Oil and gas drilling activity in Colorado was down in 2025, leading to fewer total air emissions — even as emissions for each new well are projected to rise, according to a report from the state Energy and Carbon Management Commission.
The commission approved 48 oil and gas development plans last year — 20% fewer than in 2024 — for drilling 801 wells on 81 sites, the commission’s annual cumulative impacts report said. In 2024, 1,168 new wells were approved.
The estimated emissions for widespread air pollutants from these operations was down 30%, to 12,676 tons, compared with 2024 activity. Those pollutants include nitrogen oxides, or NOx, carbon monoxide, methane, ethane and volatile organic compounds.
The single largest emission was carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, at 867,047 tons, a 21% drop from 2024.
The ECMC attributed the drop in drilling plans and wells to new rules that started at the end of 2025, leading to a two-month pause in new applications.
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