Officials in Boulder County, Colorado, considered to be a focal point of anti-oil and gas operations, have taken legal action to stop bankrupt Extraction Oil and Gas from drilling near its borders in Weld County.
The county filed an emergency motion this week asking a court to end a suspension of pending litigation between the company and the county. A hearing will be held Nov. 6 in Delaware federal bankruptcy court where Extraction, headquartered in Denver, filed Chapter 11 reorganization bankruptcy in June of this year.
The company is leading a drilling project in Weld County. But Boulder County has asked a judge to allow its appeals to move forward in two lawsuits challenging Extraction’s legal rights to drill on protected property.
According to a report by About You magazine, the county was informed by a resident that Extraction was proceeding to start work on 21 oil and gas wells as early as November.
Long concerned about the impacts of oil and gas development, Boulder County officials have renewed a moratorium on processing new drilling applications since it was first adopted in 2019. The officials also believe they not only are part of a conservation easement for the site but also have mineral rights to the property.
A spokesman for Extraction was quoted as saying the company obtained oil and gas leases earlier than property conservation easements were achieved by Boulder County. The spokesman also said a district court judge had also ruled the company had the right to drill the mineral property.