Colorado Home to Enormous Natural Gas Reserve

Statement

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has just announced that new scientific survey data shows that the Mancos Shale on Colorado's Western Slope is home to 66 trillion cubic feet of recoverable shale natural gas, 74 million barrels of shale, and 45 million barrels of natural gas liquids. More than 40 times the previous estimate. This makes the Western Slope the second largest USGS assessed shale & tight gas resource in the United States. The previous USGS assessment of the Mancos Shale in the Piceance Basin was completed in 2003 as part of a comprehensive assessment of the greater Uinta-Piceance Province, and estimated only 1.6 trillion cubic feet of shale natural gas.

"The new estimate released today by USGS is great news for Colorado and could yield enormous job and economic growth throughout the state. Because of the proven technology of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, Colorado now possess even more energy potential then we could have ever imagined. As the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources, I will continue to work to reduce unnecessary federal regulation and promote the environmentally responsible utilization of these resources."

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