Weld Co.’s biggest drillers earn more than billion in ’08

Even in a quarter when reported earnings are dipping, Weld County’s largest oil and gas production companies are raking in some serious cash.

The three largest oil and gas producers working Weld’s Wattenberg Field posted a combined $1.68 billion in net income during the first half of the year, which is actually down 68 percent from last year. Another recorded a $54.6 million loss.

The companies with the largest stake in Weld County’s Wattenberg Field – Noble Energy Inc., and Anadarko Petroleum Corp., both headquartered in Texas; EnCana Corp., based in Calgary, Alberta; and Petroleum Development Corp. of Bridgeport, W.Va. –…