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Fort Collins Oil and Gas Field Shuts Down#

In August 2024, the Energy and Carbon Management Commission (ECMC) issued an order to stop operations, and permanently plug and abandon all wells in a field that is partially located within City limits. The wells are no longer operational, and have been added to the ECMC orphan well site list awaiting full reclamation of the sites.

ECMC Order

Land Use Code Updates#

In 2023, Fort Collins City Council adopted location standards restricting new oil and gas facilities within City limits. This followed the 2019 adoption of Colorado Senate Bill 19-181, which gave local governments land use authority to regulate the siting and surface impacts of oil and gas development.

Adopted Code Language: Oil and Gas Facilities and Pipelines

More Information#

The City of Fort Collins had an active oil field in the northeast part of the City that was first discovered in 1924 and continued producing until 2024. City land use regulations prohibit new development within 2000' of a residential building, and in City natural areas. As of 2024, there are no active producing wells within City limits.

A detailed map of wells and well status is available from the Colorado Energy and Carbon Management Commission (ECMC).

2023 Panel Discussion - Oil and Gas Operations#

On March 9, 2023, the City of Fort Collins hosted a Q&A panel with Larimer County and State officials to discuss changes to the regulation of oil and gas facilities and pipelines. Land Use Code changes have since been adopted by the City.

Watch the Q&A Panel

2019 Health Impacts Study#

In 2019, the Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment (CDPHE) released a health impacts study based on emissions data collected during field operations along the Front Range in 2016. This study concluded that air emissions related to oil and gas development may cause short term negative health impacts (e.g., headaches; dizziness; respiratory, skin and eye irritation) during worst-case conditions at up to 2,000 feet from operations.

2017 Air Quality Assessment and Technical Session#

The City's Air Quality Advisory Board and Natural Resources Advisory Board, and County's Environmental and Science Advisory Board, hosted an air quality technical session on November 15, 2017. Discussed were an air quality monitoring assessment conducted using data collected during the 2014 Front Range Air Pollution and Photochemistry Experiment (FRAPPE), and new oil and gas health information and response resources available from the Colorado Department of Health and Environment (CDPHE).

The NCAR assessment report indicated that oil and gas emissions, along with transportation sources, were the largest contributors to the regions high ozone events.

Watch the session on FCTV

2017 Fort Collins Emission Rate Study#

In 2017, Fort Collins, Colorado State University (CSU) and Prospect Energy collaborated on a sampling effort just outside City limits to characterize emissions during the hydraulic fracturing and flowback stages of a well recompletion. Measurements indicated that emissions were lower than other measurements along the Front Range.

2016 North Front Range Emission Rate Study#

In 2016, Colorado State University (CSU), in collaboration with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) and several operators, completed a monitoring study that characterized emission rates from oil and gas operations along the northern Front Range. The lowest emission rates were measured during hydraulic fracturing operations, followed by production. The highest emissions rates were measured during flowback, which is a pre-production stage where the fracking fluid, produced water, oil and natural gas flow up and out of the well before it is placed into production

2014/2015 Assessment Reports#

In 2013, air sampling was performed in Fort Collins per the terms of the City's Operator Agreement with Prospect Energy. Measurements indicated concentrations of oil and gas related air pollutants were lower in Fort Collins than near larger oil and gas fields in eastern Colorado.