Natural gas operations in Colorado closed after fatal explosion

April 27 (UPI) -- Anadarko Petroleum Corp. said it shut down operations across northeast Colorado in response to investigations of a fatal explosion near one of its wells.

Two people were left dead after the April 17 explosion in Weld County, Colo. Anadarko Petroleum, which controlled the well, said that it operates more than 3,000 wells similar to the one that exploded and was shutting down operations across northeast Colorado in response.

"The wells will remain shut in until the company's field personnel can conduct additional inspections and testing of the associated equipment, such as facilities and underground lines associated with each wellhead," the company said in a statement.

Anadarko said late Wednesday the inspection process should take about a month, sidelining a total regional capacity of about 13,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day. The company said it would pay particular attention to wells in housing and commercial areas and operations would not be restarted until each of those has gone through additional inspection procedures.

The well in connection to the incident, which is situated about 200 feet away from the home tied to the fatalities, was drilled by a previous operator in 1993. Regional Fire Chief Theodore Poszwak said the cause of the explosion is still under investigation, but there was no immediate threat to the community.

"Our priorities are to ensure the safety of the neighborhood, and to complete a systematic, thorough and timely investigation to determine a conclusive cause," he was quoted by Colorado Daily as saying.

A natural gas pipeline owned by Pacific Gas & Electric Co. burst open in September 2011, sparking a massive fireball that ripped through a San Bruno neighborhood. The explosion killed eight people and destroyed 37 homes.

The National Transportation Safety Board said it found weld issues along the San Bruno pipeline that may have led to the rupture.