Since 2000, the number of new oil & gas locations in Colorado with a single well has steeply declined. For the calendar year 2024, 52.6% of new oil & gas locations were drilled with 11 or more wells. This consolidation is due to several factors, including:
- Tightening restrictions on oil & gas location siting, culminating with the passage of SB19-181 in 2019.
- The technological advances made in hydraulic fracturing, horizontal drilling, and wellbore lengths, meaning a larger spacing unit may be accessed from a single surface location. There are limits to efficiency and cost-effectiveness, however.