Oak Meadows Homeowners Association
–
May 24, 2017
Opening Remarks for Craig Walters, Vice President, Rockies Operations
Good evening. I want to thank the Oak Meadows HOA for facilitating tonight’s meeting and to the COGCC for participating. I don’t normally read my opening remarks. I am tonight because it’s very
important to me and my team that I not miss any of the things that I want to convey to all of you. The accident that claimed the lives of Mr. Martinez and Mr. Irwin has left us all shaken. We know
nothing we can do or say can undo what has happened. We continue to pray for Mrs. Martinez’s
recovery and for their families and loved ones. Our employees live, work and raise families here in the Firestone community, Carbon Valley, and throughout Northeastern Colorado. We want everyone here to know we are deeply sorry this accident occurred in your neighborhood. We are absolutely committed to doing all we can to help you feel safe in your homes.
That’s why we are actively participating in the National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation. We
will continue to cooperate fully to its conclusion. We have about a dozen team members here tonight representing different aspects of operations and responsibilities. We will all do our best to answer any
questions you might have. At the same time, it’s important that you also know we cannot discuss the
investigation of the accident and our nearby well. The NTSB has very strict rules about that, and while we plan to continue engaging with you, we also must be mindful of that process. Before taking your questions, I want to spend a few moments discussing what we have done and are doing. The most relevant actions we have taken for those of you in this room tonight are that we have:
Shut in the 3 active wells near the Oak Meadows neighborhood. That means no oil or natural gas is currently flowing through these wells or their flowlines. It is important to note several items as it pertains to these wells:
As the Fire Department’s investigation indicates the well
s were not the problem, nor was the proximity to the Martinez home. Rather, according to the Frederick-Firestone Fire Protection District, the issue focused on a one-inch low-pressure return line that was severed near the foundation of the home.
To address that specific issue, we are disconnecting ALL similar one-inch low-pressure return lines from our vertical wells across the entire basin. This is a significant step beyond what the state has required in its Notice to Operators. We will cut the return lines off below the ground and plug the ends with cement. We will cap these lines so they cannot be reconnected again.
Additionally, each of the 3 active wells near your neighborhood has since undergone our additional inspection process. We are confident these wells would be safe to bring back on production at a future date. However, we recognize the special circumstances and sensitivity around this particular
equipment, and therefore, made the decision to take these 3 wells off line, permanently.
As an added
step and at the HOA’s request, we are also providing funding for
the purchase of natural gas detection devices for your homes if you want one. Please talk to your HOA leadership. They can arrange to get a device for you.
We have posters here tonight that show where our active underground flowlines are located relative to the neighborhood. You are welcome to look at them and please feel free to take any of the handout materials.
Keep in mind, we are only able to map our current owned and operated lines at this stage. This does not include lines belonging to other operators, utilities, electricity providers or other public services. We recommend always calling 811 before any digging.
We will also continue to work with the HOA board and provide funding for the clean-up and improvement of the neighborhood park with additional details and information forthcoming as that effort advances. We commit to being a part of future meetings like this one and to looking at other ways we can help keep you informed. We also want you to know we will continue to have a team dedicated to being responsive to your questions and concerns. Many of them are here tonight. If you have additional questions, we have cards with our Colorado Response Line information and email address. Our folks will get back to you. Again, thank you so much for the opportunity to be here tonight.