Oil production in Colorado’s top county plunged 60% in pandemic

 

Oil production in Colorado’s top producing county dropped by 60% from March to April as energy producers shuttered thousands of wells in the wake of the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

The number of producing wells at  Colorado’s largest oil producers plummeted from 22,896 in March to 16,831 in April, according to production figures from the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission. The amount of oil extracted from those wells fell by 57% over the course of two months, from 14.07 million barrels to just 6.03 million, while natural gas production dropped from 91.25 million metric cubic feet to 40.21 million.

Energy companies are required to submit production figures for their operations in Colorado within 45 days after the end of a month, and the COGCC takes up to 10 days to make that information public. Wednesday marked 55 days since April 30 of this year.