A summary of fires, explosions, and pollutant releases at Oil and Gas Operations in Colorado from 2000 to 2014.

摘要

Oil and gas operations have the potential for catastrophic incidents and accidents, such as fires, explosions, and pollutant releases. However, the prevalence and causes of these events are unclear. Using publicly available documents, we estimated the number of fires, explosions, and pollutant releases at oil and gas development sites in Colorado from 2000 to 2014 and investigated the cause of each event. A total of 124 fires and explosions were reported between 2000 and 2014. There was an average annual rate of 1 fire or explosion for every 4,490 active wells with a highest total rate was 1 fire or explosion for every 2,660 active wells in 2008. The proximity of homes to fires and explosions was much closer in the more populated Denver Julesburg Basin than the less populated Piceance Basin. We also evaluate 4,673 pollutant release reports between 2000 and 2013 and we find an average of 1.0% and up to 1.5% of active wells had a reported release per year. The ignition sources of the fires and explosions and the cause of pollutant releases will also be discussed. To our knowledge, this is the first summary of fire, explosions, and notable releases at oil and gas sites at a state level and provides a template to determine rates and assess catastrophic risks from these operations.