According to Coloradoan reporter – Jason Pohl, emergency workers responded Monday morning to an oil spill near Johnstown and Interstate 25.
The spill happened at a site Synergy Resource Corp. operates just east of I-25, about one-quarter mile north of Colorado Highway 60. Synergy temporarily shutdown the site after the spill.
The company had crews working to clean up the area Monday. About a barrel of oil was spilled, according to the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission.
Recent weather fluctuations created high pressure in an oil line leading to the site. That pressure caused a pop-up valve to rupture on one of the site’s oil and gas separator tanks, said Jerry Brian, director of environment, health and safety for Synergy Resources Corp.
After the pop-up valve ruptured, yellowish crude oil spewed into the air for about 20 minutes. The oil landed on the site and fields to the south.
“The pop-valve operated exactly like it was designed to,” Brian said. If the valve didn’t pop-off, the pressure may have caused the tank to explode and “this would be a much bigger problem.”
Interstate 25 remained open through the incident, but the east frontage road was closed while crews from Johnstown and surrounding jurisdictions worked to contain the spill. Officials reported no ongoing threat to public safety, and roads were reopened about noon.
