Please note that the information provided below is only a portion of the information available on oil and gas drilling and production and is not all-inclusive. Douglas County does not endorse, promote or necessarily agree with information provided from any of the speakers, or on any of the linked sites and disclaims any responsibility for the information contained on the sites, with the exception of the Douglas County Zoning Resolution.

Proposed Amendments to Douglas County Regulations for Oil and Gas Well Facilities

Douglas County Planning and Engineering Services have proposed amendments to regulate oil and gas facilities in Douglas County.

With the completion of the referral period, staff will be compiling and reviewing all public and referral agency comments. Staff will revise the proposed regulations and assess the need for future public workshops prior to scheduling any public hearings. The extended period closed on Friday, Dec. 16, 2011.

The proposed amendments to the Douglas County Zoning Resolution are summarized below:

DRAFT - Zoning Resolution changes, excerpts only [53KB]
DRAFT - Section 17B Oil & Gas Facilities Referral [231KB]

• Section 304.20 is amended to read "Oil & Gas Well Support Facilities"
• Section 14040 is amended to allow for Oil & Gas Well Support Facilities as a Use by Special Review
• Section 17B is a new overlay district to allow Oil & Gas Well Facilities
• Section 2107.29 is amended to define Oil & Gas Well Support Facilities as a Use by Special Review
• Section 17B is a new overly district to allow Oil & Gas Well Facilities
• Section 36 is amended to revise and add definitions

The proposed changes to the Grading and Erosion and Sediment Control (GESC) Manual are summarized below:

DRAFT - Engineering GESC Referral [1.4MB]

• Inclusion of Section 3.20.5 for the requirements for Oil & Gas Wells GESC Plans
• Inclusion of Appendix O - Checklist for the development of Oil & Gas Well GESC Plans
• Inclusion of Appendix P - Sample Oil & Gas Well GESC Plan

The proposed change to the Roadway Design and Construction Standards is summarized below:

DRAFT - Engineering Traffic Referral [13KB]

• Inclusion of an Appendix H to include a Traffic Impact Analysis for Oil & Gas Facilities

Public Workshops

Two public workshops were held Tuesday, Oct. 25 and Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2011.

Notice of the public hearings was published in the newspaper 14 days prior to the hearings. Additionally, notice will be posted on the Virtual Public Notice Display Case on the Douglas County website. Once comments have been received and reviewed, the proposed regulations will be modified and a formal assessment will be prepared for the Planning Commission. The public hearing before the Planning Commission and the Board of County Commissioners will be scheduled in early 2012.

Please call 303-660-7460 or contact Planning Supervisor Curt Weitkunat at cweitkun@douglas.co.us or Storm Water Management Engineer Erik Nelson at enelson@douglas.co.us if you have comments or questions regarding the proposed amendments.

Douglas County Oil & Gas Production Transportation Impact Study

One of Colorado’s largest oil and gas producing shale formations is the Niobrara, which covers more than half of Douglas County. The Niobrara basin has been a highly productive source of oil and gas in Colorado’s northern front range, most notably in Weld County. To date, there has been no oil and gas drilling activity in Douglas County. However, 2011 saw a marked increase in the number of oil and gas leases obtained by oil and gas companies on properties in Douglas County.

With the recent interest by the oil and gas industry activity in Douglas County, the County commissioned an independent study of transportation impacts so that the organization could more thoroughly understand the potential impacts to the County's roadway system should the County experience oil and gas development and production.

Because of uncertainties associated with oil and gas development in Douglas County, this study looks at three potential development scenarios (high, medium, and low) in order to provide a range of potential impacts and revenues associated with resource development in the County.

This study is not intended to predict oil and gas development, rather it is intended to provide County officials with information about the potential impacts to the transportation system and associated investment needs using an informed set of development scenarios based on the best available data in other locations in the state.

It is acknowledged that all industries have impacts on transportation systems. Douglas County chose to study the oil and gas industry due to the newness of the industry in Douglas County and because of the unique nature of the industry typically resulting in high intensity short duration traffic consisting of larger volumes of truck traffic many times in locations within the County where the roadway infrastructure is not designed to support such loads.

It is also understood that many variables went into the model used in the study and a change in any of those variables could impact the outcome.

Douglas County intends to revisit the study when, or if, oil and gas drilling and development occurs and real-world, Douglas County-based data can be substituted for previously-used data from other locations.

Any questions regarding the Study can be directed to Erik Nelson at 303-660-7490.
View Report

Oil and Gas Drilling and Development Information

Douglas County has received numerous inquiries regarding oil and gas drilling and production including where it can occur, what permits are required, etc. When researching these inquiries, staff identified several helpful and informative resources:

• The Douglas County Zoning Resolution (DCZR) establishes the land use process for oil and gas drilling in Douglas County. The DCZR provides a process for oil and gas drilling through a Use by Special Review process on conforming Agricultural One (A-1) zoned parcels (35 acres or greater). The Use by Special Review process requires public hearings before the Douglas County Planning Commission and the Board of County Commissioners.
  
  
• Oil and gas development in Colorado is regulated primarily by the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC), which is a division of the State of Colorado’s Department of Natural Resources. According to their website, the mission of the COGCC is to promote the responsible development of Colorado's oil and gas natural resources. For typically asked questions of the COGCC, click on the GENERAL tab located on the left side of the screen, which takes users to a set of tabs, then click on “Typically asked Questions.”
  
  
• The United States Geological Society (USGS) has published information regarding the technically recoverable oil and gas resources in the Denver Basin Province entitled 2002 USGS Assessment of Oil and Gas Resource Potential of the Denver Basin Province of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wyoming.
  
  
• The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) offers a comprehensive explanation of the hydraulic fracturing process and what oversight the EPA has in place to regulate this use.
  
  
• In February 2011, the EPA released a draft study on the impacts of hydraulic fracturing on drinking water resources.
  
  
• In 2004, the EPA provided a technical study entitled Evaluation of Impacts to Underground Sources of Drinking Water by Hydraulic Fracturing of Coalbed Methane Reservoirs Study on the impacts of water wells from hydraulic fracturing.
  
  
• The State of Colorado Department of Natural Resources' Division of Wildlife is working with the oil and gas industry to protect wildlife and mitigate the impacts of oil and gas drilling.
  
  
• The Colorado Oil and Gas Association (COGA) is a trade association that “aggressively promotes the expansion of Rocky Mountain natural gas markets, supply and transportation infrastructure through its growing and diverse membership.” According to their website, the purpose of COGA is "to foster and promote the beneficial, efficient, responsible and environmentally sound development, production and use of Colorado oil and natural gas."
  
  
• The National Association of Royalty Owners (NARO) is an organization that represents oil and gas royalty owners' interests. NARO promotes “the rights, responsibilities and the definitions of citizens who own the natural resources in our country.”
  
  

• Geology.com is a website which provides a wide variety of information on rock formations, geologic activity, satellite images, maps and more. This link http://geology.com/articles/mineral-rights.shtml offers a very comprehensive, understandable explanation of what mineral rights are, uses and royalties, pooling and negotiation of leases. It also speaks to disagreements during extraction and potential damage to the surface and aquifers.

• The Douglas County Assessor's Office created the brochure below which offers a great deal of information on minerals and the statutes regarding ownership, rights and taxes. Visit the Assessor's Office website for information regarding your property or for the Clerk & Recorder visit www.douglas.co.us/clerk/recording.
  • Mineral Interests Brochure [142KB]
    
    
• Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) created an information page because of the public’s interest in and concern about the potential impacts of fracking on public health and the environment, including surface and ground water resources.
  
  
• What is forced pooling? Matt Sura, landowner attorney, provides some information on this topic.
  • Forced Pooling handout [123KB]
    
    
• Planning Services created the following brochure to inform property owners about potential oil and gas development in the County:
  • Oil and Gas Brochure [491KB]
    
    
• Tri-County Health Department (TCHD) has information and guidance for property owners interested in learning more about domestic water testing. TCHD's mission is to protect, promote and improve the health, environment and quality of life for the residents of Adams, Arapahoe, and Douglas Counties. TCHD's Water Quality and Disease Prevention website provides guidance on water testing as well as fact sheets on protecting the water quality in domestic wells.

Public Forum on Oil & Gas Drilling and Development

On April 27, 2011, Douglas County hosted a public forum on oil and gas drilling and development. Approximately 300 people attended.
Agenda [22KB]
Agenda and List of Panelists [19KB]
Panelists Background and Experience [16KB]
PowerPoint Presentations [6MB]

Audio is available from the April 27, 2011 public forum. To request a copy, please contact Holly Carrell at hcarrell@douglas.co.us or call 303-814-4344.

Douglas County Hydraulic Fracturing Educational Forum (Agenda)

On March 30, 2011, the Douglas County Commissioners hosted a distinguished panel of experts in order to educate elected officials and staff on hydraulic fracturing as well as other aspects of oil and gas drilling. Some panelists made formal presentations which are available below:
AMEC: Dr. Robert McGregor [4MB]
City of Greeley: Brad Mueller [2MB]
State Engineering's Office: Kevin Rein [836KB]
Environmental Protection Agency: Patti Tyler [701KB]
National Association of Royalty Owners: Neil Ray - Click on the Hydraulic Fracturing video