Mapping the legacy of drilling in a protected monument
As companies struggle, abandoned wells leave a mark on Canyons of the Ancients National Monument
Creating a national monument:
Canyons of the Ancients National Monument , located in southwest Colorado, was created in 2000 by President Clinton to protect the highest known density of archaeological sites in the country. The 176,000 acre monument contains an estimated 30,000 sites, including cliff dwellings, kivas, and rock art from the region's 10,000 years of human history. The region also holds special importance to tribes with connections to ancestral traditions in the monument. The monument is also filled with rugged sandstone canyons and grand mesas, and is home to a range of wildlife.
While the monument was created to protect and preserve the area’s cultural and historic artifacts, the Presidential Proclamation made clear that previous uses of the land would still be allowed, including drilling.
That meant all existing oil and gas leases and privately-held mineral rights would be grandfathered in, and companies holding them would be able to drill inside the monument even after its designation. The proclamation declared that existing oil and gas activities must not “create any new impacts that interfere with the proper care and management of” objects in the monument, holding development to a higher standard. Companies have indeed continued to drill inside the monument, and the legacy of oil and gas continues to linger and leave behind scars. Agencies continue to face extensive clean-up costs for abandoned oil and gas drilling operations in a monument created and managed for conservation.
Drilling in the national monument:
Oil and gas wells
According to the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission , Canyons of the Ancients National Monument contains 193 oil and gas wells and drilling sites. Many of these wells have been “abandoned” or “shut-in” and not properly reclaimed. As a result, the monument is littered with decaying oil and gas equipment that companies have failed to clean up. The Bureau of Land Management requires companies to post reclamation bonds of $10,000 per well, although the average cost of reclaiming a well reclamation is $65,200.
Abandoned wells
124 of the well sites are no longer active and have been abandoned by the companies that drilled the wells. These wells have been plugged and closed, but many have not been fully reclaimed, often leaving behind pipelines, unused access roads, well pad debris, and discarded drilling equipment.
Discarded equipment
Unused pipeline
Unreclaimed access road
Producing wells
There are still 53 wells currently producing oil and gas within Canyons of the Ancients. Should any of the remaining companies go bankrupt or lose their licenses to operate, their wells could be shut in or abandoned.
Shut In wells
The monument contains a total of 16 shut in wells. These wells are able to produce oil or gas but have been temporarily closed for various reasons, primarily when production won’t turn a profit. Notably, they have not been properly plugged and reclaimed. Four of these shut in wells are owned by companies that are now bankrupt or have lost their license to operate due to violations. These wells pose an increased risk to the surrounding environment, and ultimately, the cost to reclaim these sites could fall on taxpayers.
Shut in wells in the national monument:
01 / 07
1
Company: DJ Simmons Inc.
Company Status: Bankrupt
Well Status: Shut In
Well Facility ID: 208940
2
Company: KC Resources
Company Status: Bad standing with COGCC
Well Status: Shut In
Well Facility ID: 224429
3
Company: Monument Global Resources
Company Status: Terminated license
Well Status: Shut In
Well Facility ID:223934
4
Company: Robert L Bayless Producer LLC
Company Status: Active
Well Status: Shut In
Well Facility ID: 276380
5
Company: Seeley Oil Company LLC
Company Status: Active
Well Status: Shut In
Well Facility ID: 209013
6
Company: Monument Global Resources Inc
Company Status: Terminated license
Well Status: Shut In
Well Facility ID: 223755
7
Company: Seeley Oil Company LLC
Company Status: Active
Well Status: Shut In
Well Facility ID: 224459
Oil and gas wells across Colorado:
Canyons of the Ancients National Monument is just one landscape experiencing the effects of oil and gas development, and it’s just the tip of the iceberg. Across Colorado, there are more than 10,000 well sites that access publicly-owned oil and gas, most of them on national public lands.
Of those wells, more than 700 are shut in and at risk of being abandoned without being properly reclaimed. 4,300 wells are already abandoned and plugged, with unknown reclamation status.
Conclusion:
As oil and gas production continues to ramp up, communities around the West continue to see the impacts. In 2019, oil and gas companies in Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming reported nearly 8 spills a day , demonstrating a clear need for sustained enforcement by state and federal regulators. And with nearly 100,000 wells now operating on public lands, and many companies facing significant financial problems , abandoned and unclaimed drilling sites could have severe and widespread consequences for American taxpayers, public lands, waters, and wildlife. Unfortunately, with the Trump administration pushing to roll back environmental safeguards, it’s clear that even our protected public lands—including Canyons of the Ancients National Monument—are at risk.
All well data was collected from the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission . Well location data is available for download . Photos were sourced from the Bureau of Land Management and the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission.
