Active Acquisition State
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Colorado is one of the top oil and gas producing states in the Rocky Mountain region, driven almost entirely by the DJ Basin in Weld County and the surrounding counties northeast of Denver. We actively buy mineral rights and royalties across the Niobrara and Codell trends, as well as production in western Colorado's Piceance Basin. Colorado's oil production grew dramatically with the development of the Niobrara formation through horizontal drilling, and the state now produces over 400,000 barrels of oil per day. The regulatory landscape has shifted in recent years with the passage of SB 19-181, but the DJ Basin remains one of the most actively drilled plays in the country and mineral rights in Weld County continue to be among the most valuable in the Rockies.
Highlighted state with approximate basin locations shown in tan
The table below shows the top producing counties in Colorado where we are most active, along with the primary operators and target formations in each area.
| County | Major Operators | Key Formations |
|---|---|---|
| Weld | Civitas Resources, Oxy, PDC Energy (Chevron), Great Western | Niobrara, Codell |
| Adams | Civitas Resources, Oxy, Great Western | Niobrara, Codell |
| Arapahoe | Civitas Resources, Great Western | Niobrara, Codell |
| Broomfield | Civitas Resources, Oxy | Niobrara, Codell |
| Larimer | Civitas Resources, Oxy | Niobrara |
| Boulder | Civitas Resources, Crestone Peak Resources | Niobrara |
| Garfield | Caerus Oil and Gas, Ursa Operating | Williams Fork, Mancos |
| Rio Blanco | Caerus Oil and Gas, Berry Petroleum | Williams Fork, Mancos |
We cover 12 Colorado counties in total. Beyond the counties highlighted above, we also buy mineral rights in these 4 additional producing counties, listed in order of recent oil and gas activity:
The DJ Basin operator landscape consolidated significantly in recent years. Civitas Resources (formed from the merger of Bonanza Creek, Extraction, and Crestone Peak) is now the largest pure-play DJ Basin operator. Oxy (Occidental Petroleum) holds a large acreage position through its acquisitions of Anadarko Petroleum and CrownQuest. PDC Energy was acquired by Chevron, adding another major operator to the basin. Great Western Petroleum operates in the urban-edge areas closer to Denver. In the Piceance Basin, Caerus Oil and Gas is the dominant operator after acquiring much of the legacy Encana and Bill Barrett acreage.
Operators ranked by the number of Colorado counties where they hold the top active-well count. Counties where the operator runs the most active wells link through to the county detail page.
| Operator | Counties | Top Counties |
|---|---|---|
| Civitas Resources | 6 | Weld, Adams, Arapahoe, Larimer, Broomfield + 1 more |
| Caerus Oil and Gas | 2 | Garfield, Rio Blanco |
| Simcoe LLC | 1 | La Plata |
| Laramie Energy LLC | 1 | Mesa |
| Evergreen Natural Resources LLC | 1 | Las Animas |
| Own Resources Operating LLC | 1 | Yuma |
Colorado lease terms in the DJ Basin typically include royalty rates of 1/8 (12.5%) to 1/5 (20%), with 1/8 being the historical standard that many legacy leases carry. Newer leases in competitive areas have pushed toward 3/16 and 1/5 royalty rates. Colorado does have a forced pooling mechanism — the ECMC (Energy and Carbon Management Commission, formerly COGCC) can issue pooling orders for unleased mineral interests, though the process has become more regulated under SB 19-181. Colorado leases commonly include Pugh clauses, depth severance clauses, and continuous development provisions. The regulatory changes from SB 19-181 shifted the mission of the state regulatory body from fostering development to protecting public health and the environment, which has added permitting time but not fundamentally changed the economics of mineral ownership in the DJ Basin.
We buy mineral interests, royalty interests, NPRI, and ORRI across all of Colorado's producing counties.
Not sure which type you own? Start with our mineral rights glossary for plain-English definitions of MI, RI, NPRI, and ORRI.
Colorado's oil and gas regulatory landscape changed significantly with SB 19-181 and the transition from the COGCC to the Energy and Carbon Management Commission (ECMC). Split-estate tracts — where surface and minerals are owned separately — are common in the DJ Basin, and the new regulatory framework has added additional surface owner protections while preserving mineral development rights. Unlike North Dakota or Ohio, Colorado has no dormant mineral act, so a severed Colorado interest does not lapse for non-use — title questions here are about tracing the chain and about unpaid tax assessments rather than about abandonment. We are experienced working through both the regulatory and title issues that come with Colorado mineral ownership.
Colorado mineral owners occasionally run into questions about severance-tax treatment, dormant mineral statutes, and non-participating royalty interests. These topics rarely drive a transaction, but understanding them helps you read a division order or evaluate an offer. The summaries below are starting points — verify against current statute text before relying on them.
Tiered severance tax on oil and gas: 2% to 5% of gross income depending on production volume (smaller producers at the lower end, larger producers at 5%). Stripper-well exemption available below volume thresholds.
Colorado also imposes a county-level ad valorem property tax on producing mineral interests. The combined effective rate of severance plus ad valorem typically runs 7-12% depending on county. The 2019 tax-credit changes and 2020 Senate Bill 19-181 reforms shifted the state's effective burden materially — verify current treatment for any valuation work.
Statutory citation: CRS 39-29
Colorado has no dormant mineral act. A severed mineral interest does not lapse through non-use and there is no statutory Notice of Lapse or Statement of Claim procedure. Where a mineral owner cannot be located, surface owners and developers rely on other mechanisms instead: a quiet-title action, or placing the severed interest on the county tax roll under CRS 39-1-104.5 and, if the assessment goes unpaid, pursuing a treasurer's deed through the tax-lien process. Colorado also requires title commitments to disclose a severed mineral estate (CRS 10-11-123), which is a notice rule rather than a termination one.
Colorado recognizes NPRIs as cost-free royalty interests carved from the royalty estate. NPRIs are subject to the same 20-year dormant mineral statute as the underlying mineral interest, so unused NPRIs can lapse if not preserved within the rolling window.
Need plain-English definitions? See our mineral rights glossary.
Senate Bill 19-181, passed in 2019, changed the mission of Colorado's oil and gas regulatory body from fostering development to protecting public health, safety, welfare, the environment, and wildlife resources. The bill also gave local governments more authority over surface use and siting decisions. For mineral owners, the practical effect has been longer permitting timelines and additional setback requirements for new wells near occupied buildings. However, the bill did not change mineral property rights, and mineral owners retain full ownership of and the right to develop or sell their minerals. The DJ Basin has continued to see active drilling despite the regulatory changes.
Royalty rates in Colorado vary more widely than in states like Texas or Oklahoma. Legacy leases commonly carry 1/8 (12.5%) royalty rates, which was the long-standing standard. Newer leases in the core DJ Basin have pushed toward 3/16 (18.75%) and in some competitive areas 1/5 (20%). If you own minerals with a legacy 1/8 lease, the lower royalty rate will factor into our valuation, but the minerals may still be quite valuable depending on the location, existing production, and remaining development potential.
Yes. Colorado has a compulsory pooling process administered by the ECMC (formerly COGCC). If an operator has leased enough acreage to develop a drilling unit but some mineral owners remain unleased, the operator can apply for a pooling order. Under SB 19-181, the pooling process includes additional procedural protections for mineral owners, including mandatory notice and the right to participate in a hearing. Pooled mineral owners can elect to participate as working interest owners or accept the offered lease terms.
Yes, though Piceance Basin mineral rights typically trade at lower multiples than DJ Basin minerals because the Piceance is primarily a natural gas play with lower commodity price exposure. Mineral interests in Garfield and Rio Blanco counties with existing production from the Williams Fork or Mancos formations generate steady royalty income and have remaining development potential. Natural gas prices are more volatile than oil prices, which affects valuation, but the Piceance has a long production history and established operators with active drilling programs.
Not through lapse. Colorado has no dormant mineral act — there is no statutory notice procedure and no statement of claim to file, and a severed interest does not revert to the surface owner because nobody used it. Where a mineral owner cannot be found, Colorado surface owners and developers use other routes instead: a quiet-title action, or placing the severed interest on the county tax roll under CRS 39-1-104.5 and pursuing a treasurer's deed if the assessment goes unpaid. So the thing actually worth checking on a long-idle Colorado interest is whether property tax has been assessed and left unpaid, not whether an abandonment clock has run.
Before deciding whether to sell, it helps to understand what actually drives the number in Colorado — production tax, formation, operator quality, and the title issues specific to this state.
See what moves Colorado mineral values →Many Coloradomineral and royalty interests are held by heirs who live elsewhere. If that's you, our metro pages address the inheritance, ancillary-probate, and tax mechanics specific to your home state:
See all mineral rights FAQ.
State-specific guides covering the legal mechanics that come up most often for owners considering a sale.