County attorney warns of oil-well integrity failure near Johnson Ranch; county to seek outside counsel and coordinate with ECMC
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Summary
County legal staff told commissioners an oil well near Johnson Ranch failed a Braden head test and is sited within roughly 30 feet of a domestic water well, prompting further coordination with the state oversight body and plans to retain outside counsel.
Routt County's county attorney briefed commissioners on July 7 about a potentially hazardous oil-well situation in the county’s west area involving a Braden head test failure and proximity to a domestic water well serving the Johnson Ranch subdivision.
Why it matters: The reported Braden head failure raises questions about well integrity and potential risk to a nearby domestic water well; the county previously secured an injunction prohibiting the well’s operation and is exploring further legal and regulatory options.
County legal staff said they met with ECMC (the state oil-and-gas oversight body referenced in the meeting) and that ECMC expressed significant concern about the Braden head test failure. "That well did fail its Braden head test," the county attorney said. The attorney told the board the well — referred to in the transcript with phonetic spellings — sits within approximately 30 feet of a water well that serves the Johnson Ranch subdivision. That proximity was highlighted in the meeting and confirmed by an ECMC engineer who reviewed maps during a staff conversation.
The county said it previously obtained an injunction against the operator because the well lacked a special-use permit, and the injunction currently prohibits operation. County legal staff said they had contacted a private attorney with local experience (an attorney who represented Johnson Ranch in prior litigation) to evaluate available options and to ensure the county protects residents’ interests. Commissioners expressed unanimous support for pursuing counsel and for aligning with ECMC concerns about safety.
Staff said they will continue to coordinate with ECMC and bring back an engagement agreement and timeline for potential legal work. The county also noted competing regulatory and policy objectives between the county and the state oversight body — for example, ECMC staff described repair or plug-and-abandon options without explicitly preferring one — and county staff said they would continue seeking clarity and remedies that protect the nearby water supply.