News & Alerts
December 31, 2019 COGCC RELEASES DRAFT WELLBORE INTEGRITY RULES
On December 31, 2019, the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission released a Notice of Rulemaking and draft amended Rules addressing Wellbore Integrity. The Wellbore Integrity Rulemaking is scheduled for February 26-27, 2020 at the COGCC. The proposed draft Wellbore Integrity Rules aim to: 1) update the Commission’s current bradenhead monitoring and testing rules; 2) define “Protected Water” and set standards to ensure that operators isolate Protected Water from oil, gas, and produced water; 3) codify requirements for evaluating offset wells to safeguard Protected Water from potential contamination due to stimulation communication; and 4) strengthen standards for cementing and casing to ensure that wells withstand downhole pressures and maintain integrity throughout their life cycles. The proposed Wellbore Integrity Rules, as well as information on the Stakeholder process, is available on the COGCC website.