DENVER — The City and County of Broomfield has alerted the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) to an issue with an abandoned oil and gas well near homes and schools after they detected methane underground.
The well is underneath Graham Peak Way. Online, the city said final test results, which came back Oct. 11, indicated "subsurface methane readings."
Judy Kelly lives within a mile of this well site. She was one of many Broomfield residents who started asking the city and county to test abandoned wells for problems over the last several years when she realized there were multiple abandoned oil and gas wells near where she lives.
She's spent time researching abandoned well sites and learning from her neighbors, who are retired from the oil and gas industry, to learn about what's happening in her neighborhood.
"[It's] so we can be intelligent when we speak to someone about our concerns, so we're not just saying we're afraid of it and don't have a reason why," Kelly said.
The Broomfield Director of Strategic Initiatives Tammy Yellico said after hearing from citizens, the local government started testing more than 25 abandoned and plugged oil and gas sites this year. Yellico said the only one that came back with a problem was the one underneath Graham Park Way, roughly a mile away from Kelly's home.
The city and county had been testing this site for around three months and found methane levels of concern anywhere from 15 to 18 feet below the ground.
The city then reached out to the COGCC for help, since they have an orphaned well program. The COGCC accepted the site in Broomfield into their program on Friday.
Dave Andrews runs the Orphaned Well Program for COGCC. Andrews explained an orphan well as having no known operator that can be found, or an operator that is unwilling or unable to plug an abandoned well site.
The state has 275 orphaned wells on 422 associated sites on their list, as of early July 2019. COGCC usually finds out about an orphaned well through inspections, construction or complaints.
The state prioritizes which wells need more urgent attention, like the site in Broomfield because of its proximity to homes and a school.
This particular well isn't new to COGCC.
The oil and gas operator went out of business around five years ago. The well was plugged and abandoned, a process that the state oversaw and, according to Andrews, was done within compliance and regulations.
Then, when Broomfield did their own tests earlier this year, they found the problem and brought it up to the state.
Now that COGCC is involved, they will continue testing and re-plug the well, if it's found to be necessary by next month. While the city and county and state are looking at the well site, they are also looking at other possible sources.
"There is some debate with our experts and City and County of Broomfield experts whether or not there might be some contribution from coal mine gas," said Andrews. "Coal mining was performed in this area in the past."
The North Metro Fire Rescue District tested 20 homes, nine occupied and 11 under construction, with a combustible gas meter over the weekend. Yellico said there were no areas of concern. The fire department also did its own testing and did not find other problems. The state plays a role in determining safety, as well.
Around half of the homes on Graham Peak Way are under construction. The other half is quieter. Yellico said building permits on either said of a portion Graham Park Way closest to the well site, and part of Spanish Peak Way, have been put on hold as both the state and city work together to figure out exactly the source of methane.
The city said they expanded the area they are temporarily holding buildings permits for and went beyond COGCC suggestions out of an abundance of caution.
"In this particular case, the well was plugged and abandoned, and the flow lines were disconnected and abandoned at the same time. Provided that there aren't any other wells active in the area, which is the case and situation, there is no source of gas to go into the flow line," Andrews said.
Typically, once an orphan well's work is complete, inspections by the state decrease in frequency. Andrews said it's so they can focus on their priority list, and because of resources.
The orphan well team has six people, and the state legislators increased funding so staffing could expand.
Broomfield is also making UL combustible gas detectors available for residents living in these locations:
- On Grahams Peak Way
- On Spanish Peak Way, south of Mount Powell Drive
- On Mount Powell Drive located from Spanish Peak Way, west to the end of the street
To request one you can call 303-438-6382 or email ealbrecht@broomfield.org.
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