Methane Production Past Its Peak

Durango Herald Online – Gas production in La Plata County is falling for the first time since the beginning of the coalbed methane boom – a little-noticed fact that will carry long-term consequences for local residents and even the nation.

The evidence – hidden in mountains of government data – is unmistakable: Since July 2003, the amount of gas taken from the county has been slowly slipping, according to a Durango Herald analysis of state records. Despite 270 new wells drilled between 2003 and 2005, the average take per well is falling, and total production has fallen by 3.5 percent.

“I would hope nobody’s surprised by this,” said Christi Zeller with the La Plata Energy Council, a gas industry group, at the end of last week.
Durango Herald Online