Description
The next edition of our annual Colorado Mineral and Energy Industry Activities report is ready for download. This edition is based primarily on 2017 production data, with some additional information from 2018, and provides a comprehensive overview of Colorado’s energy and mineral resource production. 36 pages. Digital PDF download. IS-81D
From the Executive Summary:
In 2017, Colorado produced several mineral and energy commodities. Top commodities, in terms of production value, include oil, natural gas, coal, gold, industrial gases (carbon dioxide and helium), sand and gravel, cement, molybdenum, and crushed stone. The total value of mineral and energy fuels production in Colorado for 2017 is estimated to be $14.13 billion. … Oil and natural gas production accounted for approximately 80% of Colorado’s total mineral and energy production value in 2017.
The total estimated value of oil and natural gas production in 2017 is $11.4 billion. Colorado oil and natural gas production remains higher than historical values and production values have increased from 2016 primarily due to higher oil and natural gas prices. According to the U.S. Department of Energy – Energy Information Agency (EIA), Colorado has the sixth largest reserves of natural gas and eighth largest proven oil reserves in the U.S.
The estimated value of Colorado coal production in 2017 is $623 million. Although coal production slightly increased in 2017, the overall decreasing trend in coal production is due primarily to the nationwide increased use of natural gas and renewable energy. Colorado fell from the 11th largest coal producer in 2015 to the 13th largest coal producer in the U.S. in 2016, with both underground and surface mines currently in operation on the Western Slope.
Nonfuel mineral production includes metals, industrial minerals, and construction materials. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) estimates that the total value of Colorado’s production of nonfuel minerals in 2017 is $1.68 billion. Although just one mine in the state publicly reported gold production in 2017, Colorado remains the third largest producer of the metal in the U.S. Two Colorado mines continue to produce molybdenum and the state was the second largest producer of this metal in 2017.
