Weld County wells producing rural prosperity

The impact of the oil and gas industry on Weld County has only increased in recent years and should continue to grow in the years to come, thanks to some recent regulatory changes.

The county is home to the Wattenburg Field, which extends from Greeley to Brighton and Longmont to Keenesburg and produces enough natural gas and crude oil in one minute to heat five homes for a year. In December 2005, the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission passed an amendment to Rule 318A allowing oil and gas operators to increase the number of wells on 160 acres in…