DENVER (AP) — The Latest on an oil and gas project in a suburban Denver neighborhood (all times local):
6:50 p.m.
Opponents of a major oil and gas project in a suburban Denver neighborhood say they’re disappointed the state didn’t block the drilling, but they’re pleased that regulators described state laws as outdated.
The state Oil and Gas Conservation Commission on Tuesday approved a request by Extraction Oil & Gas to drill for oil that belongs to dozens of owners in suburban Broomfield, including some who don’t want to participate.
But some commissioners said state laws weren’t written for this kind of project, using new drilling techniques in an urban area.
Opponents are using the same argument in a separate federal lawsuit against the project.
Extraction Oil & Gas said it was happy with the ruling and said it recognizes the work the company as done to accommodate Broomfield’s concerns.
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6:05 p.m.
A fiercely contested oil and gas project in a residential neighborhood outside Denver has cleared a major hurdle.
State regulators on Tuesday approved a request by Extraction Oil & Gas to drill for oil that belongs to dozens of owners in suburban Broomfield, including some who don’t want to participate.
The process is called forced pooling. It was created decades ago to make drilling more efficient, but some Broomfield residents said they felt coerced and intimidated.
Regulators said forced pooling laws are outdated and aren’t suited to a project in urban areas, such as Broomfield. But on a 5-1 vote, they said Extraction had met the requirements of the law as written.
The vote came as state lawmakers debated a bill Tuesday that would tighten the requirements for forced pooling.
