State of Colorado is tracking 15 oil spills

The state of Colorado said Wednesday that it is tracking 15 “notable” oil spills amounting to 43,000 gallons since flood waters wrought destruction throughout Northern Colorado last month.

A spokesman for the Department of Natural Resources confirmed an oil spill of 28 barrels from a PDC Energy Inc. (Nasdaq: PDCE) location about a half mile east of Greeley and just south of U.S. 34.

The PDC release brings the total amount of notable oil spills to 1,027 barrels, or 43,134 gallons, the spokesman said. The total amount spilled equals more than three conventionally sized 300-barrel storage tanks.

The state also is tracking 13 spills of water produced from oil and gas development. The spills total 430 barrels, or 18,060 gallons.

It’s also is tracking 16 locations with evidence of a minor release, such as a sheen, and 57 locations with some evidence of impact by flood waters but no evidence of a release at this time.

Through Monday, field teams for the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission evaluated 991 wells or production facilities and covered about 80 percent of the flooded area.

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