The King of oil and gas spills? Hey, Didn't they win the environmental award from the State of Colorado?

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Date Rec'd:	9/22/2011	Report taken by:	BOB CHESSON
DocNum:	2216024	API number:	05-013 -06244	Facility ID:	206749

Operator Information

Operator:	NOBLE ENERGY PRODUCTION INC	Oper. No.	10120
Address:	1625 BROADWAY STE 2200 ATTN: TED BROWN DENVER , CO 80202
Phone:	(303 )389-3600	Fax:	(303 )595-7403
Operator Contact:	TODD CULLUM

Description of Spill:

Date of Incident:	9/19/2011
Type of Facility:	TANK BATTERY
Well Name/No.	GOODING 1	Fac. Name/No.
County Name:	BOULDER
qtrqtr: SESE section: 36 township: 2N range: 69W meridian: 6

Volumes spilled and recovered (bbls)
Oil spilled:	Recvrd:
Water spilled:	Recvrd:
Other spilled:	Recved:
GW Impact? Y Surface water impact? N Contained within berm? N
Area and vertical extent of spill: - X -
Current land use: OPEN SPACE
Weather conditions: CLEAR, DRY, WARM
Soil/Geology description LOVELAND SOILS
Distance in feet to nearest surface water: 100
Depth to shallowest GW: 4
Wetlands: 225	Buildings: 1260
Livestock:	Water Wells: 1550
Cause of spill:
EQUIPMENT FAILURE
Immediate Response:
TANK BATTERY HAD BEEN SHUT IN PRIOR TO BEGINNING WORK. CEMENT WATER VAULT HAD BEEN SUCKED DRY.
Emergency Pits:
N/A
How extent determined:
SITE TO BE ASSESSED WITH THE USE OF A DIRECT PUDH DIRLL RIG TO DETERMINE THE EXTENT OF THE IMPACT AREA.
Further Remediation
EITHER THE USE OF AN AS/SVE UNIT WILL BE USED OR THE EXCAVATION OF THE CONTAMINATED SOILS WITH A GROUND WATER AMENDMENT WILL BE USED. TO BE DETERMINED.
Prevent Problem:
BATTERY WILL BE RECONSTRUCTED WITH NEW OIL AND WATER DUMP LINES, CEMENT WATER VAULT AND A STEEL RING AND LINER.
Detailed Description:
DURING BATTERY UPGRADE IT WAS FOUND THAT THE CEMENT WATER VAULT HAS BEEN LEAKING.

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Other Notifications
Date	Agency	Contact	Response
9/19/2011	COGCC	ROBERT CHESSON	REPORTED RELEASE TO BOB CHESSON

Boulder County, CO - SPILL OF THE DAY - NOBLE ENERGY INC

This spill is interesting as it was derived from a 'plugged' (abandoned) well.  The images below show a timeline of when the well appears to be active and then when it was plugged.  A contaminant release of unknown quantities was reportedly released and groundwater was positively tested as positive.

Our questions are these: What length of time had the contaminant discharge been ongoing? Does the state know that the well bore has not been compromised and the surrounding aquifers are safe? If so, we'd like the state to show its data to back such an assertion? Will this land be used for housing development?  Will the tenants know of the spill?  Will the contaminant spill happen again?

There are a lot of questions for the state to answer on this one. I urge all readers to comment and or send the COGGC's Director, David Neslin an email indicating your concerns.  email COGCC HERE

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Date Rec'd:	4/11/2011	Report taken by:	BOB CHESSON
DocNum:	2213240	API number:	05-013 -06272	Facility ID:	206777

Operator Information

Operator:	NOBLE ENERGY PRODUCTION INC	Oper. No.	10120
Address:	1625 BROADWAY STE 2200 ATTN: TED BROWN DENVER , CO 80202
Phone:	(303 )389-3600	Fax:	(303 )595-7403
Operator Contact:	TODD CULLUM

Description of Spill:

Date of Incident:	4/7/2011
Type of Facility:	TANK BATTERY
Well Name/No.	RALPH L CARR 1-11	Fac. Name/No.
County Name:	BOULDER
qtrqtr: SESW section: 11 township: 1S range: 69W meridian: 6

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Volumes spilled and recovered (bbls)
Oil spilled:	Recvrd:
Water spilled:	Recvrd:
Other spilled:	Recved:
GW Impact? YES (groundwater impact) Surface water impact? N Contained within berm? N
Area and vertical extent of spill: - X -
Current land use: LAND DEVELOPEMENT
Weather conditions: CLEAR AND WARM
Soil/Geology description NUNN SANDY CLAY LOAM
Distance in feet to nearest surface water: 940
Depth to shallowest GW: 10
Wetlands:	Buildings: 650
Livestock:	Water Wells: 650
Cause of spill:
EQUIPMENT FAILURE
Immediate Response:
WELL HAS BEEN PLUGGED AND ABANDONED.
Emergency Pits:
N/A
How extent determined:
A SITE ASSESSMENT WILL BE PERFORMED TO DELINEATE THE EXTENT OF IMPACT.
Further Remediation
IMPACTED SOILS WILL BE EXCAVATED AND HAULED TO BUFFALO RIDGE LANDFILL.
Prevent Problem:
WELL HAS BEEN PLUGGED AND ABANDONED.
Detailed Description:
DURING PLUG AND ABANDONMENT OF WELL AND TANK BATTERY, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE WATER VAULT HAD BEEN LEAKING.

Other Notifications
Date	Agency	Contact	Response
4/8/2011	COGCC	BOB CHESSON

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O&G Spill of the Day - Noble Energy Would Like to Claim Confidentiality Protection for the Information Submitted

WELD COUNTY, COLORADO

Date Rec'd:	8/16/2011	Report taken by:	BOB CHESSON
DocNum:	2215382	API number:	05-123 -16733	Facility ID:	248931

Operator Information

Operator:	NOBLE ENERGY PRODUCTION INC	Oper. No.	10120
Address:	1625 BROADWAY STE 2200 ATTN: TED BROWN DENVER , CO 80202
Phone:	(303 )389-3600	Fax:	(303 )595-7403
Operator Contact:	TODD CULLUM

Description of Spill:

Date of Incident:	8/13/2011
Type of Facility:	TANK BATTERY
Well Name/No.	HERMAN L 32-3	Fac. Name/No.
County Name:	WELD
qtrqtr: NWSW section: 32 township: 3N range: 66W meridian: 6

Volumes spilled and recovered (bbls)
Oil spilled:	Recvrd:
Water spilled: 0	Recvrd: 0
Other spilled:	Recved:
GW Impact? Y (ground water) Surface water impact? N Contained within berm? Y
Area and vertical extent of spill: - X -
Current land use: AGRICULTURE
Weather conditions: CLEAR, HOT
Soil/Geology description OTERO SANDY LOAM
Distance in feet to nearest surface water: 110
Depth to shallowest GW:
Wetlands: 220	Buildings: 1250
Livestock:	Water Wells: 1330
Cause of spill:
EQUIPMENT FAILURE
Immediate Response:
PUMPER SHUT THE WELLS IN AND CALLED FOR A VAC TRUCK TO REMOVE THE OIL THAT WAS STILL IN THE TANK.
Emergency Pits:
N/A
How extent determined:
EXCAVATION OF IMPACT WILL BE DELINEATED WITH HANBY FIELD TEST KIT AND LAB CONFIRMATION SAMPLES WILL BE COLLECTED.
Further Remediation
IMPACTED SOILS WILL BE EXCAVATED AND TAKEN TO THE BUFFALO RIDGE LANDFILL IN KEENESBURG, CO.
Prevent Problem:
THE 300 BBL OIL TANK WILL BE REMOVED AND REPLACED WITH ANOTHER 300 BBL TANK.
Detailed Description:
THE 300 BBL OIL PRODUCTION TANK DEVELOPED A SMALL LEAK IN THE FLOOR OF THE TANK.

This leads us to ask the question: "Does Noble Energy really believe that they are that 'noble' to request confidentiality when reporting a spill/incident report to a State agency that publishes their data in a public access database?" 

Come on now, get with the program boys and stop spilling 'toxic waste.' The day you don't have any spill incident reports you'll be begging the press to give you accolades.  Oh wait- you already were given the Environmental Award from COGCC but yet you appear in the COGCC's database time after time.

The 15th annual selections were announced Aug 3rd 2011 at the Colorado Oil and Gas Association's annual conference. One of the environmental protection category winners was: Noble Energy Inc. -- Employed closed-loop systems at all 600 wells drilled statewide in 2010. The move has eliminated reserve pits, reduced land use impacts, sped up land reclamation and resolved concerns associated with hard to dispose of pit liners.

Question:  What were your methods to 'resolve concerns associated with hard to dispose of pit liners?'

It appears the pit liners toxic. Are they?  What waste managment facilty(ies) takes 'toxic pit liners?' Do they have permits to accept toxic waste? 



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