Proposal to Sell Erie's Mineral Rights Fails in Town Council After 3-3 Vote

Town mineral rights sale fails for Denver oil company

A former company executive helped the town reach a deal over its Draco well site, but the plan prompted resident pushback.

Proposal to sell Erie's mineral rights fails in town council after 3-3 vote

Leaders in Erie decided not to sell mineral rights to an oil and gas operator for a new drilling project. The proposal had faced pushback from many residents.

In split vote, Erie Town Council rejects deal tied to Draco oil and gas project

A 3-3 split vote of Erie leaders Tuesday night did not send through a transaction with oil and gas operator SM Energy tied to the Draco Pad project.

Erie Town Council Rejects Draco Mineral Rights Agreement

In a special meeting held at Erie Town Hall on June 16th, 2026, the Erie Town Council considered a contract agreement with SM Energy (the parent company of Civitas, Crestone Peak Resources, and Extraction Oil & Gas), to consider the sale of Erie-held mineral rights to SM Energy in exchange for a cash payment, an exchange of land, a percentage of the proceeds from the oil & gas extracted from the Draco drilling & spacing unit (DSU), and the plugg…

Erie Rejects $21M Mineral Rights Deal for Draco Oil Project

The development is a 4,000-acre drilling area that was approved by the Colorado Energy & Carbon Management Commission in March 2025