ECMC compliance manager outlines drone, mapping and Starlink use to bolster oil-and-gas inspections
May 12, 2026 | Energy and Mineral Impact Assistance State Advisory Committee, Governor's Boards and Commissions, Organizations, Executive, Colorado
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Jason Gomez, compliance manager for the ECMC, said his office combines document reviews with field audits and new technology to improve oversight of oil-and-gas sites. Gomez said he has been compliance manager for about 15 months and has roughly 27 years of industry experience, including work as a drone coordinator and inspector in the DJ Basin area.
“Our main focus is compliance with the rules,” Gomez said, describing a two-step process in which staff first perform an internal audit of operator-submitted documents and then conduct a field audit to confirm that documents reflect conditions on the ground and that equipment is functioning properly. Gomez said the inspections are intended to protect wildlife, the public and the environment.
Gomez described recent innovations adopted by his team in the past 15 to 16 months, saying, “we're implementing utilizing drones for aerial surveys, and monolithic diagrams of a site, and we're also using ground capture cameras.” He said the office developed a new mapping tool that provides inspectors an area-specific map showing what is in each inspector’s area so they can plan their day.
Inspectors typically try to plan to inspect five to six wells per day, Gomez said, but he cautioned that geography and weather affect how many sites can be completed. He described what he called a “soup of the day” effect: when the team receives a complaint, the day’s inspection plan can change and staff will re-route to address the higher-priority issue.
To maintain connectivity when work locations shift, Gomez said the team uses mobile Starlink internet so inspectors can carry their office with them. He added that inspections are scheduled based on several factors, including how long it has been since a site’s last inspection.
Gomez closed by stressing the local ties of his staff: “My team actually lives in the areas that they regulate and they raise their families there,” he said, adding that staff aim to “live the mission statement every single day.” No formal votes or policy actions were recorded in this excerpt.
“Our main focus is compliance with the rules,” Gomez said, describing a two-step process in which staff first perform an internal audit of operator-submitted documents and then conduct a field audit to confirm that documents reflect conditions on the ground and that equipment is functioning properly. Gomez said the inspections are intended to protect wildlife, the public and the environment.
Gomez described recent innovations adopted by his team in the past 15 to 16 months, saying, “we're implementing utilizing drones for aerial surveys, and monolithic diagrams of a site, and we're also using ground capture cameras.” He said the office developed a new mapping tool that provides inspectors an area-specific map showing what is in each inspector’s area so they can plan their day.
Inspectors typically try to plan to inspect five to six wells per day, Gomez said, but he cautioned that geography and weather affect how many sites can be completed. He described what he called a “soup of the day” effect: when the team receives a complaint, the day’s inspection plan can change and staff will re-route to address the higher-priority issue.
To maintain connectivity when work locations shift, Gomez said the team uses mobile Starlink internet so inspectors can carry their office with them. He added that inspections are scheduled based on several factors, including how long it has been since a site’s last inspection.
Gomez closed by stressing the local ties of his staff: “My team actually lives in the areas that they regulate and they raise their families there,” he said, adding that staff aim to “live the mission statement every single day.” No formal votes or policy actions were recorded in this excerpt.
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