Gas well ruptures in Grand County

A freshly drilled oil and gas well in Grand County ruptured on Friday, releasing an uncontrolled stream of gasses into the environment over the weekend and blocking access to recreation destinations as crews scrambled to stop the leak.

Rose Petroleum LLC, a small energy company based in Parker, Colo., affiliated with Zephyr Energy, drilled the well in February, according to the Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining. The well is on a state trust section that is part of the White Wash oil and gas unit in a remote area south of Interstate 70 and east of the Green River.

Due to an “equipment malfunction,” natural gas began escaping from the well on Friday around noon, driven by pressures of around 2,000 pounds per square inch, according to a report posted by the Utah Department of Environmental Quality. Crews hired by Rose halted the leak three days later, but the extent of the damage to the environment and how much hazardous material was released have yet to be determined.

“To ensure the procedure was successful, Rose needed to mobilize specialist contractors, materials, and supplement its equipment on hand. This was in addition to the extensive time required to prepare the mixture of heavy weight mud needed for the well-control operation,” Rose executive Colin Harrington said in a release. “Rose notified the relevant local, state, and federal regulatory agencies of the incident and we will keep them apprised of our remediation work, which has already commenced. We will diligently and promptly perform the remediation work until it is complete.”

While the well was discharging gas over the weekend, the Grand County sheriff closed Ruby Ranch Road to the White Wash Sand Dunes areas, a popular destination for motorized recreation. The road was reopened Monday, but the closure affected participants in last weekend’s Jeep Safari.

“We know this was a great inconvenience to the individuals and families that were unable to use the road over the weekend,” the Rose executive said. “We sincerely apologize to the community for any inconvenience caused by the road closure and the well control incident.”