Natural Gas Basin Highlight: San Juan Basin – Mancos Shale
- Timothy Beggans
- Aug 21
- 1 min read
Once considered a declining natural gas province, the San Juan Basin may be staging a comeback thanks to the Mancos Shale.
Historically known for its coalbed methane production, the basin is now seeing renewed interest as operators target deeper, liquids-rich zones that could deliver significant new volumes.
A recent TXO Partners assessment estimates 3 Tcfe of potential from the Mancos — a scale large enough to reshape the basin’s future.
Geographically, the San Juan is strategically positioned to feed the Transwestern Pipeline and its newly announced Desert Southwest Expansion. This project will deliver gas to high-growth markets in Arizona, where utilities like APS and SRP have already committed to long-term capacity. Their demand drivers include rapid population growth, new data centers, and commercial development.
Market watchers note that this could mark a rare reversal of fortunes for the San Juan — a basin that’s been through multiple boom-and-bust cycles.
If sustained, the Mancos Shale revival could transform the San Juan from a footnote in U.S. gas history into a key contributor for the Desert Southwest’s growing energy needs.
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