While most shale plays consist of mostly dry gas, the Mancos shale play is divided
into three sections, each consisting of a dry gas zone, a wet or liquid gas region, and an oil zone,
respectively. With the advancements in modern drilling techniques, more and more exploration and
development companies are showing interest in the Mancos shale play, in the recent times. These
technologies include three-dimensional imaging to identify the most effective zones for oil and gas;
hydraulic fracturing which requires operators to pump water and sand at high pressure into wells to
break the shale formation; and horizontal drilling techniques that involve sideways penetration into
shale formations to reach trapped oil and gas