Colorado Lawmakers Weigh Dramatic Overhaul of Oil Drilling Laws

A proposal to overhaul Colorado’s drilling laws has its first hearing today, pushing the bill one step closer to a vote by the Democrat-controlled state legislature.

The legislation, supported by Governor Jared Polis, would significantly change the way drilling is permitted and amend elements of state law that have been instrumental in developing Colorado’s most prolific oil play, the Denver-Julesburg basin. Anadarko Petroleum Corp., Noble Energy Inc. and Extraction Oil and Gas Inc., are among the biggest acreage holders in the basin.

Risky Business

A proposed overhaul of Colorado's drilling laws would affect producers with significant holdings in the state.

As the proposed changes center on public health and safety, they would disproportionately affect Denver-Julesburg producers, whose acreage overlaps with Denver’s expanding suburbs.