Mineral Resources proposes to drill as many as 62 wells from two pads in industrial neighborhoods within Greeley city limits, adding to the 300 within town boundaries and changing the way planners approach drilling applications.
“This is the changing face of the oil and gas industry, with more directional drilling,” said city planner Brandon Gossard. “We seem to be getting more applications for directional than otherwise.”
Directional drills are dug 16 feet apart, each going down vertically about 1,000 feet before branching out another mile in all directions. Such techniques allow for less disruption above the surface while maximizing the reach below the surface.
Gossard said it’s a relatively new concept in Greeley that has prompted city planners to address concerns over noise, the planned 24-hour drilling operations and aesthetics.
Projects in city limits will be required to landscape and follow state rules for noise and lighting. The operations would run 24 hours a day for the five to eight days it takes to drill each well.
