not known this gas was filling the basement because it had not been treated with the chemical that caused the rotten egg smell.
Officials also determined that the flow line was controlled with the shut in, or ceasing of production of the well as a precaution taken on April 17 as part of initial response measures, and that no additional contamination or danger exists to neighboring homes, the release stated.
Now that the origin and cause has been determined, the investigation will be turned over to the Firestone Police Department for the next phase of the investigation, which is an official death investigation. Upon completion of that phase, the Firestone Police Department will turn the matter over to the Weld County District Attorney’s Office, according to the release.
In the wake of the investigation, Gov. John Hickenlooper ordered a statewide review of existing oil and gas operations. [He’s way too cushy with the patch, way too late, and ought to resign.]
“Public safety is paramount,” Hickenlooper said in a news release. “We are assessing whether these operations were conducted in compliance with state law and the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission’s (COGCC) rules.”
The directive requires oil and gas operators statewide to undertake the following actions:
» Inspect and pressure test existing oil and gas flow lines within 1,000 feet of occupied buildings to ensure integrity;
» Ensure that any lines that are not in use are properly marked and capped;
» Ensure all abandoned lines are cut below the surface and sealed.
Inspections of existing flow lines within 1,000 feet of occupied buildings must occur within 30 days and be tested for integrity within 60 days. Lines that have been either abandoned or are not in use must be inspected within 30 days and abandoned under current rules within 60 days, the release stated.
The two-year-old home at 6312 Twilight Ave. exploded April 17, killing two men who were in the basement. Mark Joseph Martinez and Joseph William Irwin III, both 42, died. Erin Martinez was sent to the hospital in critical condition, and a child also was injured.
The house was within 200 feet of a well, but investigators haven’t yet said whether the well was involved. [Emphasis added]
Anadarko Issues Statement Regarding Firestone Accident Press Release by Anadarko, May 2, 2017, PRNewswire
Anadarko Petroleum Corporation (NYSE: APC) provided the following statement regarding the Frederick-Firestone Fire Protection District’s results of investigation into the tragic accident in Firestone, Colo., which occurred on April 17.
“I know I speak for everyone at Anadarko when I say that our thoughts and prayers remain with the Martinez and Irwin families as they continue to mourn the loss of their loved ones,” said Al Walker, Anadarko Chairman, President and CEO. “The safety of our employees and the people who live and work in the communities in which we operate is our number one priority. Consistent with that, and out of an abundance of caution, last week we shut in our vertical wells in the Oak Meadows area and throughout the basin. We hope that doing so also provided some additional reassurance to the community in the wake of this tragic accident. We will continue to take all necessary and appropriate steps in that regard, and will continue to cooperate fully with all ongoing investigations to ensure we fully understand the basis for the fire district’s conclusions and that no stone is left unturned prior to any final determinations.”
The company also will continue to work with the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) on additional steps or actions the agency deems necessary. [Emphasis added]
Investigators: Fatal explosion caused by gas from flow line near house by Matthew Jonas, May 2, 2017, The Daily Times Call
Investigators have determined that the origin and cause of the explosion that destroyed a home April 17 was caused by gas that entered the home as a result of an abandoned flow line attached to an oil and gas well near the home.
The flow line, while abandoned, had not been disconnected from the wellhead and capped, according to a news release from the Frederick-Firestone Fire Protection District.
“Investigators found the lines terminated 6 feet from the foundation, and lines had been cut all the way through. The lines had been abandoned. … Both lines were traced back to the well head, where a two-inch line was disconnected and capped, but a one-inch line was connected. This was on the on position until turned off” (after the explosion),” Fire Chief Ted Poszywak said at a news conference in Frederick Tuesday.
The line started leaking when the well head, which had been shut in for the entirety of 2016, was turned back on Jan. 28; so it took basically four months to saturate the soil, and seep into the home through the sump pump and something called “French drains.” The homeowners would have not known this gas was filling the basement because it had not been treated with the chemical that caused the rotten egg smell.
Officials also determined that the flow line was controlled with the shut in, or ceasing of production of the well as a precaution taken on April 17 as part of initial response measures, and that no additional contamination or danger exists to neighboring homes, the release stated. [True or just another con job by authorities to protect the oil and gas industry?]
Now that the origin and cause has been determined, the investigation will be turned over to the Firestone Police Department for the next phase of the investigation, which is an official death investigation. Upon completion of that phase, the Firestone Police Department will turn the matter over to the Weld County District Attorney’s Office, according to the release.
The two-year-old home at 6312 Twilight Ave. exploded April 17, killing two men who were in the basement. Mark Joseph Martinez and Joseph William Irwin III, both 42, died. Erin Martinez was sent to the hospital in critical condition, and a child also was injured.
The house was within 200 feet of a well, but investigators haven’t yet said whether the well was involved.
State regulators planned to test the soil for evidence of underground leaks from the well but haven’t released the results. [But authorities only started testing ten days after Anadarko shut the energy well in. Date of explosion: April 17; date testing started: April 26.
Did authorities wait before they started sampling to make sure Anadarko’s migrating methane had all dissipated so as to tell the public everything’s fine?]
The well was drilled in 1993 and the house and others nearby were built later.
The state regulates the distance between new wells and existing homes, but local governments control how close new houses can be built to existing wells. In Firestone, the requirement is 150 feet [45.72 metres]. [Emphasis added]
This is a developing story. It will be updated as more information becomes available [Emphasis added]
Boulder County finds well leaks at 40 percent of inspections by Macradee Aegerter, April 28, 2017,
FIRESTONE, Colo. — Another oil and gas company announced Friday it shut down some of its wells after a house explosion and fire in Firestone on April 17 killed two men.
Great Western Oil and Gas said it’s doing so out of “an abundance of caution” until testing on 61 gas flow lines at wells that are within about 250 feet of homes and buildings is complete.
Operation of all 61 of the wells was stopped by Thursday afternoon.
Soil tests near the home taken by the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission represent the second set of soil testing at the site.
None of the soil test results are in, but officials said they believe the community is safe.
Concerns are still high among people who live in the neighborhood, especially when looking at data from Boulder County, which has been doing its own inspections on similar wells for years.
… Now, Boulder County is asking all other vertical well operators to do the same.
“When Anadarko said they were going to close down 3,000 wells, that’s when the commissioners said if those wells are being closed because there could be some relationship between the wells and the incident that happened in Firestone,” said Michelle Krezek, the deputy for the the Boulder County commissioners.
“All of the companies should be looking at all the wells of that same vintage and type.”
Of the 300 active wells in Boulder County, more than half are of the same vintage and type as the one near the home in Firestone.
“This is equipment that is out in the elements so things can happen where you know, pieces of equipment can corrode and leaks can occur,” said Patrick Murphy, Boulder County’s local inspector and lead of the oil and gas team.
Murphy said leaks are occurring on more than 40 percent of inspections. Boulder is one of few communities with their own inspector. The program began three years ago.
“Because there aren’t enough state inspectors to really go out and inspect existing development, oil and gas development on a regular basis, the commissioners decided that was a good thing to do so we funded having an inspector,” Krezek said.
But even with a local inspector keeping tabs, county commissioners want all vertical wells shut down until those in Firestone are ruled out as the cause of the deadly explosion. [Emphasis added]
Colorado investigators testing soil near Firestone home explosion to determine if nearby gas well played a role, State also ordered seven active wells in the vicinity of the development closed down during investigation by Alvo Svaldi, April 27, 2017, The Denver Post
Contractors working for the state started testing soil Thursday in Firestone’s Oak Meadows subdivision to determine whether nearby oil and gas operations contributed to a fatal home explosion on April 17.
“The COGCC believes there is no immediate threat to the environment or public safety associated with oil and gas operations in the neighborhood,” Matt Lepore, director of the Colorado Oil & Gas Conservation Commission, said at a press conference.
Lepore said the state took environmental samples at the explosion site and a nearby home after the blast and made sure no wells were operating in the vicinity of the development.
Air testing Wednesday [before or after the wells were shut off?] found no fugitive methane or hydrocarbon emissions in the community. he said. Frederick-Firestone Fire Protection District Chief Theodore Poszywak, who is leading the blast investigation, also said Wednesday there was “no threat to surrounding homes.” [What will results show when the wells are turned back on? Or, as is typical when the oil and gas industry pollutes or kills someone, will authorities conduct no soils and air testing after the wells are turned back on?]
State investigators are focusing attention on a well called Coors V6-14JI, located 178 feet from 6312 Twilight Ave., where an explosion killed two men repairing a hot water heater in the home’s basement.
Gerrity Oil & Gas drilled the vertical well back in 1993. Patina Oil and Gas redrilled the well in 1997 and Noble Energy acquired it in 2005. An asset swap between Noble and Anadarko Petroleum in the Wattenberg Field put the well in Anadarko’s hands in 2014.
An original pipeline from Coors V6-14JI ran north to a tank farm that was removed to accommodate home construction. Another flow line took output to a tank farm to the west after that original line was shut down.
Anadarko announced Wednesday that it would voluntarily shut in 3,000 wells in northeastern Colorado that were drilled in the same vintage as the well nearest the home.
Anadarko, Colorado’s largest oil and gas producer, plans to take two to four weeks to test all the older vertical wells and related pipelines to make sure they are safe. [Why not test their new wells, especially those frac’d, to make sure they are safe too?]
“Anadarko’s decision was taken by Anadarko voluntarily out of an abundance of caution,” Lepore said, adding that the shutdown of the wells began before the announcement Wednesday.
Depending on what the state investigation finds, Lepore said it is possible that regulators could require producers in that area and across the state to take additional actions.
Unlike the natural gas that utilities pipe into homes, gas leaking from wells or gathering pipelines can be odorless and difficult to detect without equipment. Soil testing will help determine whether hydrocarbons from the well or related pipelines might have leaked. [With the wells shut down, is this likely?]
Setback rules the state approved in 2013 require new oil and gas wells to locate 500 or more feet beyond existing homes, in part to provide a cushion of safety for residents.
But the setback rules work in one direction, and the state leaves it up to local governments to regulate how close construction can come to existing oil and gas developments. [Oooops.]
Lepore said was aware of only two home explosions in recent [how recent?] history linked to oil and gas operations. [But companies, politicians, regulators and health authorities promise us natural gas is perfectly safe, and oil and gas wells never leak!] The two, in southern Colorado, involved homes located on top of or near abandoned wells.
Coors V6-14JI was actively producing oil and gas at the time of the explosion. But state records show it was shut in last year and that production resumed in January. [Emphasis added]
Great Western shuts down 61 wells feeding pipelines within 250 feet of homes Adams County calls for immediate inspection of all vertical wells by Aldo Svaldi, April 28, 2017, The Denver Post
Pressure tests that help determine whether underground oil and gas pipelines are leaking may not have been done around a newly re-started well 178 feet from a house that exploded in Firestone, the Denver Post has learned.
But state rules for the oil and gas industry may not have applied to that Anadarko Petroleum well. Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission rules do not require the pressure tests on smaller pipelines where hydrocarbons flow at pressures lower than 15 pounds per square inch, according to COGCC spokesman Todd Hartman.
Whether Anadarko conducted tests before or after re-starting the well January is “among many, many issues under review,” Hartman said Friday in an emailed response to queries.
The integrity of underground oil and gas pipelines has emerged as a key question as state regulators and Frederick Fire Protection District officials investigate the still-unexplained April 17 explosion. No cause has been determined. Two men were killed in the blast and a woman was seriously injured.
Colorado Front Range county officials have responded by urging greater caution by producers. [Too late!~] On Friday, Adams County commissioners followed their counterparts in Boulder and called on all oil and gas operators to immediately inspect any vertical wells located within 250 feet of occupied buildings and make sure people are safe.
[Safety Reality Check:
7 miles = 36960 feet
End Safety Reality Check]
“The board of commissioners’ primary responsibility is to ensure the health and safety of our residents is protected above all else,” Adams County board chairwoman Eva Henry said. [Sounds a bit lame, given how far industry’s fugitive methane migrates]
On Thursday, the Boulder County commissioners called on companies to shut down 300 vertical wells and inspect them to make sure they are safe. Anadarko owns about 10 of those wells.
Anadarko officials announced this week they have voluntarily shut down 3,000 of its older vertical wells in northeast Colorado to conduct inspections over the next four weeks.
The officials said they were doing this out of an “abundance of caution.”
On Thursday, Great Western Oil & Gas officials announced they, too, are shutting down wells as a precaution. Great Western has located all of its gas lines within 250 feet of occupied buildings and shut down 61 wells feeding those lines, officials said. They also said they had conducted pressure tests on the lines to make sure they were safe, even though those same lines previously had passed an annual inspection required under state rules. Great Western in 2015 acquired Encana Corp.’s Colorado assets, including wells concentrated in southwest Weld County.
“While we are confident our operations do not present a danger to the public, we are proactively taking the necessary steps to ensure the public that our facilities continue to be safe,” the company said in a statement.
COGCC director Matt Lepore said at a press conference on Thursday that contractors hired by the state had begun testing soil in the Firestone Oak Meadows neighborhood to determine whether gas vapors from pipelines had leaked into soil.
Air tests done on Wednesday for methane and other hydrocarbon emissions turned out negative, Lepore said.
Once state regulators develop a more complete understanding of the circumstances around the explosion, Lepore said, they may address more specific issues with operators.
Adams County had 961 active oil and gas wells in operation at the start of the year, according to the COGCC. Weld County, where the blast occurred, has more than 23,0000.
whether nearby oil and gas operations, including a capped gas gathering line that ran through the Oak Meadows neighborhood, might have played a role.
The home was located within 178 feet of a still producing oil and gas well drilled back in 1993. One of the first things state investigators did was ensure active wells in the area were shut-in. [Emphasis added]
Pressure tests to determine leaks may not have been done at oil well by house that blew up Counties ask other operators to follow Anadarko’s example and shut down vertical wells by Bruce Finley and Aldo Svaldi, April 28, 2017, The Denver Post
…
On Thursday, Great Western Oil & Gas officials announced they, too, are shutting down wells voluntarily as a precaution.
Great Western has identified all of its flow lines within 250 feet of occupied buildings and shut down 61 wells feeding those lines, officials said. They also said they had conducted pressure tests on the flow lines to make sure they were safe, even though the same lines previously had passed an annual inspection required under state rules.
Great Western in 2015 acquired Encana Corp.’s Colorado assets, including wells concentrated in southwest Weld County.
“While we are confident our operations do not present a danger to the public, we are proactively taking the necessary steps to ensure the public that our facilities continue to be safe,” company officials said in a prepared posting on the company website.
… The house that blew up was built in 2015 about 178 feet from the Anadarko well, which another company drilled in 1993. It’s still unclear where all underground oil and gas pipelines are located in the neighborhood. [Emphasis added]
Investigation into oil and gas ties to deadly Firestone explosion renews setback talks by Peter Marcus, April 27, 2017, Colorado Politics
An investigation into a well operated by Anadarko Petroleum Corporation in connection with a house explosion that killed two in Firestone last week offers fodder to setback conversations.
Anadarko, one of Colorado’s largest oil and gas producers, announced Wednesday that it has shut down more than 3,000 wells in northeast Colorado. A well sits 178 feet from the home in Firestone, in which two wen were killed in a devastating explosion.
While state investigators have not yet offered a conclusion in the investigation, speculation has led to calls for greater scrutiny over the industry, as the industry continues to push a narrative of safety. [The industry and it’s enabling regulators are very good at talking, not so good at acting until it’s too late.]
Speculation was heightened Thursday during a news conference held by the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, which is assisting the Frederick-Firestone Fire Protection District in the investigation.
“There’s been obvious attention to and scrutiny to the incident,” said Matt Lepore, director of the COGCC. “We know there is oil and gas nearby. The agency has responded. We are here today to tell you what we’ve done and why we’ve been there.”
But when asked by Colorado Politics whether there is evidence to link the explosion to oil and gas operations, the COGCC declined to comment.
State regulators, however, said that it performed initial surveys to determine whether there were ongoing gas leaks in nearby neighborhoods.
“Based on all of the investigations to date, COGCC believes there is no immediate threat to the environment or public safety,” Lepore said.
While critics of the industry are waiting for the results of the investigation, the incident has highlighted ongoing discussions over setbacks and overall oil and gas regulations.
“We should take a cautious approach until we know for sure,” said Rep. Mike Foote, D-Lafayette, who sponsored legislation this year that would have required oil and gas operations to be located at least 1,000 feet from school property lines.
The legislation died on a Republican party-line vote.
“If it was caused by the well located a mere 170 feet away from the home, hopefully the state will finally act to set reasonable drilling setbacks,” Foote continued. “Let’s wait to see what the investigators determine before making any final conclusions.”
…
The bodies of brothers-in-law Mark Martinez and Joey Irwin, both 42, were discovered in the basement one day after the explosion. Martinez’s wife, Erin, was seriously injured and continues to heal in the hospital. A child, believed to be her 11-year-old son, was also injured, according to a report by the Longmont Times-Call.
One issue that has come up is whether developers should be regulated by the state when it comes to building homes and structures near oil and gas operations. Those matters are left up to local zoning ordinances.
“The distance that homes are built from wells is under the jurisdiction of local governments. I don’t have an opinion on how local governments should regulate that,” Lepore said.
A COGCC rule states that horizontal wells within 1,500 feet of a vertical well must be tested to ensure that the horizontal well won’t negatively impact the existing vertical well. [But not within or when under homes! How insane is that?]
… So-called fractivists continue to mull ballot initiatives that would allow local governments to ban hydraulic fracturing, though groups were unable to place issues on the ballot last year. In 2014, a deal was reached with U.S. Rep. Jared Polis, D-Boulder, in which he agreed not to bankroll anti-fracking ballot initiatives in exchange for a task force that examined the local control issue. Some feel the task force did not go far enough.
“This whole situation is tragic. My heart aches for the family that lost loved ones and had others injured in the explosion and fire,” said Sen. Matt Jones, D-Louisville, who also sponsored the failed setback bill in the legislature this year.
“Although the cause of the explosion is under investigation, in response Anadarko shut down a gas well only 170 feet from the blown-up home, along with 3,000 area wells. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation needs to get to the bottom of this. And the Colorado General Assembly needs to take action on the results to protect Coloradans.” [Emphasis added]
Colorado drilling commission pressed on fatal Front Range gas patch home explosion by John Tomasic on April 27, 2017, The Colorado Statesman
The fact that the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission held a press conference Thursday to address the deadly house explosion that rocked Firestone last week was the main news to emerge from the meeting.
The April 17 explosion killed two men. There is no evidence linking the explosion to oil and gas operations.
But the house at 6312 Twilight Avenue in which the men died is an ashen rubble located in the heart of the northern Front Range gas patch, 20 miles northeast of downtown Boulder, just east of Interstate 25 — off a stretch of highway that serves as a sort of commuter-line for oil and gas traffic, a drillers’ corridor that runs between wild grass fields and new subdivisions between Denver and the Wyoming border.
The route is dotted with so-called “fracking” mega-sites, or well pads the size of strip malls, where series of wells stand in rows beside soldier-like storage tanks, staring back at commuters as they pass.
As Commission Director Matt Lepore was at pains to relate Thursday, there was no new news to report from the ongoing investigation into the tragedy: No evidence to report that would link the explosion to the oil and gas well located 170 feet from the home; no evidence that a more recent horizontal fracking well may have disrupted that 24-year-old vertical well; no trace of loose methane in the atmosphere around what remains of the house or in the surrounding Oak Meadows community. [Of course not, the wells were shut off!]
“We believe there is no immediate threat in the neighborhood,” he said. He might have added that he thought there was no immediate threat to gas-patch communities around the state. After all, COGCC press conferences in the last decade have routinely drawn reporters from statewide and local news outlets from across the state — and this press conference was more likely than most to draw that kind of attention.
The investigation into the “final origin and cause” of the explosion is being led by the Firestone Fire Protection District, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and the Firestone Police Department, according to Summer Campos, spokesperson for the fire district. The COGCC is acting as “an assisting agency,” she said.
The hydraulic fracturing boom in Colorado has been particularly fraught for the fact that it has centered in the Wattenberg field north of Denver, that is, in suburban commuter country.
Drillers have descended into neighborhoods. Wells sit near schools and retirement homes. Tensions run high. Questions about drilling and local-zoning control have dominated Colorado election and legislative battles. Court cases around drilling stack up every year.
“I want to emphasize that I will not speculate or offer opinions on event, Lepore said. “I will provide facts at this time,” which he did.
The well at the center of the story is named Coors V6-14Ji. It is 7,912 feet deep. It is presently shut down — or “shut in,” as the industry puts it, meaning the well can still produce minerals but that the spigot is shut off. Over the years, Coors V6 has produced both oil and gas. It was drilled in 1993 and has had four owners. Anadarko, one of the most active drilling companies in Colorado, bought the well from Noble Energy in 2014. The well was last inspected by the COGCC on August 27, 2014, which is typical, Lepore said. There are seven active wells in the Oak Meadows community. They have all been “shut in and secured,” as are the other eleven wells in the area, whether they were producing or not.
Lepore said Anadarko responded after the explosion by shutting in its vertical wells. The company announced Wednesday that it was shutting down 3,000 vertical wells across northeast Colorado. Lepore said that a shut in of wells on that scale was a first in Colorado history. He said Anadarko was acting “in an abundance of caution” and that the COGCC was not recommending that course of action to other drilling companies active in the region.
Politics around oil and gas drilling has mainly focused on “setbacks.” The current setback from homes for new wells is 500 feet.
Lepore said that the House at 6312 Twilight Avenue was built in 2015, long after the well had been drilled. The Oak Meadows subdivision started north of the well and grew south, he said, toward the well.
The COGCC rules apply to extraction companies drilling new wells, not to home builders, he said, and establishing setback rules for new building construction was far beyond his jurisdiction.
Might the Coors V6 well have been in the path of a newer horizontal well? reporters wanted to know. Was Coors V6 disturbed?
“There has never been a drilling collision in Colorado as far as I know,” Lepore said. [Emphasis added]
Boulder County commissioners call for shuttering of all vertical oil and gas wells in county by Blair Miller , Apr 27, 2017, The Denver Channel
The statement from the three commissioners – Cindy Domenico, Deb Gardner and Elise Jones – called for the wells to be shut in until the companies “can assure [county] residents that these wells do not pose similar safety risks in Boulder County.”
[What do Albertans living in explosive risk from industry’s migrating and or frac’d methane get from authorities paid to protect them from the industry? Fraud, lies, cover-up, abuse, acts in bad faith and gross negligence including Charter violations, intimidation, harassment, bullying, etc. Where is the NDP government? Busy with revenge porn.]
The announcement came on the same day that Colorado oil and gas authorities held a news conference discussing the ramifications of the Firestone house explosion and how the oil and gas business operates within residential areas.
The board’s statement also comes a day after a Boulder District Court Judge refused to dismiss a lawsuit against the county by the state attorney general and several oil and gas companies over the county’s moratorium on oil and gas development.
Similar moratoriums were struck down last year by the Colorado Supreme Court.
The text of the board’s letter can be read in full below:
Statement from the Board of County Commissioners
The tragic home explosion in Firestone last week is just another illustration of how important it is that we continue to work to protect the health and safety of residents on all fronts available to us, even if the moratorium option is not an available tool from a legal standpoint,
Colorado counties and cities have their hands tied by the state in prohibiting the highly industrial use of oil and gas development near residential areas. We are given too limited a regulatory role as compared to other similar uses, which is why it is so important for the county and our residents to continue to push the state for adequate local authority.
It is also important that Boulder County continue its robust monitoring program, participating in public health studies, helping homeowners and businesses reduce their reliance on fossil fuels, and working with other communities statewide.
In response to the explosion in Firestone, we call on all oil and gas operators in Boulder County to shut down their vertical wells, just as Anadarko has, until they can assure our residents that these wells do not pose similar safety risks in Boulder County.
We are all in this together, sharing the common goal of working towards what’s best for Boulder County. As your Board of County Commissioners, we pledge to continue to do all that we can to protect this county and its residents from the impacts of oil and gas development and to forge ahead with a cleaner energy future for us all.
Cindy Domenico. Deb Gardner, Elise Jones
Boulder County Commissioners
Questions abound after oil company’s decision to shutter wells near site of Firestone home explosion by Blair Miller, Apr 27, 2017, The Denver Channel
Seven active oil and gas wells were shut down in the Firestone neighborhood where a house exploded during a water heater installation on April 17, killing two, state oil and gas officials said Thursday.
The information came as the head of Colorado’s oil and gas commission held a news conference Thursday morning to give more insight into the state’s involvement in the ongoing investigation into the explosion, that led one of the state’s top energy companies to shutter 3,000 wells on Wednesday.
Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission director Matt Lepore discussed details on the April 17 explosion, which killed brothers-in-law Mark Martinez and Joey Irwin, at an 11 a.m. news conference.
(Watch the full news conference by clicking here)
On Wednesday, Anadarko Petroleum Corporation said it was stopping production on 3,000 vertical oil wells in the area – one of which units, drilled by a previous operator in 1993, sits just 178 feet from the home that exploded.
The company says the wells would be closed out of an abundance of caution. But Denver7 learned Thursdsay that the company started quietly shuttering the wells right after the explosion happened.
“The wells will remain shut in until the company’s field personnel can conduct additional inspections and testing of the associated equipment, such as facilities and underground lines associated with each wellhead,” a Wednesday release by Anadarko read.
Shuttering the wells and investigating is expected to take roughly between two to four weeks, costing the company about 13,000 barrels of oil per day. [It’s not costing the company that, the oil isn’t going anywhere.It’s just delaying the profits from that a bit]
New details about well, others in state released by Colorado authorities
Seven of the 3,000 shuttered wells are in the neighborhood where the explosion happened, but no well has been directly linked to the explosion at this time.
COGCC says the well closest to the house was first drilled in 1993 and produces mostly gas, but some oil. It has changed hands between several companies over the years and was acquired by Anadarko in 2014.
The state says the well closest to the home that exploded was last inspected in August 2014. It also said air and soil tests had been done that found no outlying gasses in the neighborhood.
It also said it did not order Anadarko to shutter its wells, and that it would not be requiring other operators to shut in their wells for now.
The COGCC added that it does not regulate the distance from wells in which homes are allowed to be built, and that oil and gas companies that want to drill horizontally have to find vertical wells that might have been abandoned.
Setback requirements in Colorado mean that newly built wells have to be built between 500 and 1,000 feet away from residences. [But houses built after wells are newly drilled can be built much closer? Insane.]
State authorities also detailed two prior explosions involving gasses in the state: One that happened in April 2007 at an under-construction house in Las Animas County, which was caused by an improperly plugged coalbed methane well; and another that happened in La Plata County in February 2005, when a trailer home exploded [Seriously injuring the owner]. Investigators found that methane gas in a coal seam likely traveled through an old well that was buried under the house.
The ongoing investigation into the explosion is being headed by the Frederick-Firestone Fire Protection District, which is being assisted by the COGCC.
A CU-Denver researcher found in a 2016 report that there were about 6,000 homes in Colorado within 300 feet of an oil or gas well.
Denver7 was on the scene in Firestone as letters were delivered to homeowners, alerting them of additional testing in the area.
While the cause of the blast is still under investigation, homeowners are concerned about the impact on their property value.
“How far is it going to tank? Property home values have been going up. Is that going to do something to my value?” pondered Anna Altman, who has lived in the area since 2005.
As Coloradans build and buy homes in previously-untouched areas, experts stress the importance of knowing the risks.
“The biggest question you should be asking yourself isn’t just what’s my floor plan,” said Carole Walker, of the Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association. “You should be thinking about what your risks are associated with purchasing that home, and it could be the land itself,” she said.
MAP: Search if your home is near an oil well
The Boulder Board of County Commissioners on Thursday also called for all oil and gas operators in the county to shut in their vertical wells across the county.
Anadarko Issues Statement Regarding Colorado Operations by Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, 26 Apr, 2017, PRNewswire
Anadarko Petroleum Corporation (NYSE: APC) provided the following statement regarding the tragic home explosion and fire in Firestone, Colo., that occurred on April 17.
“This terrible tragedy has left all of us with heavy hearts, and the families and their loved ones are in our thoughts and prayers,” said Al Walker, Anadarko Chairman, President and CEO. “Words cannot express how saddened we are that this occurred in a community where many of our employees, their families, and friends live and work. We share the community’s gratitude for the courageous response of neighbors and nearby construction crews who quickly came to the aid of the family, as well as the first responders and others who made sure surrounding homes were kept safe.”
While there is still much that is not yet known regarding the potential contributing factors, Anadarko operates an older vertical well that was drilled by a previous operator in 1993 and is located approximately 200 feet from where the home was recently built. As such, the company has been working cooperatively with fire officials and state regulatory agencies in their investigations since the time of the accident.
While these events remain under active investigation and much remains to be determined, in an abundance of caution, since the company operates more than 3,000 producing vertical wells of the same vintage, it has taken proactive measures to shut in all vertical wells across the counties in northeast Colorado where it operates. The wells will remain shut in until the company’s field personnel can conduct additional inspections and testing of the associated equipment, such as facilities and underground lines associated with each wellhead. Particular focus is being placed on areas where housing and commercial developments are occurring in close proximity to existing infrastructure. The wells will not be restarted until each has undergone and passed these additional inspections. Anadarko currently anticipates the process will take two to four weeks, depending on weather. The wells currently account for total production of about 13,000 net barrels of oil equivalent per day.
“Our teams will remain actively engaged with residents in the Firestone community,” said Brad Holly, Anadarko Sr. Vice President, U.S. Onshore Exploration and Production. “Colorado residents must feel safe in their own homes, and I want to be clear that we are committed to understanding all that we can about this tragedy as we work with each investigating agency until causes can be determined.”
This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Anadarko believes that its expectations are based on reasonable assumptions. No assurance, however, can be given that such expectations will prove to have been correct. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the projections, anticipated results or other expectations expressed in this news release, including the timing of operational activities and determinations or other factors related to investigatory efforts. See “Risk Factors” in the company’s 2016 Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other public filings and press releases. Anadarko undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. [Emphasis added]
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Proposed plans by Extraction Oil and Gas in Broomfield create controversy
by MacRadee Aegerter, February 20, 2017, kdvr
Three months ago, a 32-foot wall went up less than 40 feet from her bedroom window.
“They did not tell me they were doing it until it was up,” Stein said.
It was put up as a barrier between her home and the access road Extraction built to get to its 22 wells.
“With this wall, it gets real dark over here and depressing. You feel like you’re closed off from the world,” Stein said.
Her view is blocked, but she said she can feel the hundreds of trucks that go in and out every day.
“When they bring weighted trucks in, you can actually feel it bounce in the house,” Stein said.
Lewis said this will be the new norm for subdivisions like theirs.
“It’s the same process. They are going to squeeze into sites between homes,” Lewis said.
In June, Weld County commissioners approved Extraction’s plans to build up to 24 wells on a pad east of Greeley. Neighbors say it’s just 500 feet from an elementary school playground.
“This does not belong in a residential subdivision, it just doesn’t,” Stein said.
In Broomfield, Extraction is fighting to put in 139 new wells on four pads.
“That playground would stay there and that’s where my kids would play,” said a woman who lives about 500 feet from one of the proposed sites. [Emphasis added]
[Refer also to:
A source has told The Independent that personnel and trucks bearing Anadarko’s logo responded soon after the explosion, and that company personnel at and near the scene over the following days came in unmarked vehicles and clothes. They were apparently paying special attention to a feeder line that may have been severed near the home.
…