The State Review of Oil and Natural Gas Environmental Regulations (STRONGER) completed its review of Colorado’s hydraulic fracturing regulations, the PDF can be found here.

On 11/10, Colorado issued draft hydraulic fracturing fluid disclosure regulations. This draft, issued by the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, seeks to require public disclosure of the composition of hydraulic fracturing water. In particular, the proposed regulations would require operators of each oil or gas well that is fractured in Colorado to disclose to the public:

  • the operator's name
  • the date the well was fractured
  • the location of the well, including the county in which it was drilled and also the latitude and longitude of the wellhead
  • the well's name and registration number
  • the true vertical depth of the well
  • the total volume of water or other base fluid used as the fracturing fluid (and, if the base fluid is not water, the identity of the base fluid)
  • the trade name of each fracturing water additive, as well as the supplier and the intended function of the additive (e.g., biocide, corrosion inhibitor, friction reducer, etc.)
  • the Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) number for each additive (CAS numbers are unique identifiers that scientists use to identify and distinguish each known chemical compound), and
  • the maximum concentration of each additive.

The draft rules also include provisions for trade secrets. If a particular additive in the fracturing fluid is a trade secret, the operator would have to 1) identify the chemical family of the additive to FracFocus; 2) identify the additive to a health professional who needs the information for purposes of treating or diagnosing a person who has been exposed to the fracturing fluid; and 3) identify the additive to the Oil & Gas Conservation Commission if it needs the information for purposes of responding to a spill or release.

Public comments may be submitted by 11/23, and a hearing will be held on the proposed rule on 12/5. These draft rules are similar to other disclosure rules passed in Wyoming, Arkansas, Montana, Louisiana, and West Virginia.

: