The Permian Basin, one of the largest and most prolific oil and natural gas producing basins in the United States, was discovered in 1921 and extends over 100,000 square miles in West Texas and southeast New Mexico. It is characterized by oil and natural gas fields with long production histories and multiple producing formations. These stacked formations have been further drilled and produced following the advent and refinement of horizontal drilling. Currently, the majority of the rigs running in the Permian Basin are drilling horizontal wells. The Permian Basin has historically been our largest operating region and still contains the majority of our drilling locations and development projects. Our producing wells in the Permian Basin are generally characterized as oil wells that also produce high-Btu casinghead gas with significant NGL content.
In 2018, we plan to focus on the development of our Permian Basin horizontal drilling inventory. Our development capital expenditures are expected to be approximately $225 million, compared to approximately $176.8 million in 2017 and $29.5 million in 2016.
We entered the East Texas region through our July 2015 acquisitions in Anderson, Freestone, Houston, Leon, Limestone and Robertson counties. The properties in East Texas consist of mature, low-decline natural gas wells. The East Texas properties are supported by a 601 mile natural gas gathering system and plant we acquired as part of those acquisitions.
Our Rocky Mountain region was originally comprised by acquisitions in the Big Horn, Wind River and Powder River Basins in Wyoming largely consisting of mature oil wells with a natural water drive producing primarily from the Dinwoody-Phosphoria, Tensleep and Minnelusa formations. We expanded our footprint with our acquisition of oil properties in North Dakota and Montana in 2012 and our acquisition of non-operated natural gas properties in Colorado in 2014. The North Dakota properties produce primarily from the Madison and Bakken formations, while the Montana properties produce mostly from the Sawtooth and Bowes formations. The Colorado properties produce primarily from the Williams Fork formation.
Tariffs
Our properties in the Mid-Continent region are located in Oklahoma. These properties were acquired in 2007.