As Kinder Morgan ramps up production, concerns about public safety from well venting are being heard.
Venting, also called "flow tests," occurs when operators try to determine the gases and pressures the drilling rig has encountered in geologic formations underground, up to 8,000 feet deep.
The invisible, often odorless gases are released into the atmosphere and measured. They include CO2, methane and deadly hydrogen sulfide.
CO2 is non-poisonous, but it displaces oxygen and has a tendency to gather in low spots, a potentially lethal problem for humans and animals.
Resident John Wolf knows about the hazard. This summer, venting caused strange smells, and his family evacuated to Cortez.
"I woke up with a headache, and could hear a constant roar from a well a mile away," Wolf said. "Gas poured into our ravine, and my 90-year old mother-in-law breathed it in."
Resident Jerry Berg also lives near a well at county roads CC and 10.
"I'm worried about fumes," he said. "When the wind comes from the west, and a well is being purged, I wonder if I'm safe, if the deer are safe. It's an unknown."
Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is a poisonous gas that can be released during drilling when certain geologic formations are hit. Safety protocols for workers and the public are strict on H2S, said Phil Kennedy, a Kinder Morgan engineer.
"Each worker wears a badge that detects harmful levels of the gas, and if that occurs, then the operation is shut down," he said.
Public roads are also supposed to be blocked off if the gas is in high concentrations.
Warning signs with colored flags are positioned around drilling rigs. Red indicates an extreme level; orange, moderate; and green, a potential for gas releases.
Kennedy said safety procedures for venting are strict by state and federal laws, but procedures were improved after the Wolf incident.
Detection equipment regularly monitors CO2 levels and H2S outside the well, and residents are told of dangerous levels.
If officials feel venting has created a health risk, residents are offered hotel rooms and meals until the area is safe.
"If they choose to stay, we station an employee with a air monitor at their home," Kennedy said.
Kinder Morgan venting procedures are available at the Montezuma County planning office. They also include:
The company contacting the Colorado Oil and Gas Commission and local emergency responders before venting procedures.
A roster of neighbors who choose not to relocate as a precaution from venting is created for use by first responders in the event of an emergency.
Venting is stopped if CO2 concentrations exceed 0.5 percent at a well site, public roads or residential driveways. Venting is stopped if CO2 concentrations exceed 0.2 percent at residential locations where people are not willing to relocated during a test.
If residents are evacuated, before returning to their homes, monitors confirm CO2 and oxygen levels are normal as defined by OSHA.
Wolf wants more alarms in neighborhoods, not just at the wellhead. He also wants the Colorado Department of Health to investigate air quality around CO2 wells.
"I don't feel the fox should guard the henhouse in this situation," he said. "I feel the public deserves more information about venting."
Well venting can last 24 hours, several days, or up to two weeks, according to officials.
jmimiaga@cortezjournal.com
