Potential Areas of Future Oil and Gas Development, Greater Wattenberg Area, Front Range of Colorado (friogdevu)

The potential for oil and gas development in the greater Wattenberg area (GWA), which lies near the Front Range between Denver and Greeley, Colo., in the Denver Basin, is moderate to high for oil-and-gas-producing formations of Cretaceous age. The potential for development was determined by modeling existing production of oil and gas from these Cretaceous formations and evaluating where the remaining volume of hydrocarbons exceeds estimates of ultimate recovery from existing wells producing from these units. Although areas of varying potential exist for all producing formations, the likely areas of future oil and gas development would be where the potential exists for recovery of additional hydrocarbons from more than one producing formation. The recompletion of existing wells to tap into other formations, for additional oil and gas production, is likely where there is high potential for remaining producible hydrocarbons and especially where a significant number of wells exist. The model reveals that the Front Range project area between Denver and Greeley, Colo., has a high potential for both the drilling of new wells and the recompletions of existing wells. Because this is also an area of rapid and continuing urban growth, decisions regarding future land use will be improved with the understanding of where future oil and gas development could be expected in the Front Range of Colorado.