Measuring and Modeling Air Pollution and Noise Exposure Near Unconventional Oil and Gas Development in Colorado

Principal Investigator:
Jeffrey Collett
Professor and Department Head
Colorado State University
Principal Investigator:
Clay Bell
Research Scientist
Colorado State University Energy Institute
Principal Investigator:
Jeffrey Pierce
Professor
Colorado State University
Principal Investigator:
Lisa McKenzie
Clinical Assistant Professor
Colorado School of Public Health
Principal Investigator:
Mike Van Dyke
Associate Professor
Colorado School of Public Health
Principal Investigator:
Dan Zimmerle
Senior Research Associate
Colorado State University

The goal of this study is to develop community exposure profiles in the Colorado North Front Range for chemicals in the air as well as noise over the UOGD lifecycle, from site preparation through production of multi-well pads. This study will assess potential exposure pathways connecting UOGD chemical emissions to nearby communities and use the results to better understand the public health implications. The investigators will apply the following methods to achieve these goals:

  1. Use a combination of existing air quality data, innovative air quality measurements, and source apportionment models to quantify potential exposures.
  2. Collect noise measurements from UOGD operations to quantify potential exposures.
  3. In collaboration with the Hildebrandt Ruiz team, develop the "TRAcking Community Exposures and Releases" (TRACER) model for use in the Denver-Julesburg region to predict chemical emissions from specific UOGD processes. The teams will combine the predicted emissions with an air quality model to estimate concentrations of chemicals in the air.
  4. Evaluate model performance by comparing air quality monitoring data collected by this and the Franklin team with model predictions in the Denver-Julesburg region.

Collett Map

Collett Study Location

Fact Sheets
Video
Video file
Jeffrey Collett presents his research at the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission weekly meeting. August 31, 2022. Watch the full video on YouTube (Collett's talk begins at 1:00:46).
Jeffrey Collett
Jeffrey Collett

Research Team

Jeffrey Collett
Professor and Department Head
Colorado State University
Clay Bell
Research Scientist
Colorado State University Energy Institute
Jeffrey Pierce
Professor
Colorado State University
Lisa McKenzie
Clinical Assistant Professor
Colorado School of Public Health
Mike Van Dyke
Associate Professor
Colorado School of Public Health
Dan Zimmerle
Senior Research Associate
Colorado State University

Project Updates

Collett Quarterly Update - March 2024

Measuring and Modeling Air Pollution and Noise Exposure Near Unconventional Oil and Gas Development in Colorado

Jeffrey Collett

The goal of this study is to develop community exposure profiles in the Colorado North Front Range for chemicals in the air as well as noise over the UOGD lifecycle, from site preparation through production of multi-well pads. This study will assess potential exposure pathways connecting UOGD chemical emissions to nearby communities and use the results to better understand the public health implications. The investigators will apply the following methods to achieve these goals:

  1. Use a combination of existing air quality data, innovative air quality measurements, and source apportionment models to quantify potential exposures.
  2. Collect noise measurements from UOGD operations to quantify potential exposures.
  3. In collaboration with the Hildebrandt Ruiz team, develop the "TRAcking Community Exposures and Releases" (TRACER) model for use in the Denver-Julesburg region to predict chemical emissions from specific UOGD processes. The teams will combine the predicted emissions with an air quality model to estimate concentrations of chemicals in the air.
  4. Evaluate model performance by comparing air quality monitoring data collected by this and the Franklin team with model predictions in the Denver-Julesburg region.

What's Happened

  • Used volatile organic compound (VOCs) concentration observations from a separate study near unconventional oil and gas development (UOGD) operations in Broomfield, Colorado to determine emission rates of specific VOCs during pre-production operations. Some observations correspond to operations without prior emission estimates such as for coiled tubing and millout (to remove plugs in the well that are used when hydraulic fracturing occurs in multiple stages; the plugs divide each stage). Other observations provide an important comparison to estimates published in EPA’s oil and gas emissions tool, such as for drilling mud volatilization. 
  • CSU Research Scientist Dr. Da Pan presented an overview of the study at the American Geophysical Union meeting in San Francisco.
  • Through an analysis of specific VOC emissions on and near the well pad, as well as lab studies of VOCs associated with Neoflo drilling fluid and Neoflo-based drilling mud, the team confirmed the importance of two compounds, nonane and decane, as chemical tracers of drilling emissions when synthetic Neoflo-based drilling mud is used. 
     

What's New

  • Finalizing emission input options for an oil and gas well activity-based emissions model that includes drilling, hydraulic fracturing, and flowback operations.
  • Monitoring air and noise during hydraulic fracturing operations at a well pad location near Windsor, Colorado.

What's Next

  • Continue analysis of drilling, hydraulic fracturing, and flowback emissions monitored at the two study pads near Aurora and Brighton, Colorado.
  • Secure another flowback operation for air and noise monitoring in the Spring or Summer of 2024.
  • Continue to develop the emissions model. Once finalized, the team will simulate dispersion of modeled emissions to compare with ambient air concentrations observed during well drilling and completion operations at the two study pads near Aurora and Brighton, Colorado.
  • The research team will present a poster on this project at the HEI Annual Conference 2024 in Philadelphia, PA, April 28-30.
     
Collette Quarterly Update - December 2023

Measuring and Modeling Air Pollution and Noise Exposure Near Unconventional Oil and Gas Development in Colorado

Jeffrey Collett

The goal of this study is to develop community exposure profiles in the Colorado North Front Range for chemicals in the air as well as noise over the UOGD lifecycle, from site preparation through production of multi-well pads. This study will assess potential exposure pathways connecting UOGD chemical emissions to nearby communities and use the results to better understand the public health implications. The investigators will apply the following methods to achieve these goals:

  1. Use a combination of existing air quality data, innovative air quality measurements, and source apportionment models to quantify potential exposures.
  2. Collect noise measurements from UOGD operations to quantify potential exposures.
  3. In collaboration with the Hildebrandt Ruiz team, develop the "TRAcking Community Exposures and Releases" (TRACER) model for use in the Denver-Julesburg region to predict chemical emissions from specific UOGD processes. The teams will combine the predicted emissions with an air quality model to estimate concentrations of chemicals in the air.
  4. Evaluate model performance by comparing air quality monitoring data collected by this and the Franklin team with model predictions in the Denver-Julesburg region.

What's Happened

  • Completed air and noise monitoring of drilling operations at a well pad near Brighton, Colorado. 
  • Nearly completed monitoring of the full lifecycle of a well pad near Aurora, Colorado. 
  • Collected samples of drilling fluid and drilling mud and collected air samples near drilling mud recycling operations at the well pad near Brighton.
  • Designed the first version of an activity-based emissions model that includes drilling, hydraulic fracturing, and flowback operations. 
  • Recently published three papers concerning air quality impacts of unconventional oil and gas development in the Denver-Julesburg and Permian Basins.

Ku, I. T., Zhou, Y., Hecobian, A., Benedict, K., Buck, B., Lachenmayer, E., Bryan, T., Frazier, M., Zhang, J., Pan, D., Low, L., Sullivan, A. P., & Collett Jr, J. L. (2024). Air quality impacts from the development of unconventional oil and gas well pads: Air toxics and other volatile organic compounds. Atmospheric Environment, 120187. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2023.120187 

Pollack, I. B., Pan, D., Marsavin, A., Cope, E. J., Calahorrano, J. J., Naimie, L. E., Benedict, K. B., Sullivan, A. P., Zhou, Y., Sive, B. C., Prenni, A. J., Schichtel, B. A., Collett Jr., J. L., & Fischer, E. V. (2023) Observations of ozone, acyl peroxy nitrates, and their precursors during summer 2019 at Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico, Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association, 73:12, 951-968, DOI: 10.1080/10962247.2023.2271436

Pan, D., Pollack, I. B., Sive, B. C., Marsavin, A., Naimie, L. E., Benedict, K. B., Zhou, Y., Sullivan, A. P., Prenni, A. J., Cope, E. J., Calahorrano, J. J., Fischer, E. V., Schichtel, B. A., & Collett Jr, J. L. (2023) Source characterization of volatile organic compounds at Carlsbad Caverns National Park, Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association, 73:12, 914-929, DOI: 10.1080/10962247.2023.2266696

What's New

  • Identifying suitable hydraulic fracturing operations for study in early 2024.
  • Analyzing prior observations of well pad development in Broomfield, Colorado, using ambient volatile organic compound (VOC) concentrations and dispersion modeling to understand emissions from drilling operations that employ petroleum-based and synthetic drilling muds.
  • Comparing emissions rates estimated in the team’s study to emission estimates for drilling mud volatilization from the EPA oil and gas emissions tool.

What's Next

  • Begin monitoring emissions and noise from hydraulic fracturing operations at a new location near Windsor, Colorado in late 2023/early 2024.
  • Continue analysis of drilling, hydraulic fracturing, and flowback emissions monitored at the well pad near Aurora, Colorado.
  • Further develop the emissions model in early 2024. 
  • Run simulations of modeled emissions to compare with ambient air concentrations observed during well drilling and completion operations at the well pad near Aurora, Colorado, to help understand the model’s accuracy. 

Upcoming Events:

  • CSU Research Scientist Dr. Da Pan will present an overview of initial study findings and emission model development at the American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting in San Francisco Dec. 11-15, 2023.
Collett Quarterly Update - September 2023

Measuring and Modeling Air Pollution and Noise Exposure Near Unconventional Oil and Gas Development in Colorado

Jeffrey Collett

The goal of this study is to develop community exposure profiles in the Colorado North Front Range for chemicals in the air as well as noise over the UOGD lifecycle, from site preparation through production of multi-well pads. This study will assess potential exposure pathways connecting UOGD chemical emissions to nearby communities and use the results to better understand the public health implications. The investigators will apply the following methods to achieve these goals:

  1. Use a combination of existing air quality data, innovative air quality measurements, and source apportionment models to quantify potential exposures.
  2. Collect noise measurements from UOGD operations to quantify potential exposures.
  3. In collaboration with the Hildebrandt Ruiz team, develop the "TRAcking Community Exposures and Releases" (TRACER) model for use in the Denver-Julesburg region to predict chemical emissions from specific UOGD processes. The teams will combine the predicted emissions with an air quality model to estimate concentrations of chemicals in the air.
  4. Evaluate model performance by comparing air quality monitoring data collected by this and the Franklin team with model predictions in the Denver-Julesburg region.

What's Happened

  • Held a second Community Open House on August 23, 2023, at the Community Recreation Center in Brighton, Colorado. The open house was attended by state and local government officials, industry representatives, and community members. Posters were presented providing a study overview, in English and Spanish, an introduction to air monitoring activities, and an introduction to noise monitoring. The CSU mobile plume-tracker and stationery SPOD VOC sensors were on display.
  • Completed monitoring of hydraulic fracturing operations at a study pad near Aurora, Colorado.
  • Completed a third-party onsite audit of the project ensuring quality assurance of instruments, data collection, and data analysis.
  • Toured and discussed drilling operations at a well pad near Brighton, Colorado.

What's New

  • Monitoring air emissions from flowback at a well pad near Aurora, Colorado.
  • Monitoring air emissions and noise from drilling at a well pad near Brighton, Colorado.
  • Initiating a focused study on emissions from drilling mud at the well pad near Brighton.  The team is collecting samples of drilling fluid, drilling mud (drilling fluid with added water and barite), and drill cuttings and sending them for laboratory analysis of VOCs. In addition, they are monitoring air quality on the well pad near various points in the drilling mud handling system to examine the chemical signature of emitted VOCs.
  • Using detailed drilling records from the well pad near Aurora to construct a typical well pad activity timeline to help develop the TRACER emissions model. 
  • Gauging emission rates of VOCs during drilling operations in a separate study in Broomfield, Colorado, using hydrocarbon observations combined with dispersion modeling.

What's Next

  • Continue monitoring noise and air emissions at the well pad near Brighton, Colorado into 2024.
  • Wrap up air monitoring at the well pad near Aurora in the fall of 2023.  
  • Continue reviewing operational records with the well pad operator to facilitate interpretation of observations of emitted VOCs during hydraulic fracturing and initial production (also known as flowback operations).
  • Conduct laboratory studies of VOC emissions from drilling fluid, drilling mud, and drill cutting samples collected from drilling operations on the well pad near Brighton.
  • Continue discussions with operators to identify a third well pad to measure noise associated with new e-frac technologies, which are claimed to reduce noise during hydraulic fracturing operations.

Upcoming Events:

  • Dr. Jeff Collett to present on, “Using a spatial canister network to determine source contributions and local emission rates of methane and volatile organic compounds” at the Air & Waste Management Association Air Quality Measurements Conference, November 14-16, 2023, Durham, NC.

 

colorado-drill
Figure 1. Drilling operations underway at a well pad near Brighton, Colorado.

 

Figure 2. Noise monitoring equipment deployed during drilling operations at a well pad near Brighton, Colorado.
Collett Quarterly Update - June 2023

Measuring and Modeling Air Pollution and Noise Exposure Near Unconventional Oil and Gas Development in Colorado

Jeffrey Collett

The goal of this study is to develop community exposure profiles in the Colorado North Front Range for chemicals in the air as well as noise over the UOGD lifecycle, from site preparation through production of multi-well pads. This study will assess potential exposure pathways connecting UOGD chemical emissions to nearby communities and use the results to better understand the public health implications. The investigators will apply the following methods to achieve these goals:

  1. Use a combination of existing air quality data, innovative air quality measurements, and source apportionment models to quantify potential exposures.
  2. Collect noise measurements from UOGD operations to quantify potential exposures.
  3. In collaboration with the Hildebrandt Ruiz team, develop the "TRAcking Community Exposures and Releases" (TRACER) model for use in the Denver-Julesburg region to predict chemical emissions from specific UOGD processes. The teams will combine the predicted emissions with an air quality model to estimate concentrations of chemicals in the air.
  4. Evaluate model performance by comparing air quality monitoring data collected by this and the Franklin team with model predictions in the Denver-Julesburg region.

What's Happened

  • Continued meetings with an unconventional oil and gas development (UOGD) operator in the Denver-Julesburg Basin to review details of their operations at a large, multi-well pad near Aurora, Colorado, where the team completed monitoring of drilling and are currently monitoring hydraulic fracturing. 
  • Secured arrangements with another UOGD operator in the region to monitor upcoming drilling and completion operations at a large, multi-well pad near Brighton, Colorado. 
  • Reviewed details of emissions calculations provided by the US EPA Oil &Gas Emissions tool to support development of the emissions component of the TRACER model.
  • Dr. Collett gave a poster presentation on the research at the 2023 HEI Annual Conference in Boston. 

What's New

  • Continuing to monitor hydraulic fracturing operations at our first study pad near Aurora, Colorado.  A transition to flowback operations is expected in June 2023 and monitoring will continue.
  • Finalizing plans and logistical arrangements for monitoring air quality and noise at a second study pad near Brighton, Colorado.
  • Identifying areas where pre-production emissions information from EPA’s O&G emissions tool may not adequately represent current operational practices or provide sufficient temporal resolution for use in the TRACER model. One example is drilling mud emissions, where the estimates in the current tool derive from offshore operations in the 1970s. The team is testing methods to use recent monitoring data collected during drilling operations in Broomfield, Colorado to provide up-to-date information about drilling mud emissions.

What's Next

  • Begin air and noise monitoring at the study pad near Brighton, Colorado, in July 2023. We will begin with monitoring of drilling operations followed by hydraulic fracturing and flowback operations.
  • Conduct a site tour of the Brighton pad drilling operations to learn more about drilling mud use and recycling and to formulate plans for collection of samples of fresh and recycled drilling fluids for laboratory study of temperature-dependent emissions.
  • Continue discussions with additional operators to identify a third well pad where we can examine noise associated with new e-frac technologies, which are claimed to reduce noise during hydraulic fracturing operations. 
     

Upcoming Events:

  • Community Open House in Brighton, Colorado on August 23, 2023, from 4-7 pm.
Mobile air quality monitoring vehicle
Mobile air quality monitoring vehicle
Collett Quarterly Update - March 2023

Measuring and Modeling Air Pollution and Noise Exposure Near Unconventional Oil and Gas Development in Colorado

Jeffrey Collett

The goal of this study is to develop community exposure profiles in the Colorado North Front Range for chemicals in the air as well as noise over the UOGD lifecycle, from site preparation through production of multi-well pads. This study will assess potential exposure pathways connecting UOGD chemical emissions to nearby communities and use the results to better understand the public health implications. The investigators will apply the following methods to achieve these goals:

  1. Use a combination of existing air quality data, innovative air quality measurements, and source apportionment models to quantify potential exposures.
  2. Collect noise measurements from UOGD operations to quantify potential exposures.
  3. In collaboration with the Hildebrandt Ruiz team, develop the "TRAcking Community Exposures and Releases" (TRACER) model for use in the Denver-Julesburg region to predict chemical emissions from specific UOGD processes. The teams will combine the predicted emissions with an air quality model to estimate concentrations of chemicals in the air.
  4. Evaluate model performance by comparing air quality monitoring data collected by this and the Franklin team with model predictions in the Denver-Julesburg region.

What's Happened

  • Tested noise monitoring equipment, which is now ready for field deployment.
     
  • Met with oil and gas operators and service companies to gain insights into details of pre-production activities on well pads, including various drilling and hydraulic fracturing technologies and approaches. 
     
  • Secured the cooperation of three oil and gas companies for information on timing of operations and site access.
     
  • Dr. Collett gave an invited keynote presentation on air emissions from UOGD development at the Annual Meeting of the American Meteorological Society in January 2023.
     
  • Worked with collaborators at the University of Texas to develop the TRACER emissions model for pre-production activities.

What's New

  • Analyzing data from Fall 2022 on volatile organic compound concentrations detected during drilling operations.
     
  • Deploying air and noise monitoring equipment in March 2023 during hydraulic fracturing.

What's Next

  • Obtain information from oil and gas operators on the timing of pre-production operations to help plan for air quality and noise monitoring at a well pad featuring a grid-powered, electrified drill rig and noise monitoring at another location with quieter electric equipment for hydraulic fracturing.
     
  • Continue collaboration with the University of Texas on the development of the TRACER emissions model, specifically to represent emissions during drilling and hydraulic fracturing.
Colorado detector
Figure 1: A detector stationed near a well pad in Colorado during drilling operations. The detector continuously measures volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and, when they are elevated, an air sample is collected for lab analysis to understand what individual VOCs are in it.

Upcoming Events:

  • Poster presentation at the HEI Annual Conference, Boston, MA (April 30-May 2).
Collett Quarterly Update - December 2022

Measuring and Modeling Air Pollution and Noise Exposure Near Unconventional Oil and Gas Development in Colorado

Jeffrey Collett

The goal of this study is to develop community exposure profiles in the Colorado North Front Range for chemicals in the air as well as noise over the UOGD lifecycle, from site preparation through production of multi-well pads. This study will assess potential exposure pathways connecting UOGD chemical emissions to nearby communities and use the results to better understand the public health implications. The investigators will apply the following methods to achieve these goals:

  1. Use a combination of existing air quality data, innovative air quality measurements, and source apportionment models to quantify potential exposures.
  2. Collect noise measurements from UOGD operations to quantify potential exposures.
  3. In collaboration with the Hildebrandt Ruiz team, develop the "TRAcking Community Exposures and Releases" (TRACER) model for use in the Denver-Julesburg region to predict chemical emissions from specific UOGD processes. The teams will combine the predicted emissions with an air quality model to estimate concentrations of chemicals in the air.
  4. Evaluate model performance by comparing air quality monitoring data collected by this and the Franklin team with model predictions in the Denver-Julesburg region.

What's Happened

  • Conducted two months of air monitoring around drilling operations.
  • Completed several stakeholder engagement activities: met with a local operator, gave a project overview presentation at the August 31, 2022 meeting of the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, and spoke with residents wanting to learn more about UOGD emissions at a Climate Action Event in Longmont, Colorado.

What's New

  • Continuing air monitoring around drilling operations.
  • Continuing to define UOGD operational activities for inclusion in the TRACER model in collaboration with Colorado State University and University of Texas-Austin.
  • Reviewing past regional emissions data to define chemical patterns of emissions from specific UOGD operational activities.
Mobile monitoring of air quality near a well pad in the North Front Range during drilling operations.
Mobile monitoring of air quality near a well pad in the North Front Range during drilling operations.

What's Next

  • Meet with an additional local operator about additional UOGD monitoring in 2023.
  • Work with UT Austin to add estimates of drilling and hydraulic fracturing emissions to TRACER model.

Upcoming Events:

Dr. Collet to give a keynote talk on UOGD air emissions at the Annual Conference of the American Meteorological Society in Denver on January 9, 2023.

Collett Quarterly Update - September 2022

Measuring and Modeling Air Pollution and Noise Exposure Near Unconventional Oil and Gas Development in Colorado

Jeffrey Collett

The goal of this study is to develop community exposure profiles in the Colorado North Front Range for chemicals in the air as well as noise over the UOGD lifecycle, from site preparation through production of multi-well pads. This study will assess potential exposure pathways connecting UOGD chemical emissions to nearby communities and use the results to better understand the public health implications. The investigators will apply the following methods to achieve these goals:

  1. Use a combination of existing air quality data, innovative air quality measurements, and source apportionment models to quantify potential exposures.
  2. Collect noise measurements from UOGD operations to quantify potential exposures.
  3. In collaboration with the Hildebrandt Ruiz team, develop the "TRAcking Community Exposures and Releases" (TRACER) model for use in the Denver-Julesburg region to predict chemical emissions from specific UOGD processes. The teams will combine the predicted emissions with an air quality model to estimate concentrations of chemicals in the air.
  4. Evaluate model performance by comparing air quality monitoring data collected by this and the Franklin team with model predictions in the Denver-Julesburg region.

What's Happened

  • Procured noise and air quality monitoring equipment.
  • Conducted a project kickoff open house, drawing local community members, government officials, and industry representatives.
  • Identified initial well pads for noise and air quality monitoring near Longmont and Aurora, Colorado.
  • Analyzed past air quality monitoring data to identify chemical signatures of various UOGD operations.
  • Presented study design to Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission. Check out the presentation, here.
Amy Sullivan of Colorado State University at HEI Energy’s community open house in Longmont, CO. Sullivan showed attendees mobile air-quality monitoring instrumentation. (Image from a livestream video interview).
Amy Sullivan of Colorado State University at HEI Energy’s community open house in Longmont, CO. Sullivan showed attendees mobile air-quality monitoring instrumentation. (Image from a livestream video interview).

What's New

  • Testing new noise and air quality monitoring equipment for upcoming field deployment.
  • Securing permissions for siting monitoring equipment during initial field deployment.
  • Collaborating with the UT Austin team to develop the TRACER model.

What's Next

  • Deploy noise and air quality monitoring equipment during drilling operations at a UOGD well pad near Aurora, CO.
  • Develop the TRACER model to represent emissions during UOGD drilling.
  • Continue engagement with public and local government stakeholders near Aurora, CO well pad.