DENVER, July 20, 2015 ─ The Colorado Petroleum Council (CPC), a division of API, welcomes meetings this week on proposals that emerged from unanimous decisions through the Governor’s Oil and Gas Task Force. Topics that were forwarded for consideration include large scale oil and gas facilities and current and planned drilling operations.

“America’s energy revolution is reenergizing Colorado communities and supporting more than 200,000 jobs statewide,” said CPC Executive Director Tracee Bentley. “Industry standards and best practices are an important part of safely developing our energy resources. API looks forward to sharing our expertise in standards development with the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, local governments and communities throughout the state.”

The commission will discuss how to implement the Task Force recommendations during outreach meetings with local elected officials around the state between July 22 and August 6, 2015.

Last year, API published a first-of-its-kind kind industry standard for community engagement in areas of the country where horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing have opened new energy development opportunities. In 2009, API developed RP 51R to provide environmentally sound practices, including reclamation guidelines, for domestic onshore oil and gas production operations.

“Our industry has a long history of working collaboratively with Colorado officials to support comprehensive and robust regulations covering oil and gas operations. So far, this cooperative approach has prevented unnecessary or unintentional roadblocks to the responsible energy production that is driving Colorado’s economic growth,” Bentley said. “The Colorado Petroleum Council will continue to work with policymakers to ensure API standards help the state remain at the forefront of America’s energy renaissance.”

The American Petroleum Institute has been the global leader in developing equipment and operating standards for the oil and natural gas industry since 1924. API’s Standards Program is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), the authority on U.S. standards. Every API standard is developed in an open process with input from regulators, engineering companies, contractors, equipment manufacturers, and the oil and natural gas industry. More than 100 API standards have been incorporated in federal government regulations, and API undergoes regular third-party audits to ensure its program meets ANSI requirements for openness, balance, consensus and due process. Government-referenced and safety-related standards are freely available online at www.api.org.

The Colorado Petroleum Council is a division of API, which represents all segments of America’s oil and natural gas industry. Its more than 625 members produce, process, and distribute most of the nation’s energy. The industry also supports 9.8 million U.S. jobs and 8 percent of the U.S. economy.