Real Estate and Fracking
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Boulder, CO · Member since 2017 · 6 posts · 8 votes
8yHello,
I live in Erie and work in the O&G industry (I don't do much work in Colorado). There are wells that run underneath our development. There are going to be more wells that continue to be drilled near us. I don't consider it an issue or a concern. Are you going to be on well water? Also, they are called wells, not fracking sites.
You can see active wells and permits all over the state here:
17 Replies
- Boulder, CO · Member since 2017 · 6 posts · 8 votes8y
Hello,
I live in Erie and work in the O&G industry (I don't do much work in Colorado). There are wells that run underneath our development. There are going to be more wells that continue to be drilled near us. I don't consider it an issue or a concern. Are you going to be on well water? Also, they are called wells, not fracking sites.
You can see active wells and permits all over the state here:
Originally posted by @Kelan Donahue:
Hello,
I live in Erie and work in the O&G industry (I don't do much work in Colorado). There are wells that run underneath our development. There are going to be more wells that continue to be drilled near us. I don't consider it an issue or a concern. Are you going to be on well water? Also, they are called wells, not fracking sites.
You can see active wells and permits all over the state here:
Thank you very much for sharing that information, it's appreciated. Still trying to figure out the maps you had linked to. They look to be very helpful. Is there a way to determine when the well will be capped, or if there are any proposed or expected to go up in the near future? I was told the ones in closest proximity to the house are to be "capped" by the end of the year, but I would like to verify that myself.
The property is connected to city water, so I guess the issue that could arise is whether or not groundwater contamination has or could occur. If the house is connected to City water, and not the well I'm assuming that shouldn't too much of an issue. Also, are there any air contaminants that one should be concerned about? As someone in the industry, would you have any issue purchasing a home near fracking wells? It sounds like "no" but curious.
Thanks
- 8yAlex BekezaBusiness MemberLender · Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2018 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
Check out the movie "Gasland" .... Companies promise one thing. Then people's faucet water starts to be lit on fire.....
I'm no expert obviously but this seems like the same old story of huge companies spending millions to fight agencies which are meant to protect people. I would not move my family anywhere near a site or "well"....
Simply google "Fracking Leaks"
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-39032748
Investor Property Loan5308 Reviews - Rental Property Investor · New York, NY · Member since 2018 · 10 posts · 5 votes8y
This is a great thread, thanks for the question. We were recently looking to purchase land in Upstate New York and the prospect of fracking definitely turned us off. How close is too close and what are the ramifications if your neighbors all decide fracking is the best way forward?
- Boulder, CO · Member since 2017 · 6 posts · 8 votes8y
I don't think P&A (plug and abandon) projects get posted in advance, but I could be wrong. Sometimes, companies will reach out to local landowners and let them know in advance, but I don't believe there is a requirement. Who is the company? They should have a community outreach contact you could ask. Just keep in mind that projects and plans change very often in this industry.
I don't have an issue living near active drilling locations or existing wells. Noise would be my only concern while the wells are being drilled and completed, and the quiet fleets that are out now have done a good job eliminating that. That being said, there were a few wells that were drilled near my house this past year that other people complained about noise - those people were much closer than me.
There are about 50 active permits in Erie right now. I have no idea if/when those will get drilled. Extraction and Anadarko are the two companies that have those permits. I am pretty sure that Crestone is also going to permit some more wells.
Air quality is a huge deal right now, and restrictions have gotten tougher in recent years. Here is a report based on several wells drilled in Erie last year. From that report:
"Based on the results from the air sampling data collected adjacent to the Completions Pad, it is unlikely that short-term or long-term exposures would result in negative health effects. There were no exceedances of short-term or long-term health screening levels at any sampling location during this reporting period."
That report does mention that it's very difficult to accurately measure.
- Northern Virginia · Member since 2017 · 16 posts · 15 votes8y
Originally posted by @Alex Bekeza:
Check out the movie "Gasland" .... Companies promise one thing. Then people's faucet water starts to be lit on fire.....
I'm no expert obviously but this seems like the same old story of huge companies spending millions to fight agencies which are meant to protect people. I would not move my family anywhere near a site or "well"....
Simply google "Fracking Leaks"
That movie has been proven completely exaggerated to the point where it's almost downright wrong. The water lighting on fire was done specifically for the movie with people injecting gas to their own water lines. There's several lawsuits against the movie now.
With that said, I would see I'd you can find permits as to when they will be done with the well. If you're having these thoughts, future buyers of your house could too.
- 8yAlex BekezaBusiness MemberLender · Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2018 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
@Account Closed
I'm open minded to any facts that surface which go against or debunk the claims of the movie.
Obviously, any movie like this will have lawsuits lined up the moment it's screened.
I haven't seen Truthland yet (the film meant to debunk Gasland) but you've inspired me to check it out. I have my reservations since it was created by the Independent Petroleum Association of America. But hey, facts are facts. I just know my gut tells me I wouldn't want to live near something with so many possible health consequences.
The link I posted includes info on 100s of actual spills as reported by the fracking companies themselves.......
Investor Property Loan5308 Reviews Have you seen the short video about fracking in Erie called Fracktured Erie? Link to it (and lots of other good info) in this article, sorry couldn’t find a link to the actual video: https://www.coloradoindependent.com/165168/fractured-boulder-fracking-moratorium-regulations whether or not you believe fracking wells emit carcinogenics or contaminate ground water, these wells are definitely not good to have nearby imo. Would you want your neighbor building a 30 foot tall fence, making loud noises all the time and pumping a bunch of chemicals into the ground causing weird smells? Having a well within a few hundred feet of your home (I believe the setback from residential areas is 350 feet) would certainly limit the number of people willing to buy that property (it’s making you think twice, the next guy will have the same reservations) and could negatively effect resale value. Most Erie real estate is appreciating because it’s one of the last affordable towns in the area, but not houses unlucky enough to be in close proximity to fracking wells. Colliers Hill and Vista Ridge have been written about a lot in particular and definitely don’t benefit from articles like this one: https://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/local-news/neighbors-are-fed-up-with-fracking-smells-noises-in-erie-subdivision. If I were you I’d make sure any home you buy is as far away as possible from capped, current or future wells. Boulder county has had far less fracking than Weld county historically (Erie spans both counties), so you might look as far into Boulder County as possible but the future is uncertain because the moratorium was recently lifted in Boulder County. 2 people were killed last year in nearby Firestone when a new house exploded because it was built close to an improperly capped flow line, and these flow lines are not mapped, so it’s definitely an issue to be concerned with. http://www.timescall.com/carbon-valley-news/ci_30959619/firestone-explosion-started-by-gas-from-cut-flow
- 8yGlen MauldinPro MemberReal Estate Broker · Houston, TX · Member since 2015 · 18 posts · 14 votesI would love to know your agent’s source of information regarding the “capping” of the well. Wells get P&A’d when they are no longer economically viable. Many of the different state oil and gas regulatory agencies have information available about the fracking process put forward in easy to understand formats. One of my favorites is from CDOGGR (California Department of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Recourses). I also know TRRC (Texas Railroad Commission) has info available too.
- Rental Property Investor · Glens Falls, NY · Member since 2016 · 176 posts · 169 votes8y
Originally posted by @Alex Bekeza:
Check out the movie "Gasland" .... Companies promise one thing. Then people's faucet water starts to be lit on fire.....
I'm no expert obviously but this seems like the same old story of huge companies spending millions to fight agencies which are meant to protect people. I would not move my family anywhere near a site or "well"....
Simply google "Fracking Leaks"
I came to this thread knowing someone was going to mention the completely biased and untrue gaslands documentary.
You'll be fine.
- Rental Property Investor · Glens Falls, NY · Member since 2016 · 176 posts · 169 votes8y
water wells are fracked on top of drilled too people.. Not just gas.. Most hydraulic fracturing is done horizontally as opposed to vertically.. The most common "chemicals" used during the process are sand and water along with small amounts of chemicals you can buy at Walmart. Horizontal drilling allows more gas which leads to more money for the companies. Horizontal drilling takes place way below the water table and wells are lined in casing. The only complaints I would have would be noise and traffic. It is not a quite practice. Has the property been explored? will gas companies want to buy pieces of the land? if so $$$$
- Rental Property Investor · Sioux Falls, SD · Member since 2015 · 9k+ posts · 18k+ votes8y
Originally posted by @John Papa:
Hi All,
After spending time out in Colorado and the surrounding areas, my wife and I are set on moving, specifically the Erie area. After looking at a lot of properties, we found one we really like and are considering making an offer. The only thing that is giving us some pause are some fracking sites located close to the home and development. One site is about .25 miles away, and another about a mile away. According to our agent, the sites are going to be capped and decommissioned this year, but obviously we will still need to verify.
Does anyone have any experience dealing with fracking sites, or have any insight based on what they have seen or experienced? Given that I am going to be uprooting my family and moving 2,000 miles away, I want to make sure I am covering all of my bases.
Thank you all in advance,
John
I watched a TV special about people who lived near fracking sites and their houses were destroyed by foundation damage caused by fracking and mini earthquakes that are created by the process. Not to mention chemical smells and ground water pollution. Just do a Google search on "fracking house damage". There are many people with horror stories around this. Of course the big oil companies say it is all safe and good. Tobacco companies claimed for 100 years there was no link between cancer and smoking. Amazing what big money can get away with.
- Boulder, CO · Member since 2017 · 6 posts · 8 votes8y
Completing a well (or fracking) is not directly causing the earthquakes in Oklahoma. When you drill and complete a well, you end up with waste water. That water needs to be disposed of, and the formation that they were injecting into was in the basement. This video is a little old, but it explains it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZUtfEv55Fg
There are some theories that this could be producing smaller earthquakes more frequently, which would be better off than a large earthquake. I'm not sure if those are true or not, and I've spoken to some people that do this professionally who said that was almost impossible to prove. Regardless, there were far too many earthquakes happening in Oklahoma, and the high volumes of water being injected into the Arbuckle formation were reduced. I'm not up to speed there, but from a quick search it looks like there have only been two earth quakes over 4.5 in the last year there and they were 4.6.
There was a 3.4 earthquake north of Greeley in '13 or '14, and I think all signs pointed to it being caused by a disposal well. The company plugged the bottom 400 feet of the well, and I don't think there have been any issues since.
Recycling that water and re-using it for completions is becoming more common, but that doesn't work for all operators.
- Investor · Greeley, CO · Member since 2016 · 10 posts · 4 votes8y
The reality of the issue is that you would be hard pressed to find a property that is not near some sort of oil production in Northern Colorado.
- 8yDeborah BurianPro MemberRental Property Investor · Oklahoma City, OK · Member since 2013 · 1k+ posts · 412 votes
@Johanna Burian - thought you might like to see this thread.
- 8yDan MackinBusiness MemberReal Estate Agent · Erie, CO · Member since 2014 · 1k+ posts · 512 votes
@John Papa I'm an Erie resident as well. I've been in the area for 5 years now and well equipment is just part of what we see around here. I look at them as semi-permanent open space. Here even if a well gets capped that does not officially mean that they will not come back in the future. The likelihood is small since it wasn't producing enough now anyways, but permanent caps aren't that common from my understanding (@Kelan Donahue might be able to clarify this for me).
As for the town itself, I love it here. It's growing, but you can still get that small town feel if you get to know folks. If you have any direct questions feel free to reach out.
- Boulder, CO · Member since 2017 · 6 posts · 8 votes8y
That's a good point about re-entry, @Dan Mackin. A change in commodity pricing, change in ownership of the well, or increased production from a different formation could all lead to re-entry.
I found this discussing temporary abandonment vs. permanent in Colorado. Temporary is for six months or less, however, operators can cite reasons that they should be able to exceed that time frame. I don't know how long those extensions can last.
There are currently 1,333 temporarily abandoned wells in Weld County and 5,599 P&Aed wells.
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