Oil and and gas energy department updates, adds agreements

Published on July 23, 2025

Weld County’s Oil and Gas Energy Department (OGED) expanded its reach Monday when the board of commissioners entered into two intergovernmental agreements (IGAs) — a new one with the Town of Ault and an updated one with the City of Evans. Both agreements allow the municipalities to utilize the OGED for assistance in processing oil and gas permit applications.

Evans has been utilizing the OGED through an IGA since 2022. The updated agreement eliminates the need for the city to reimburse the county for staff time and expenses. Services will now be provided to Evans for free, with the county recouping any expenses from fees already associated with Weld County Oil and Gas Location Assessments.

“As Evans was the first to use us in this way, naturally, there was a little bit of finding out what worked and what didn’t,” said Brett Cavanagh, Director of the OGED. “This IGA eliminates the cost to them and shows a willingness to continually work with our municipalities to provide the best value to residents.”

Ault is the newest municipality to enter into an agreement with the county to receive assistance from the OGED. Similar to its IGA with Evans, the county will assist the town with many different tasks in addition to processing oil and gas permit applications. These tasks include conducting hearings related to applications, including revocation and suspension hearings if necessary, and performing regulatory inspections of a proposed surface site. OGED staff will also review applications for compliance with floodplain regulations, review drainage reports for applications with well sites, and issue grading permits for oil and gas sites. Like Evans, Ault will hold the ultimate power in determining whether a permit is approved within its boundary and ensure a permit meets town codes and ordinances, and like Evans, Ault will receive this service at no cost.

“It’s exciting to see our municipalities use our oil and gas energy department in this way,” said Perry Buck, Weld County Commissioner Chair. “It allows our experts in oil and gas permitting to do what they do every day — consider permits with regard to health, safety and welfare of the public and environment — and expand that skillset to our municipalities.”

The IGAs with Evans and Ault follow one with Severance in June and one with Keenesburg in 2023. Cavanagh hopes there are more to come.

“I’m really excited,” he said. “Agreements like these expand what we do … they’re good all the way around.”