Colorado Oil & Gas Jobs

Looking for a job in the oil and gas industry in Colorado? You're in luck - there are currently over 130,000 positions in this state thanks to the petroleum industry, including jobs directly rated to extraction and refining, like becoming a derrick operator or roustabout, and jobs in industries like transportation, education, and food service that were created by the influx of oil and gas workers into this state.

In Colorado, you can find jobs in several areas of the state, including the Niobrara Shale play, the Pierre Shale play, the Lewis Shale play, and the Green River Basin Oil Formation.

Colorado's Shale Plays

The most talked-about shale play in Colorado is the Niobrara Shale play, which is located in Northeast Colorado just north of Denver. In the past, plays like this held natural gas that was largely inaccessible since drilling into the shale was a lengthy process and yield was low. However, with horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing (fracking) techniques, it is easier than ever before for companies to reach large reserves of natural gas.

The Niobrara Shale play isn't the only area where shale holds oil and gas in Colorado. You can also find jobs in this industry in the Raton Basin to the east, where you'll find the Pierre Shale play, and in the Rocky Mountains San Juan Basin, where you'll find the Lewis Shale play. Both of these areas are currently just in the beginning stages of exploration, but as more and more companies are successful with their drilling in these areas, we'll see jobs open for both college educated and unskilled workers - and everyone in between. Shale plays cover a large percentage of the state, so you'll be able to find a job anywhere you want to live.

The Green River Basin Oil Formation

The shale plays of Colorado might be most popular in terms of exploration, but there's also another oil and gas production area in this state called the Green River Basin Oil Formation. This area has been producing for years and it's expected that it will continue to produce well into the future, which means that you can continuously find jobs in this area.

Ready to start working in the gas and oil industry in Colorado or somewhere else in the world?