The illegal installation of mechanical gear at a Chevron oil and gas pad in Galeton, Colorado, was the cause of a leak that lasted for many days in April, according to authorities from the state of Colorado. The observations made by Chevron’s team, which suggested that the leak was caused by a damaged landing joint, were supported by investigators working for the Energy Carbon Management Commission in Colorado.
“I also want to recognize this incident has impacted many residents in the Galeton community,” according to a particular investigator.
Members of the commission and members of the general public were given a virtual presentation by those who were conducting the investigation for the ECMC.
Therefore, what took place? “There was a failure of the well designed control barriers and a loss of control over the pressure within the well, which resulted in an uncontrolled flow of fluids that is referred to as a blowout of fluids,” an investigator stated.
In addition, the group discovered that a well head had broken off of the pad, which ultimately resulted in someone being hurt.
“The well head came down, struck the individual working on it, breaking his leg,” according to their testimony.
For several days, a number of residents and students who were evacuated. Others were forced to flee for several weeks, and even now, two months after the leak was originally discovered, there are still a few residences that have been displaced.
The company Chevron has acknowledged that they are still working to finish cleaning up the property and the soil. Additionally, according to the ECMC, Chevron has provided more than one thousand samples that they have gathered over the course of the months.
Well control incidents are extremely uncommon. An investigator stated that the exact cause of this incident is directly related to proprietary equipment and faulty assembly of the equipment. This information was reported by Chevron. “ECMC holds the operator of record accountable for the operations conducted on their location, as the control of the operations is solely in their hands.”
In their remarks at the ECMC update, those who spoke stated that the Galeton spill ought to motivate authorities and firms to further investigate ways in which they may improve their operations at oil pads while simultaneously decreasing the risk to employees and the general public.
“We can and should collectively discuss what other protocols, on-site operations or other protective barriers could and should be implemented,” according to the participants.
The following is according to a statement that was published by Chevron:
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.
