Oil and Gas Well Scheduled to Close in August
Oil and Gas Well Scheduled to Close in August
The City of Longmont and TOP Operating have agreed on a plan to permanently plug and reclaim the Rider oil and gas well.
The well, located near Trail Ridge Middle School and owned by TOP Operating, a Colorado oil and gas exploration company, is scheduled to close before the new school year begins on August 16.
“This is another example of the great working relationship we have with the oil and gas operators in our community,” Longmont Mayor Dennis Coombs said. “Longmont’s sensible oil and gas regulations are a good working balance between the needs of the industry and the safety of our community.”
The well was originally scheduled to close in 2012 but the plan was delayed when the Colorado Oil and Gas Association (COGA) filed suit against Longmont after voters approved a fracking ban within the city limits.
The case ultimately was heard by the Colorado Supreme Court and, in May 2016, the court overturned Longmont’s fracking restrictions. Once there was legal clarity on Longmont’s oil and gas regulations, the two sides reengaged discussions on the future of the well site.
Officials from TOP Operating have expressed a desire to work with the Longmont City Council to complete the work of shutting down the site with minimal impacts to the community.
“We want to complete this task before the school year begins,” said Rod Herring, President of TOP Operating. “We intend to honor our agreement and to do it quickly.”
It’s expected that a truck-mounted boom derrick (also known as a workover rig) will arrive on site during the week of August 8. The setup might look similar to a drilling rig and could prompt concern from residents because it might appear that drilling is occurring at the site. The plugging and abandonment process does not drill or pressurize the well. The equipment is used to cut and remove the production casing from the well bore.
The plugging and abandonment of oil and gas wells is a carefully regulated process by the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, which assures that the wells are safely abandoned and the site is completely reclaimed.
“COGCC will have an ongoing presence to monitor and inspect the plugging and abandonment of the Rider well,” said Mike Leonard, Quality Assurance Supervisor of COGCC.
Plugging and abandoning a well like the Rider well typically requires cutting the production casing about 4000 feet below the surface and filling the bore hole above that with cement to assure a complete sealing of the well. The plugging and abandonment process will include the removal of the large oil storage tank and other production facilities. The landscape will be repaired, reseeded and restored to its natural state.
A 2012 agreement between TOP and the City allows TOP to receive certain credits from future royalties to be paid to the City for closing and replacing the Rider well to a different location east of Weld County Road 1.
The City staff has requested and TOP has agreed to conduct reclamation activities around the Rider well site which are not normally required by the COGCC nor customary in the oil and gas industry. These are welcome and helpful efforts on the part of TOP and are intended as an expression of good will to the City.
The well, located near Trail Ridge Middle School and owned by TOP Operating, a Colorado oil and gas exploration company, is scheduled to close before the new school year begins on August 16.
“This is another example of the great working relationship we have with the oil and gas operators in our community,” Longmont Mayor Dennis Coombs said. “Longmont’s sensible oil and gas regulations are a good working balance between the needs of the industry and the safety of our community.”
The well was originally scheduled to close in 2012 but the plan was delayed when the Colorado Oil and Gas Association (COGA) filed suit against Longmont after voters approved a fracking ban within the city limits.
The case ultimately was heard by the Colorado Supreme Court and, in May 2016, the court overturned Longmont’s fracking restrictions. Once there was legal clarity on Longmont’s oil and gas regulations, the two sides reengaged discussions on the future of the well site.
Officials from TOP Operating have expressed a desire to work with the Longmont City Council to complete the work of shutting down the site with minimal impacts to the community.
“We want to complete this task before the school year begins,” said Rod Herring, President of TOP Operating. “We intend to honor our agreement and to do it quickly.”
It’s expected that a truck-mounted boom derrick (also known as a workover rig) will arrive on site during the week of August 8. The setup might look similar to a drilling rig and could prompt concern from residents because it might appear that drilling is occurring at the site. The plugging and abandonment process does not drill or pressurize the well. The equipment is used to cut and remove the production casing from the well bore.
The plugging and abandonment of oil and gas wells is a carefully regulated process by the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, which assures that the wells are safely abandoned and the site is completely reclaimed.
“COGCC will have an ongoing presence to monitor and inspect the plugging and abandonment of the Rider well,” said Mike Leonard, Quality Assurance Supervisor of COGCC.
Plugging and abandoning a well like the Rider well typically requires cutting the production casing about 4000 feet below the surface and filling the bore hole above that with cement to assure a complete sealing of the well. The plugging and abandonment process will include the removal of the large oil storage tank and other production facilities. The landscape will be repaired, reseeded and restored to its natural state.
A 2012 agreement between TOP and the City allows TOP to receive certain credits from future royalties to be paid to the City for closing and replacing the Rider well to a different location east of Weld County Road 1.
The City staff has requested and TOP has agreed to conduct reclamation activities around the Rider well site which are not normally required by the COGCC nor customary in the oil and gas industry. These are welcome and helpful efforts on the part of TOP and are intended as an expression of good will to the City.
