Water-Quality Monitoring & Rule 609 Compliance: Natural Gas Drilling Operations
Garfield & Rio Blanco Counties, Colorado
Western Water & Land was retained by a one of the leading natural gas exploration and production companies operating in western Colorado to provide ongoing baseline and subsequent water-quality monitoring services in accordance with Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) Rule 609. We were selected for the project because our firm’s knowledge of the regional hydrogeology and our scientifically sound and high quality approach to hydrological services. Western Water & Land’s has implemented a comprehensive quality assurance and quality control program from the most basic tasks of water quality sampling services to the more complex tasks of data interpretation. Western Water and Land has demonstrated the scientific and technical expertise required to ensure monitoring data meet strict quality assurance protocols and that data evaluations and interpretations are performed in a technically-sound and defensible manner.
COGCC Rule 609 requires monitoring of up to four wells and/or springs within a one-half mile radius of a proposed oil and gas well. Monitoring is to be conducted initially to establish baseline water-quality conditions and during and after drilling has been completed to monitor for any water-quality changes at the sampled well or spring. Western Water & Land uses its hydrologic expertise to optimize selection of sampling locations. The owners of record of the selected monitoring sites are contacted via registered mail to solicit their participation in the monitoring program. Upon owner approval, Western Water & Land personnel inspect the site to verify the structure’s condition is suitable for sample and will not compromise the integrity of the analytical results. Our sampling team collects samples from each verified site in strict accordance with a sampling and analysis plan prepared by Western Water & Land that specifies the sample collection, sample handling, quality assurance/quality control, and data management procedures and protocols implemented for the program.
Western Water & Land reviews all data received from the analytical laboratory for completeness and accuracy in accordance with strict quality assurance protocols. If warranted based on that review, additional qualifiers are added to the data set. The resulting data are evaluated and interpreted as necessary to characterize the existing water quality. Ultimately, the data are uploaded to a database developed and maintained by Western Water & Land for onsite storage, and the data are submitted to the COGCC maintained database as required by Rule 609.
Garfield & Rio Blanco Counties, Colorado
Western Water & Land was retained by a one of the leading natural gas exploration and production companies operating in western Colorado to provide ongoing baseline and subsequent water-quality monitoring services in accordance with Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) Rule 609. We were selected for the project because our firm’s knowledge of the regional hydrogeology and our scientifically sound and high quality approach to hydrological services. Western Water & Land’s has implemented a comprehensive quality assurance and quality control program from the most basic tasks of water quality sampling services to the more complex tasks of data interpretation. Western Water and Land has demonstrated the scientific and technical expertise required to ensure monitoring data meet strict quality assurance protocols and that data evaluations and interpretations are performed in a technically-sound and defensible manner.
COGCC Rule 609 requires monitoring of up to four wells and/or springs within a one-half mile radius of a proposed oil and gas well. Monitoring is to be conducted initially to establish baseline water-quality conditions and during and after drilling has been completed to monitor for any water-quality changes at the sampled well or spring. Western Water & Land uses its hydrologic expertise to optimize selection of sampling locations. The owners of record of the selected monitoring sites are contacted via registered mail to solicit their participation in the monitoring program. Upon owner approval, Western Water & Land personnel inspect the site to verify the structure’s condition is suitable for sample and will not compromise the integrity of the analytical results. Our sampling team collects samples from each verified site in strict accordance with a sampling and analysis plan prepared by Western Water & Land that specifies the sample collection, sample handling, quality assurance/quality control, and data management procedures and protocols implemented for the program.
Western Water & Land reviews all data received from the analytical laboratory for completeness and accuracy in accordance with strict quality assurance protocols. If warranted based on that review, additional qualifiers are added to the data set. The resulting data are evaluated and interpreted as necessary to characterize the existing water quality. Ultimately, the data are uploaded to a database developed and maintained by Western Water & Land for onsite storage, and the data are submitted to the COGCC maintained database as required by Rule 609.