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Fort Collins-area fracking fluid leak stopped after spewing for 30 hours

coloradoan.com -- The company drilling at the site north of Windsor has been involved in 32 spills in Colorado during the past year.

Oil-laden fracking fluid gushed from an oil well near Fort Collins for nearly 30 hours before it was stopped Tuesday afternoon.

A hydraulic failure around 9:30 a.m. Monday caused a piece of equipment to fall onto a valve and break it at the drilling site 4 miles east of Fort Collins. A horizontal stream of green-tinted fluid flowed from the valve for nearly a day and half before crews gained control of it.

The workers had the flow stopped shortly after 4 p.m. Tuesday. The well operator, PDC Energy, planned to bring in a crew from Texas to stop the gushing liquid, which company officials say was contained by an earthen berm.

There were no injuries and no threat of a

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Submitted Feb 13, 2013 By: teafortwo

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honda0105 Champion Author Tallahassee Posts:18,632 Points:1,610,495 Joined:Nov 2008	Message Posted: Feb 17, 2013 5:48:56 AM Ignore honda0105 Report Abuse 32 spills and nothing has been done to put them out of business by making them clean up the mess? Well, no surprise, honestly.
BEGTWO Champion Author Maryland Posts:1,947 Points:725,115 Joined:Sep 2010	Message Posted: Feb 14, 2013 6:29:32 AM Ignore BEGTWO Report Abuse GOOD!
jrs4125 Champion Author Indiana Posts:2,763 Points:592,720 Joined:Sep 2011	Message Posted: Feb 14, 2013 5:19:10 AM Ignore jrs4125 Report Abuse Dooooh
Amplion Champion Author Oregon Posts:6,772 Points:1,866,035 Joined:Sep 2005	Message Posted: Feb 14, 2013 12:46:52 AM Ignore Amplion Report Abuse BAN FRACKING
NHLiveFree Champion Author New Hampshire Posts:11,095 Points:1,623,180 Joined:Jun 2008	Message Posted: Feb 13, 2013 10:15:13 PM Ignore NHLiveFree Report Abuse Who are you kidding 357revo? 32 toxic spills by the same firm in one year in one state is not "an accident". It is imcompetence and mismanagement. Letting the latest go for 30 hours is incredible. Sounds more like no one was around to man a safety shutoff valve or a safety shutoff was totally absent! Some "accident" times 32! [Edited by: NHLiveFree at 2/14/2013 12:16:17 AM EST]
NHLiveFree Champion Author New Hampshire Posts:11,095 Points:1,623,180 Joined:Jun 2008	Message Posted: Feb 13, 2013 10:10:03 PM Ignore NHLiveFree Report Abuse Are you kidding YLHandyman??? 32 spills of this poison by the same drilling firm in one year in one state is utterly absurd. How can you brush this off or make any excuse for this incompetent firm unless you're a stockholder or oil investor/speculator? Again 32 by one firm over just one year. This company should be banned from every state!
KAR120CSII Champion Author Oregon Posts:3,182 Points:621,695 Joined:Apr 2010	Message Posted: Feb 13, 2013 6:30:47 PM Ignore KAR120CSII Report Abuse Big oil and gas run Colorado.
PDQBlues Champion Author San Diego Posts:7,079 Points:1,449,300 Joined:Jan 2009	Message Posted: Feb 13, 2013 1:43:57 PM Ignore PDQBlues Report Abuse Hey Colorado, how do you like your drinking water with toxic fracking pollution? 32 spills? This company should have been stopped after the first one.
rbutterw Champion Author Raleigh Posts:1,185 Points:294,475 Joined:Mar 2012	Message Posted: Feb 13, 2013 10:53:40 AM Ignore rbutterw Report Abuse Consequences?
95Vette Champion Author Missouri Posts:2,525 Points:633,405 Joined:Sep 2005	Message Posted: Feb 13, 2013 9:44:09 AM Ignore 95Vette Report Abuse And this company has been in invovled in 32 spills.. and it has just now gotten the state's attention?????? they must be good at hiding.
WestMichigan Champion Author Grand Rapids Posts:2,483 Points:556,815 Joined:Mar 2011	Message Posted: Feb 13, 2013 9:38:19 AM Ignore WestMichigan Report Abuse Nice black eye for the industry that is otherwise reasonably safe.
bbthegun Champion Author San Diego Posts:5,983 Points:1,681,940 Joined:Sep 2006	Message Posted: Feb 13, 2013 9:35:59 AM Ignore bbthegun Report Abuse What a drag, man...
YLHandyman Champion Author Orange County Posts:5,560 Points:1,047,060 Joined:Feb 2008	Message Posted: Feb 13, 2013 9:34:59 AM Ignore YLHandyman Report Abuse Problems happen all the time. We expect this to be perfect. Yet look how many oil tankers sink every year. We only hear about one or two every fe years through the media. Still less enviromental damage than a ship full of oil.
rawdog1313 Champion Author Lexington Posts:3,304 Points:1,643,780 Joined:May 2008	Message Posted: Feb 13, 2013 9:33:10 AM Ignore rawdog1313 Report Abuse But it is sooooooo safe, how could this happen?
peakkeller Champion Author Colorado Springs Posts:1,696 Points:778,325 Joined:Dec 2009	Message Posted: Feb 13, 2013 9:32:19 AM Ignore peakkeller Report Abuse Ugh
pleinyeux All-Star Author Montreal Posts:786 Points:200,605 Joined:Oct 2012	Message Posted: Feb 13, 2013 9:26:15 AM Ignore pleinyeux Report Abuse Acccidents will happen .....sorrrrrrrrryyyyyyyyyyyyyy
357revo Champion Author Pittsburgh Posts:18,130 Points:2,385,580 Joined:Sep 2006	Message Posted: Feb 13, 2013 9:04:53 AM Ignore 357revo Report Abuse The reason that this article is in the news is because such an accident is so rare, given the thousands of wells drilled without a mishap. Get real people. The leak was contained. Nobody was injured. The state and local authorities agree there's no environmental threat. Hyping this as a reason to disallow fracking is equivalent to banning the automobile because somebody ran into a tree with one. Unfortunately, there are plenty of low information voters out there willing to be useful idiots to the anti-fracking program being financed by the Saudi oil cabal.
thirstyauto Champion Author Milwaukee Posts:14,718 Points:1,619,770 Joined:Nov 2008	Message Posted: Feb 13, 2013 8:57:00 AM Ignore thirstyauto Report Abuse Definitely an article written to create hard feelings towards fracking.
Costello Champion Author South Dakota Posts:1,416 Points:1,155,415 Joined:Jan 2007	Message Posted: Feb 13, 2013 8:40:57 AM Ignore Costello Report Abuse Like ALL manufacturing companies...acccidents WILL happen. Depends upon your agenda what you want to see!!!
Buck_on_Bass Champion Author Tennessee Posts:7,579 Points:1,457,035 Joined:Jul 2007	Message Posted: Feb 13, 2013 8:40:12 AM Ignore Buck_on_Bass Report Abuse Without knowing how much fluid was spilled, this article seems to be more hype than fact.
Holly123 Champion Author Charlotte Posts:3,205 Points:791,145 Joined:Dec 2010	Message Posted: Feb 13, 2013 8:38:36 AM Ignore Holly123 Report Abuse Yikes! 30 hours?
w4kh Champion Author Tennessee Posts:11,675 Points:2,229,965 Joined:May 2004	Message Posted: Feb 13, 2013 8:02:23 AM Ignore w4kh Report Abuse "...the gushing liquid, which company officials say was contained by an earthen berm..." Do these well operators think we are all STUPID? Earthen berms may contain the liquid, but the toxic chemicals can now leach back into the earth and contaminate the Fort Collins water supply, just like rain water and snow melt can leach into the earth (but rain water and snow are benign, not toxic like fracking liquid)...
357revo Champion Author Pittsburgh Posts:18,130 Points:2,385,580 Joined:Sep 2006	Message Posted: Feb 13, 2013 8:00:50 AM Ignore 357revo Report Abuse @boatman, who said: "more human error or just plan bad planning" Read the article. This was an accident caused initially by the failure of a hydraulic line. That toppled equipment onto a valve that caused the pipe to fracture and release fracking fluid under pressure. A comparable accident on a small scale, if one of the heater hoses on your car engine cracks while the engine is on, the coolant will blow out until the pressure decreases or the engine is turned off. Big difference in the pressures involved, big difference in the amount of fluid under pressure, and, since the pressure is all in thousands of feet of pipe down to the horizontal drilled well, no way to turn off the "engine". Up it another order of magnitude, and you've got the BP pipe crushed in the Gulf.
coughlin Champion Author San Jose Posts:5,190 Points:1,118,840 Joined:Sep 2009	Message Posted: Feb 13, 2013 7:45:51 AM Ignore coughlin Report Abuse Shut them down.
Mariuxus Champion Author Chicago Posts:3,765 Points:1,872,040 Joined:May 2007	Message Posted: Feb 13, 2013 7:39:14 AM Ignore Mariuxus Report Abuse What a fracking problem...!
tomok Champion Author Portland Posts:33,044 Points:2,346,485 Joined:Aug 2006	Message Posted: Feb 13, 2013 7:37:48 AM Ignore tomok Report Abuse Fort Collins-area fracking fluid leak stopped after spewing for 30 hours! Spewing for 30 hours? - sounds like a week long drunk gone bad. Fracking fluid leak and possible pollution to the underground water resources and surface well water with flammable vapors? Tighten up the fracking controls and regulations and stop this fracking nonsense! Big Oil and Big Gas sells fuel and natural gas on the world market for higher prices. The US ‘oil and natural gas resources’ belong to the citizens of this country and are to be used by those same citizens! These resources are Not to be exported without taking care of the domestic market first. Drive vehicles with high MPG, are very safe, reliable, have a ‘reasonable’ cost and a good ‘value’ for the money. The price of fuel at the pump is too high!
2962 Champion Author Omaha Posts:1,067 Points:394,910 Joined:Feb 2006	Message Posted: Feb 13, 2013 7:35:15 AM Ignore 2962 Report Abuse I think I am glad I am not their insurance company.
badbonita Champion Author Syracuse Posts:6,229 Points:1,354,685 Joined:Jul 2008	Message Posted: Feb 13, 2013 7:31:00 AM Ignore badbonita Report Abuse 32 spills in a year! THat's insane. What is the EPA doing besides sitting on it's duff? What about the environmentalists? Or can't they be bothered now that the drilling is going on?
rippertoo Champion Author Tacoma Posts:5,760 Points:1,142,810 Joined:Jan 2010	Message Posted: Feb 13, 2013 7:25:59 AM Ignore rippertoo Report Abuse 32 spills in the last year alone? This company needs to be investigated and prosecuted.
Aserdaten Champion Author Florida Posts:3,476 Points:2,053,700 Joined:Apr 2006	Message Posted: Feb 13, 2013 7:19:53 AM Ignore Aserdaten Report Abuse At least the problem was contained - this time, at least. What can be done to keep it from happening again?
ruca2012 Champion Author San Diego Posts:1,069 Points:214,165 Joined:Oct 2012	Message Posted: Feb 13, 2013 7:18:42 AM Ignore ruca2012 Report Abuse fracking is not safe. they need to make it more safe to protect the communities.
Blue_Cruzer Champion Author Lexington Posts:7,525 Points:1,670,560 Joined:Mar 2007	Message Posted: Feb 13, 2013 7:15:55 AM Ignore Blue_Cruzer Report Abuse Probably will not be the last accident with fracking.
cableman31 Champion Author New York Posts:8,838 Points:2,017,775 Joined:May 2004	Message Posted: Feb 13, 2013 7:15:39 AM Ignore cableman31 Report Abuse After 32 leaks in one year why is this company still allowed the drill? Oh I now, the Dept. of Interior is watching porn movies again like they were when BP sprung their famous leak in the GULF. Our great government NOT AT WORK AGAIN.
hvyd1 All-Star Author Chicago Posts:830 Points:77,850 Joined:Feb 2012	Message Posted: Feb 13, 2013 7:14:43 AM Ignore hvyd1 Report Abuse doh !
Spetsnaz Champion Author Dayton Posts:1,879 Points:619,480 Joined:May 2006	Message Posted: Feb 13, 2013 7:14:37 AM Ignore Spetsnaz Report Abuse wow. a mess
matthwbar Champion Author Toledo Posts:4,068 Points:1,018,780 Joined:Jun 2007	Message Posted: Feb 13, 2013 7:14:09 AM Ignore matthwbar Report Abuse Good news...
RichardoB Champion Author Fayetteville Posts:8,007 Points:2,004,160 Joined:Jun 2007	Message Posted: Feb 13, 2013 7:14:09 AM Ignore RichardoB Report Abuse 32 spills? Shut this company down.
99church Champion Author Indiana Posts:1,826 Points:363,015 Joined:Oct 2011	Message Posted: Feb 13, 2013 7:14:01 AM Ignore 99church Report Abuse ditto livedream
tutaw Champion Author Kentucky Posts:3,600 Points:843,495 Joined:Sep 2008	Message Posted: Feb 13, 2013 7:13:42 AM Ignore tutaw Report Abuse better get busy cleaning it up
ZeroBoxes Champion Author Mississippi Posts:1,079 Points:213,340 Joined:Apr 2012	Message Posted: Feb 13, 2013 7:13:41 AM Ignore ZeroBoxes Report Abuse Uhm....OSHA...what is Plan-B?
bart_reed Champion Author Los Angeles Posts:3,979 Points:786,605 Joined:Mar 2011	Message Posted: Feb 13, 2013 7:13:18 AM Ignore bart_reed Report Abuse Not good.
livedream Champion Author Michigan Posts:3,690 Points:756,035 Joined:Mar 2011	Message Posted: Feb 13, 2013 7:12:58 AM Ignore livedream Report Abuse I completely agree with pmc3 -- "Sounds like THIS company needs to be SHUT DOWN completely!!!"
Sam195 Champion Author San Bernardino Posts:8,095 Points:1,576,050 Joined:Oct 2008	Message Posted: Feb 13, 2013 7:12:51 AM Ignore Sam195 Report Abuse Yummy. Anti-freeze in the drinking water.
cheli2010 All-Star Author Twin Cities Posts:635 Points:288,440 Joined:Mar 2010	Message Posted: Feb 13, 2013 7:12:01 AM Ignore cheli2010 Report Abuse hmmm obviously there was no back up plan on this...
KMJ17 Rookie Author Cleveland Posts:33 Points:1,115,070 Joined:May 2004	Message Posted: Feb 13, 2013 7:11:57 AM Ignore KMJ17 Report Abuse Great! Now, the environmentalist and their friends in the media will point to this to eliminate fracking. Anything they can use to prevent us from accessing the tremendous supplies of oil and gas we have in this country.
mswillia Champion Author Milwaukee Posts:2,637 Points:572,355 Joined:Feb 2010	Message Posted: Feb 13, 2013 7:11:27 AM Ignore mswillia Report Abuse not good, clean it up
Oldzin All-Star Author Orange County Posts:805 Points:182,350 Joined:Oct 2012	Message Posted: Feb 13, 2013 7:11:25 AM Ignore Oldzin Report Abuse Sounds like we are bypassing normal safety procedures in our headlong rush to "frack" every well we know of.
LJGP_MO95 Champion Author Missouri Posts:1,753 Points:478,980 Joined:Jun 2005	Message Posted: Feb 13, 2013 7:11:25 AM Ignore LJGP_MO95 Report Abuse There's always going to be problems to take care of.
dopster Champion Author Toledo Posts:7,281 Points:2,293,225 Joined:Aug 2004	Message Posted: Feb 13, 2013 7:11:20 AM Ignore dopster Report Abuse Tell me again why we're supposed to trust Big Oil to be safe?
MikLamb Champion Author Texas Posts:7,990 Points:2,176,095 Joined:Jun 2006	Message Posted: Feb 13, 2013 7:11:02 AM Ignore MikLamb Report Abuse It takes 30 hours to shut off a pipe?