News & Alerts
October 15, 2019 COGCC ANNOUNCES NEW REGULATORY PROCESSES AT MONTHLY OPERATIONS MEETING
The COGCC held its October monthly Operations Meeting on October 15, 2019, in which several important topics were addressed. Most importantly, the COGCC revised its Guidance on submitting Objections to Rule 318A Wellbore Spacing Units, created a new status for permits in Weld County that require additional information that mirrors the rejection process, and gave an overview of the Flowline Rulemaking. In addition, COGCC Staff reminded operators of the October 31, 2019 Flowline registration deadline.
With respect to Rule 318A Wellbore Spacing Units, the new Guidance provides that any Objection to a Rule 318A Wellbore Spacing Unit must be electronically filed to the Hearings Application email address with a copy to Hearing Officer Elias Thomas, or in the alternative mailed to the attention of the Director and Hearing Officer Thomas so that Objections now flow through the Hearings Group instead of the Permitting Group.
For permits in unincorporated Weld County, the COGCC has changed its Permitting process to incorporate the 3 actions that the COGCC must take on a permit within 60 days of submittal pursuant to the 1041 statute: (1) approve, (2) deny or (3) respond in writing identifying all of the additional information needed to process the permit.
Finally, the COGCC presented its key outcomes of the Flowline Rulemaking, being to (1) meet protections mandated by SB19-181; (2) add a new pipeline status for pre-commissioned lines and out of service; (3) add an allowance to register flowline systems; (4) increased integrity management; (5) updated abandonment rules; (6) increased repair standards; (7) leak detection; and (8) public mapping.