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City of Fort Collins
 

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Land Use Code Updates#

In April 2019, Colorado adopted Senate Bill 19-181, which gave local governments land use authority to regulate the siting and surface impacts of oil and gas development. On April 4, 2023 Fort Collins City Council adopted location standards restricting new oil and gas facilities within City limits.

Adopted Code Language: Oil and Gas Facilities and Pipelines

Oil and Gas Operations#

On March 9, 2023, the City of Fort Collins hosted a Q&A panel with Larimer County and State officials to discuss changes to the regulation of oil and gas facilities and pipelines.

Watch the Q&A Panel

More Information#

The City of Fort Collins has an active oil field in the northeast part of the City that was first discovered in 1924. As is common with older, once remote, oil and gas developments around the state, urban growth has encroached upon the field. In the past decade, advances in oil and gas technology have led to increased production in the state, and an evolving regulatory environment.

The map below shows the active wells within Fort Collins City limits. A detailed map of wells and well status are available from the Colorado Energy and Carbon Management Commission (ECMC).

Active Wells Map

Types of Wells#

In the Fort Collins field, the vast majority of the oil is produced from an underground formation called the Muddy formation.  These wells require high pressure water injection lines which pressurize the formation, and bring a mixture of water (~97%), oil (~3%) and gas (minimal) to the surface for separation and distribution. Types of wells (and count) in Fort Collins include:

  • Producing Wells (3): Wells where produced oil and/or gas is collected from underground reservoirs
  • Injecting Wells (3): Wells used for the exclusive purpose of injecting fluids for enhanced oil recovery
  • Shut-In Wells (4): A well not currently producing, but which is capable of production or injection.
  • Plugged and Abandoned (20): A well that has been plugged by means the cementing of a well, with removal of associated production facilities, abandonment of its flowline(s), and the remediation and reclamation of the wellsite.

Prospect Energy is in the process of developing the Codell formation within the Fort Collins field, which is shallower than the Muddy formation and would require no new drilling.  Full development would allow for the Muddy zones to be permanently abandoned, which would eliminate the need for high pressure water injection and water treatment.  This would also introduce increased gas volumes, which could potentially be used to generate electricity on site.

2019 Health Impacts Study#

In 2019, the Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment (CDPHE) released a health impacts study based on emissions data collected during field operations along the Front Range in 2016. This study concluded that air emissions related to oil and gas development may cause short term negative health impacts (e.g., headaches; dizziness; respiratory, skin, and eye irritation) during worst-case conditions at up to 2,000 feet from operations.

2017 Air Quality Assessment and Technical Session#

The City's Air Quality Advisory Board and Natural Resources Advisory Board, and County's Environmental and Science Advisory Board, hosted an air quality technical session on November 15, 2017. Discussed were an air quality monitoring assessment conducted using data collected during the 2014 Front Range Air Pollution and Photochemistry Experiment (FRAPPE), and new oil and gas health information and response resources available from the Colorado Department of Health and Environment (CDPHE).

The NCAR assessment report indicated that oil and gas emissions, along with transportation sources, were the largest contributors to the regions high ozone events.

Watch the session on FCTV

2017 Fort Collins Emission Rate Study#

In 2017, Fort Collins, Colorado State University (CSU) and Prospect Energy collaborated on a sampling effort just outside City limits to characterize emissions during the hydraulic fracturing and flowback stages of a well recompletion. Measurements indicated that emissions were lower than other measurements along the Front Range.

2016 North Front Range Emission Rate Study#

In 2016, Colorado State University (CSU), in collaboration with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) and several operators, completed a monitoring study that characterized emission rates from oil and gas operations along the northern Front Range. The lowest emission rates were measured during hydraulic fracturing operations, followed by production. The highest emissions rates were measured during flowback, which is a pre-production stage where the fracking fluid, produced water, oil, and natural gas flow up and out of the well before it is placed into production

2014/2015 Assessment Reports#

In 2013, air sampling was performed in Fort Collins per the terms of the City's Operator Agreement with Prospect Energy. Measurements indicated concentrations of oil and gas related air pollutants were lower in Fort Collins than near larger oil and gas fields in eastern Colorado.

COGCC/CDPHE Upcoming Rulemakings#

  • COGCC
    • To learn more about participating, upcoming hearing and the rulemaking schedule, visit the COGCC website.
  • CDPHE
    • Information related to air emissions rulemakings, for oil and gas and other emissions sources, is available from the CDPHE AQCC.

COGCC/CDPHE Completed Rulemakings/Guidance#

  • COGCC - Financial Assurances
    • In March 2022 the Financial Assurances rulemaking was completed. New rules, effective April 30, 2022 including requirements that operators demonstrate financial capacity to meet all obligations related to development, including plugging and abandonment.  Rules also broaden access for local governments regarding plugging and abandonment of wells.
  • COGCC - Mission Change
    • In November 2021 a Mission Change rulemaking was completed, including comprehensive changes to reflect mission changes related to increased local authority and protection of public health, safety, welfare, the
      environment, and wildlife resources.
  • CDPHE - Oil and Gas Emissions
    • On September 23, 2020 the CDPHE approved new rules including air pollution monitoring requirements at oil and gas sites during early stages of operations. Companies were required to start monitoring programs for new wells beginning May 1, 2021.
  • COGCC - Health Impact Notifications (Guidance)
    • On January 1, 2020 the COGCC released a Notice to Operators (NTO) with guidance to provide health impact information (COGCC Fact Sheet) to residents that are within 2,000 feet of proposed oil and gas operations.
  • CDPHE - Methane Emissions
  • COGCC - Pipelines/Flowlines 
    • In November 2019 new pipeline rules were adopted that allowed for the public disclosure of flowline information in additional to reporting requirements through Colorado 811, and to determine when deactivated flowlines must be inspected.
  • COGCC - Mission Change Whitepaper (Guidance)
    • On November 1, 2019 the COGCC published a Mission Change Whitepaper, which provided an outline and discussion of some, but not all, of the larger concept rule changes under consideration.
  • COGCC - Objective Criteria (Guidance)
    • On May 16, 2019, the COGCC Director set out new “objective” criteria to be used by the COGCC pending adoption of new rules to evaluate whether a proposed well or location requires additional analysis to ensure it meets the mission of the legislation, pending adoption of new rules.

Larimer County#

  • Phase II
    • Following adoption of new COGCC regulations in November 2020, the County began evaluating revisions to County rules under this context. Revised rules are expected in July 2021.
  • Phase I
    • On April 6, 2020 the Larimer County Board of Commissioners approved new oil and gas facility regulations. For Fort Collins, these rules would apply to the City's Growth Management Area (GMA), and any City owned property outside of City limits.