GALETON, CO — A state agency issued a violation Thursday to Noble Energy, a subsidy of Chevron, regarding the April 6 Bishop Well oil and gas spill in Weld County, which injured one person and forced more than a dozen people to evacuate their homes.
In a public hearing, the Colorado Energy & Carbon Management Commission (ECMC) announced it had issued a notice of alleged violation (NOAV) against Noble Energy, Inc., the operator of the Chevron site near Galeton where the spill happened. A commission issues a NOAV when it believes a violation has occurred.
In the case in Galeton, the ECMC believes the operator violated six rules:
- Rule 428 - Well control
- Rule 602.c. - General safety requirements
- Rule 608.e. - Oil and gas facilities
- Rule 902.a.b.c. - Pollution
- Rule 902.d. - Pollution (water)
- Rule 903 - Venting or flaring natural gas
More than 150 people appeared for the virtual hearing as the ECMC provided an update on the cleanup and investigation into what went wrong.
Following what’s been deemed the “Bishop Well Incident,” Chevron released a preliminary report on June 10, revealing that “improper assembly of the installation equipment for the production tree by the on-site wellhead technician contractor” is the primary root cause for the spill. A production tree is a group of gauges and valves used to control the flow of fluids from a production well.
Denver7 brought viewers the latest about that preliminary report in our story below.
A wellhead technician was injured with a leg fracture during the blowout, Chevron said in the report.
Nearly three months since the spill, the ECMC says it is now entering the “enforcement” phase of the process.
Chevron reports it is making changes to ensure safety in the future, like installing certain parts at the shop instead of in the field.
Weld County
Extensive cleanup continues weeks after well site incident in Weld County
As of June 13, more than 2,000 soil, 400 air and 700 surface water samples have been collected for testing following the spill.
Noble Energy has 28 days to file a response to the state’s notice, then a hearing will be scheduled.
Chevron released a statement on Thursday that read:
"We have received the NOAV from ECMC and are currently reviewing it. We are actively engaged in comprehensive clean-up and remediation activities. Protecting the safety of people, land, and property remains our highest priority.
We shared with the local community and regulators the results of our Root Cause Analysis, and the safety improvements and operational changes we implemented to help prevent this from happening again.
Our teams have conducted extensive soil sampling and air monitoring, and we remain committed to sharing key data and conclusions with all appropriate agencies.
Since the incident occurred, Chevron has maintained robust air monitoring. At no point in time did we observe levels of air pollutants that pose a threat to human health based on EPA standards.
We understand that rebuilding trust takes time and sustained effort. We remain committed to open, ongoing dialogue and to supporting the residents of Galeton as we move forward – together.
For more information and updates, visit our website at bishop well incident — Colorado.chevron.com."
