Leak discovered on nonproducing western Colorado gas well

Dec. 19, 2013
A leak has been found on a non-producing natural gas well in western Colorado on land the US Bureau of Land Management oversees, BLM’s Grand Junction field office said on Dec. 17. The well was taken out of production in 1981 and remains shut-in but capable of being reactivated.

A leak has been found on a nonproducing natural gas well in western Colorado on land the US Bureau of Land Management oversees, BLM’s Grand Junction field office said on Dec. 17. The well was taken out of production in 1981 and remains shut-in but capable of being reactivated.

The office said the well’s owner, Maralex Resources Inc., began working on containment Dec. 14 by diverting the leaking fluids to a storage pit already on the well pad. BLM said it has ordered the Ignacio, Colo., independent producer to contain the spill and repair the well.

Fluids leaking from the well have been contained at the well pad, and berms are being constructed to ensure they do not leave, the US Department of the Interior agency said. Soil and water samples are being analyzed to determine the leaked fluid’s content, DOI indicated.

The leaking well is about 6 miles from the Colorado River, according to BLM. The agency is working with the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, Maralex Resources, and industry professionals to determine the cause as well as solutions for mitigation and complete control, BLM said.

BLM said it inspects shut-in wells on land it manages, and last inspected the one that is leaking on July 9.

Contact Nick Snow at [email protected]