January 20, 2014

Introduction

Did you know?

“Colorado has created the most comprehensive and stringent set of regulations around oil and gas production in the country.”
—Governor John Hickenlooper

Protecting our Air: Colorado has a comprehensive leak detection and repair program for oil and gas facilities, and was the first state in the nation to institute strict rules for methane emissions from oil and gas development.

Protecting our Water: Colorado requires rigorous pre- and post- drilling groundwater sampling to track and protect water quality.

Full Disclosure: Colorado rules require disclosure of constituents used in the process of hydraulic fracturing of wells at www.FracFocus.org.

Air Quality Regulations: New rules in 2014 provide guidance and technology for Colorado oil and gas businesses to find leaks and fix them in order to lower their emissions. The new regulations will require companies to install equipment to minimize leakage of methane and to control or capture 95% of emissions. Energy producers are subject to routine inspections, and when leaks are discovered, they must be repaired within 15 days.

Water Quality Regulations: Colorado requires rigorous mandatory water sampling prior to and after drilling occurs. All available water sources within a one half mile radius of a well site must be sampled. This baseline water quality data is used to ensure that no contamination occurs over time.

Hydraulic Fracturing Disclosure: All fractured wells in Colorado must be cataloged at www.FracFocus.org. Frac-Focus is a searchable national registry of hydraulic fracturing chemicals. In addition, operators must maintain material safety data sheets for any products used downhole, and identify any trade secret products to the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission.