The State Oil and Gas Regulatory Exchange (Exchange) has released a peer assessment of the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission’s (COGCC’s) idle well program. The Exchange is a partnership between the Ground Water Protection Council (GPWC) and the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission (IOGCC) with a mission to assist states’ efforts to continuously improve their oil and gas regulatory programs. At the request of the COGCC, oil and gas regulators from Alabama, Alaska, and Arkansas reviewed Colorado’s regulations relating to idle wells. In Colorado, idle wells represent any well that is shut-in, temporarily abandoned, suspended, or idle for any other reason and not properly plugged and abandoned to the requirements of the state. Through the Exchange assessment process, a team of state peers evaluates the appropriateness, effectiveness, and efficiency of existing regulations, regulatory initiatives, or overall programs. These efforts allow states to draw on the expertise of their peers and others for input on a broad range of topics depending on the requesting state’s needs. In Colorado, idle wells are wells that are shut-in, temporarily abandoned, suspended, or idle for any other reason and not properly plugged and abandoned to the requirements of the state
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Posted by GWPC on 09/27/2019