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Colorado Energy Facts

Below are several facts about the Colorado Shale:

Jobs and Revenue

  • The oil and gas industry in Colorado today supports over 118,000 jobs and produces more than $3 billion in total government revenue. (Source: America Petroleum Institute).
  • It is estimated that, with pro-development policies, the Colorado oil and gas industry could support over 236,000 and produce more than $9.1 billion in total government revenue by 2030. (Source: American Petolrum Institute).
  • The Colorado oil and gas industry pays about 95% of the severance taxes levied on extraction of metals, coal, oil and gas that are part of the TABOR revenue base. (Source:Colorado Department of Labor).
  • The total assessed values for taxable oil and gas property in Colorado in 2009 was $11.9 billion or 12.1% of the state total. (Source: Colorado Department of Local Affairs – Colorado Assessed Values Manual 1995-2009)

Energy Production

  • Colorado currently produces over 1.1 billion barrels of oil per day. (Source: American Petroleum Institute)
  • It is estimated that, with pro-development policies, Colorado could produce as much as 1.5 billion barrels of oil per day in 2030. (Source: American Petroleum Insitute).
  • Colorado currently has more than 40,000 oil and gas wells in production. (Source: Colorado Oil & Gas Conservation Commission).
  • Colorado’s oil shale deposits hold an estimated 1 trillion barrels of oil, which is nearly as much as the entire world’s proven reserves. (Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration).
  • Ten of America’s 100 largest natural gas fields and three of the largest oil fields are found in Colorado. (Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration).
  • Colorado currently supplies more than 5% of the nation’s natural gas. (Source: Institute of Energy)
  • More than 75% of Coloradoans in residential homes use natural gas as their primary energy source for home heating, making for one of the highest percentages of homes using natural gas in the country. (Source: Energy Information Administration)
  • The Hilliard-Baxter-Mancos Shale is estimated to have roughly 21 trillion cubic feet of technically recoverable gas. (Source: Review of Emerging US Shale Gas and Shale Oil Plays, pgs. 64-66)
  • The Lewis Shale is estimated to have up to 12.3 trillion cubic feet of technically recoverable gas. (Source: Review of Emerging US Shale Gas and Shale Oil Plays, pgs. 64-66)