RBC | Over the rolling hills of Highway 13 and down the Piceance Creek road on County Road 26, is where Colorado Mesa University’s Land Energy Management Club recently toured Terra Energy’s state-of-the-art fracking system in Rio Blanco County. The visit provided insights into the company’s innovative methods for reducing emissions and enhancing environmental responsibility in oil and gas operations.

Jeff Kirtland, regulatory manager for Terra Energy, talked about the new fracking system and how its one-of-a-kind operation for how it is run. As the Regulatory Manager Kirtland is very involved with the permitting that is required to their work. He explained the company’s focus on minimizing air pollution and improving its overall environmental carbon footprint.

“We recognize that oil and gas operations contribute significantly to pollution across the state,” Kirtland said. “Over the years, we’ve worked to address these impacts while complying with the Colorado Energy and Carbon Management Commission’s regulations,” Kirtland said.

“Throughout the last several years, we’ve been really trying to focus on improving oil and gas operations impacts on health, safety, welfare, the environment, and wildlife resources which motivated us as a company to really be proactive in improving our technologies to reduce our emissions, footprint, and become more environmentally friendly,” continued Kirtland. 

Reducing Environmental Impact

Kirtland emphasized Terra Energy’s commitment to improving public health and safeguarding wildlife resources. This commitment has driven the company to invest in technology to reduce emissions and its overall environmental footprint.

“One of our major efforts is improving the technologies we use to become more environmentally friendly and proactive in reducing our emissions,” he said.

When it comes to hazardous chemicals the company does not utilize any sort of hazardous chemicals within their operations. Unlike many other operators, Terra Energy opts instead for a slick-water fracking system that relies on recycled water.

“Hazardous chemicals are not useful in our processes. While many operators rely on them, we don’t find them necessary,” Kirtland said.

100% Recycled Water

A key highlight of Terra Energy’s system is its use of 100% recycled water in its operations. Kirtland described the dual water processes involved: drilling and completion.

“The drilling process requires fresh water to drill the surface portion of the well. Once that’s complete, we case and cement the pipe to protect groundwater,” Kirtland said.

Once a well is operational, it produces both gas and water. Terra Energy reuses this produced water in its completion operations, significantly reducing its reliance on fresh water.

“We don’t use fresh water for completions, which sets us apart from operators on the Front Range or other parts of the state where produced water is harder to access,” Kirtland said. “We also ensure our pipelines comply with state and federal water management rules to prevent and address leaks.”

Advanced Technology

Terra Energy has also adopted advanced technology to lower emissions and noise. Traditional fracking operations rely on diesel-powered equipment, which produces significant emissions. Terra Energy uses natural gas-powered electric engines, further reducing its environmental impact.

“Our engines are powered by natural gas sourced from the field itself. This allows us to produce electricity on-site, eliminating the need for diesel engines,” Kirtland explained. “As a result, we reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, as well as noise and particulate pollution,” Kirtland said. 

“We effectively brought in new types of engines, electric engines that are run with generators that are powered by natural gas. The gas comes from the field, we have a pretty extensive pipeline system because we’ve got, between Garfield County and Rio Blanco County, over 7,000 wells producing natural gas,” continued Kirtland.

Community and Economic Benefits

The company’s operations support local jobs and contractors, with a preference for hiring community members. Additionally, Terra Energy engages with the community to raise awareness about its environmental initiatives.

“Operators are required to do outreach to inform citizens and businesses about upcoming work,” Kirtland said. “We also like to host tours so people can see our operations firsthand.”

For those interested in learning more, Terra Energy’s fracking system in Rio Blanco County is located off County Road 26. 

By JARED HENDERSON