La Plata County is a major producer of natural gas. Most of the natural gas produced in La Plata County is known as coalbed methane (CBM), after the geologic strata in which it is located. Gas production has increased sharply since 1990, primarily because of production of CBM. In 1999, La Plata County was the largest producer of natural gas in Colorado (CBM included), producing 53 percent of the statewide total. The rents, royalties, employment and property tax revenues associated with natural gas production are very important, providing additional income and diversity to the local economy. Table XVI-5 provides information about natural gas production in La Plata County during the decade of the 1990s.

TABLE XVI-5
La Plata County
Natural Gas Production
(MCF)