Shale oil project to reach into western Colorado
As many Colorado residents are aware, shale oil is a prominent resource in the state. Colorado residents may also be aware of the controversy surrounding the process of obtaining shale oil. The process, called “hydraulic fracturing” or “fracking,” has been criticized in recent years. There may be renewed efforts on that front given a recent announcement by Exxon Mobil, which will push into western Colorado to try and obtain more shale oil. The project will create a lot of opportunities for employees.
The project will be done in phases as Exxon Mobil attempts to acquire a projected 600 million barrels of oil contained in the shale on their lease. These phases will require employees to put in some difficult and intricate work. They will be working on treacherous terrain, with heavy machinery and around powerful substances. The dangers will be there, just as they would on any construction site or heavy industry site.
Discussing the negatives and positives of fracking is not the point of this blog post, even though the controversy of the mining process is inherent to the topic. But even when including the controversy, this story has a very important workers’ compensation component to it.
Injuries to employees and work accidents are bound to happen during this westward push by Exxon Mobil. No matter the extent of these injuries and accidents, workers need to know they have a right to medical treatment when they are injured on the job, and that they are entitled to benefits — temporary or permanent, depending on the severity of the incident — to help them in the wake of such injuries or accidents.
Source: Fuel Fix, “A renewed search for western Colorado oil shale,” Associated Press, March 16, 2014
