Following a fatal home explosion, Texas-based Anadarko Petroleum Corporation will shut down nearly 3,000 vertical wells in northeastern Colorado, according to a report by The Denver Post.
The massive fire occurred on April 17 in the suburban community of Firestone, Colorado, about 170 feet from a well drilled in 1993 and later acquired by Anadarko. The blast claimed the lives of two men and injured two other family members. The men were reportedly repairing a hot-water heater in the basement when the explosion occurred.
The home was built in 2015, two years after the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission enacted rules requiring a 500 feet barrier distance between existing homes and oil and gas drilling operations, according to the report.
Anadarko will conduct prioritized well inspections closest to residential and commercial developments. The wells were producing nearly 13,000 barrels of oil a day until the deadly blast.
Out of an “abundance of caution,” the state’s largest oil and gas producer agreed to shut down all of its vertical wells from the same era.
“Colorado residents must feel safe in their own homes, and I want to be clear that we are committed to understanding all that we can about this tragedy as we work with each investigating agency until causes can be determined,” said Brad Holly, Anadarko’s senior vice president of U.S. Onshore Exploration and Production.
State regulators continue to investigate and gather evidence to determine the cause of the explosion.
Anadarko has Oklahoma ties. The company acquired Oklahoma City-based Kerr-McGee Corporation in 2006.
