AURORA | Two oil and gas-related operator agreements are slated for a decision during Monday’s Aurora City Council meeting.
One agreement is with Axis Exploration. If approved, it would allow 80 new wells in the city of Aurora. Council members considered the pact in May but decided not to move it forward because of language in the contract addressing circumstances Axis could sue the city.
The other agreement focuses on a central gathering facility for the Axis well sites. The facility is to be used for the “transportation of hydrocarbons, gas and produced water,” according to the draft agreement. Crude oil, associated field gas and water needing treatment at Axis well sites across Aurora will be sent to the facility.
The pact says use of the facility mitigates emissions, lessens traffic and better for public health and safety. According to the agreement, the site would be primarily on private property, north of I-70 and south of Hwy 36.
The agreement dictates that upon acceptance of the deal, Axis would hold a neighborhood meeting and notify all nearby residents.
Both deals were supposed to appear in front of council in late June but were pushed back until the July 15 meeting.
Since the inaugural operator agreement, made for nearly 300 ConocoPhillips wells in May, the city has proposed creating an oil and gas division to oversee the permitting application process and regulation of the best management practices outlined in the agreement.
That division is to be presented during a city council study session in the near future.