The following spills were reported to the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission in the past week.
Information is based on Form 19, which operators must fill out detailing the leakage/spill events. Any spill release that may impact waters of the state must be reported as soon as practical. Any spill of five barrels or more must be reported within 24 hours, and any spill of one barrel or more, which occurs outside secondary containment, such as metal or earthen berms, must also be reported within 24 hours, according to COGCC rules. Spills and leaks typically are found during routine maintenance on existing wells, though some actual “spills” do occur among the 24,000-plus wells in the county.
» KP KAUFFMAN COMPANY INC., reported July 17 a historical off-location flowline spill about 4.5 miles west of Brighton, near Weld County roads 4 and 17. Between one and five barrels of oil and produced water spilled. Waters of the state were impacted or threatened. Crews found the spill while upgrading the consolidation pipe for carbon steel to high-density polyurethane pipe.
» GREAT WESTERN OPERATING COMPANY LLC., reported July 16 a tank battery spill about a mile north of Ault, near U.S. 85 and Weld 94. About 24 barrels of oil spilled. Crews didn’t close a needle valve properly following maintenance, causing the spill.
» HIGHPOINT OPERATING CORPORATION, reported July 15 a spill about 8 miles south of Briggsdale, near Weld 79 and 74. Between one and five barrels of oil spilled. An air eliminator on a lact unit became plugged with paraffin, causing the spill.
