Oil And Gas Company Crestone Peak Resources Sues Boulder County In Fight Over Drilling

<p>Brennan Linsley/AP</p>
<p>A petroleum industry storage tank sits between a ranch and another oil and gas drill site a few miles from the border of Boulder and Weld County, near Mead, Colo., Feb. 13, 2017.</p>

Denver-based Crestone Peak Resources is fighting back against Boulder County’s attempt to slow drilling.

The oil and gas company sued Boulder in district court Wednesday alleging that the county collected royalty payments several years ago on mineral rights now owned by Crestone Peak. Those rights are connected to a comprehensive drilling plan the county is trying to stop.

Crestone Peak Resources is asking for a refund of the royalty payments sent to the county, in addition to recouping legal expenses associated with its lawsuit.

In 2018, Boulder County sued the company over its proposed comprehensive drilling plan. That lawsuit alleges, among other things, that two wells connected to one of the leases Crestone holds went dry for 60 days in 2014, effectively causing the lease agreement between Boulder County and Crestone Peak to expire.

The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission has yet to approve Crestone Peak’s comprehensive drilling plan.