Minimizing Risk to Groundwater and Environment: Pinpointing Causes of Releases During Oil & Gas Operations

Presented on Wednesday, March 18, 2015
Leah Meromy1, F. Bryan Grigsby2, Matt Hansen2 and Margaret Ash3, (1)S. S. Papadopulos & Associates, Inc., Boulder, CO, United States, (2)S. S. Papadopulos & Associates, Inc., Boulder, CO, (3)Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, Denver, CO

A four-year dataset of information on spills and other releases obtained from the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) was analyzed for the period January 2010 to August 2013 in order to pinpoint locations and causes of previous releases, and to assist COGCC in analyzing and improving their risk-based approach for inspection frequency and methods. Data for each reported release was pulled from COGCC Form 19 spill reports  (n=1638), and categorized by release according to operational phase, cause, equipment, location, and release volume to facilitate analysis of the O&G production process most prone to releases. Statistics and trend analysis results showed that the production operational phase accounted for 78% of all reported releases and 87% of the reported release volume. Out of all phases of O&G exploration and production, releases occurred during stimulation of a well 7.6% of the time.  Most common causes of reported releases were equipment failures (67%) and human error (23%).  More than half of the largest releases by volume were caused by acts of vandalism. Several suggestions for improvements to COGCC Form 19 were given to clarify and better track releases.

MP3 Presentation Slides

Leah Meromy
S. S. Papadopulos & Associates, Inc., Boulder, CO, United States
Ms. Meromy is a staff hydrologist at S.S. Papadopulos & Associates. Her background includes both academic and consulting projects in hydrogeology, mountain hydrology, and groundwater-surface water interaction.
F. Bryan Grigsby
S. S. Papadopulos & Associates, Inc., Boulder, CO
Mr. Grigsby is a senior hydrgeologist at S.S. Papadopulos & Associates. His background includes more than 30 years of experience in hydrogeology and environmental remediation consulting.
Matt Hansen
S. S. Papadopulos & Associates, Inc., Boulder, CO
Mr. Hansen worked as a staff hydrogeologist at S.S. Papadopulos & Associates. His background includes work in geology, statistical analysis, and accounting.
Margaret Ash
Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, Denver, CO
Ms. Ash serves as Field Inspection Manager for the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission.
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