Latest news with #Galeton
CBS News
3 days ago
- Business
- CBS News
Chevron announces cause of Northern Colorado oil and gas leak, says contractor's failed to install equipment properly
Chevron on Tuesday announced the cause of the oil and gas leak in Northern Colorado two months ago that resulted in the lengthy evacuation of homes in nearby Galeton. A contractor was hurt in April when they were installing what's called a production tree on a well and a sudden "loss of containment" occurred because the equipment wasn't installed properly. As a result, a mixture of water, oil and gas shot into the air. CBS The production tree fell to the ground the moment the fluids got airborne and Chevron says it hit the contractor, fracturing that person's leg. Chevron referred to the contractor in a news release as a wellhead technician. They said another one of the primary causes was "inadequate setting of the barrier (tubing hanger assembly) designed to prevent the flow of liquids." The incident happened on April 6 and the release from the well was stopped four days later. It was at the Chevron Bishop well near the town of Galeton. The well is operated by Bishop subsidiary Noble Energy, Inc. An extensive cleanup of the area around the well has been ongoing since the incident started. The company said the fluid that came from the well was 80% produced water and 20% oil and gas. As a result, the company launched an extensive above-ground cleanup effort. Most of the families who had to evacuate have been able to return to their homes, according to Chevron. The company's release doesn't specify why those families who remain evacuated can't go back home at this time. "We are working with land and agricultural property owners within a half mile to a mile and a half to conduct agriculture assessments," said Kim McHugh, the vice president of Chevron Rockies Business Unit, in a statement. McHugh said that her company "recognizes the disruption and concern the Bishop Well incident has caused." "I want to thank our local communities for your continued patience and support," she said. "Our top priority has always been -- and continues to be -- your safety and protection of the environment." McHugh said the company is taking steps to try to prevent another similar situation from happening in the future.
CBS News
22-05-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Impacts of Colorado oil and gas leak could take 5 years to clean up, Chevron officials say
Colorado oil and gas leak could take 5 years to clean up Colorado oil and gas leak could take 5 years to clean up Colorado oil and gas leak could take 5 years to clean up Chevron said it could take five years to clean up the impacts of an oil and gas leak in Colorado. Last month, the Bishop Well in Galeton experienced a containment failure, causing the evacuation of some homes in the area and the temporary closure of Galeton Elementary School. The Bishop well near Galeton in Northern Colorado. CBS In a filing with state regulators, Chevron said they have recovered more than 91,000 barrels of the liquid waste that is a byproduct of oil and gas extraction. That's about 3.8 million gallons. The blowout on April 6 led to both crude oil and natural gas spewing into the air. A report from the state's energy and carbon management commission said the barriers failed, leading to a loss of pressure control. Residents within half a mile of the site were asked to evacuate. Several of those residents are still not able to return to their homes. Chevron spokesperson Patty Errico sent the following statement: Our priority remains getting those residents who have relocated back into their homes. We continue to make good progress in conducting assessments of both homes and properties and have multiple home cleanings in progress. Out of the 14 relocated residents within a half mile of the incident, we had four final walk throughs this week, and 10 are awaiting completion of the cleaning process. We submitted form 27 to ECMC and will continue to comply with all regulatory reporting requirements. This reported volume consists of liquids recovered from the well site. This includes liquid from equipment decontamination and stormwater collection. The volume of liquid recovered is not equivalent to the liquid volume that was released from the well. The details of the well release are still under investigation. Regarding timeline of remediation efforts, as part of the ECMC remediation and reclamation process, Chevron is required to provide an estimated date of completion. We provided a conservative estimate given that the sampling and plan development is still ongoing. The exact timeline of the remediation, monitoring, and reclamation steps for each site will be updated as we get additional data and finalize plans.
CBS News
21-05-2025
- Health
- CBS News
1 month after Northern Colorado oil & gas leak, CSU researchers share concerning level of toxins in air
More than one month after a Chevron oil and gas pad spewed a mixture of oil, gas and water into the sky around Galeton for several days, researchers say the toxins released into the community may be more concerning than initially reported by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Students and staff at Colorado State University say their testing showed a much higher level of toxins, such as benzene, in the air around Galeton than that which CDPHE and other researchers reported to the community. CBS Atmospheric Science researcher and professor Emily Fischer said her students have been conducting studies around air pollutants, which can impact public safety. So, when the Chevron pad started to spray oil and gas into the air, CSU's team of students responded to the community of Galeton to begin testing. "It is important to understand what people nearby may be exposed to," Fischer said. Driving a white Chevy Tahoe outfitted with research equipment, the CSU team drove into the path of the plume that sprayed for several days in Weld County. "It was very easy for our team to identify the plume and take samples of it," Fischer said, noting how potent the toxins in the air were both by smell and by levels in their research. Using canisters, the team stopped on the edge of the plume and conducted studies along the one-to-two-mile-long evacuation radius. "The smell was so strong they didn't open the canister in the middle of the plume, they opened it on the edge of the plume," Fischer said. The team was able to bring the canisters to their foothills campus in western Fort Collins, where they tested them for dozens of toxins. Many were identified, but the most potent was benzene. "Inside that plume was a real soup of air toxins," Fischer said. During the response to the leak, prior to it being capped, CDPHE and the responding agencies reported benzene levels that were not of great concern to human health. Colorado State University Atmospheric Science researcher and professor Emily Fischer. CBS However, CSU's team found a different set of data that showed, in some places, the benzene levels were two to three times greater than that which was being reported to residents. "We shared our results immediately with CDPHE," Fischer said. While not a medical expert, Fischer noted that extended exposure to such levels of benzene can result in medical issues including headaches, dizziness, and more. "If that plume had been lingering over a home for more than an hour, then it is very likely that it would have caused an exceedance of the health guideline value for acute benzene exposure," Fischer said. In a written statement issued to CBS News Colorado on Tuesday, May 13, Chevron said 10 of the 14 homes that were evacuated due to extended exposure near the leak were still not occupied due to continued cleanup. That number was expected to decrease in the coming week. Crews were seen surrounding the nearby homes. Nearly all of the crews were wearing white full-body suits, hats, and masks. They were seen scrubbing the walls of homes, windows, fences, doors, and more. A spokesperson for Chevron said they were paying to cover the cleaning of more than one dozen properties. A mixture of degreasing chemicals and water was being used on the physical property. A mixture of Dawn detergent and water was being used to clean vegetation. Dirt around the pad was being removed as part of the cleanup process. Many homes appeared to have been repainted as well. While CDPHE declined to interview for this report, a spokesperson issued statements describing their efforts to not only monitor the air quality during the response but also in the weeks following. The spokesperson said the department's research did not find the same level of toxins as those in which CSU's did. They acknowledged that they received their data and were in the process of reviewing it. However, they also noted that they believe the testing from both agencies couldn't be directly compared as equal samples. Crews continue cleanup in the aftermath of the oil and gas incident in Galeton last month. CBS The statement continued to say that CDPHE's testing was conducted for more than one hour at a time in each location, noting that CSU's team was more likely to collect a sample quickly and move on to another location. CDPHE said they will continue to receive and review data collected by testing agencies, including CSU, and use it in their research. Chevron's team said they have already conducted more than 3,000 air tests and will continue to monitor the air quality moving forward as cleanup continues around Galeton.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Chevron provides update on Galeton evacuation order
DENVER (KDVR) — It's been over a month since a leak from an oil and gas well in Galeton forced an evacuation order in the surrounding area. Chevron provided FOX31 with a statement on Friday on the progress of getting families back in their homes and what the clean-up process has entailed. 'Our priority remains getting those residents who have been relocated back into their homes,' said a spokesperson for Chevron. 'We continue to make good progress in conducting assessments of both homes and properties and have multiple home cleanings in progress. Out of the 14 relocated residents within a half mile of the incident, we had four final walk-throughs this week, and 10 are awaiting completion of the cleaning process.' The cleaning process used by Chevron includes the use of water and a degreasing agent combination. The ingredients are natural and biodegradable. A mixture of Dawn detergent and water is used on vegetation. The liquids are then collected for disposal. Three Denver Nuggets star players on injury report Chevron said that the time it takes to clean a home varies depending on how badly the area was affected, and once the cleaning process is complete, residents can expect to get into their homes within a matter of days or weeks. 'Chevron has been working individually with all impacted property owners and tenants, providing specialized teams that are available in person throughout the week to help answer questions and concerns. Recognizing that each property requires a separate plan, we have assigned case managers to residents to help personalize and customize our approach,' said the statement. According to Chevron, approximately 7,000 cubic yards of solids have been removed from the well site as part of the initial response activities, and that the volume of liquid recovered is not equivalent to the liquid volume that was released from the well. Regulatory reporting requirements were submitted to the Energy and Carbon Management Commission, as well as a plan for remediation work, which is reviewed before commencement. More information about the process can be found on the ECMC website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
18-05-2025
- General
- CBS News
Impacts of Colorado oil spill could take 5 years to clean up, Chevron officials say
Colorado oil and gas spill could take 5 years to clean up Colorado oil and gas spill could take 5 years to clean up Colorado oil and gas spill could take 5 years to clean up Chevron said it could take five years to clean up the impacts of an oil spill in Colorado. Last month, the Bishop Well in Galeton experienced a containment failure, causing the evacuation of some homes in the area and the temporary closure of Galeton Elementary School. The Bishop well near Galeton in Northern Colorado. CBS In a filing with state regulators, Chevron said they have recovered more than 91,000 barrels of the liquid waste that is a byproduct of oil and gas extraction. That's about 3.8 million gallons. The blowout on April 6 led to both crude oil and natural gas spewing into the air. A report from the state's energy and carbon management commission said the barriers failed, leading to a loss of pressure control. Residents within half a mile of the site were asked to evacuate. Several of those residents are still not able to return to their homes.
