Officials involved in the project told the quarterly Gas and Oil Regulatory Team meeting that for months, no methane has been detected in the vicinity of the February 2005 explosion at the home of Charles Yoakum.

The explosion was caused by an old gas well drilled and abandoned before World War II; for decades, neighbors had complained about methane in their water wells. Yoakum was injured, but survived.

Kyle Siesser, a geologist with LT Environmental Inc., the company handling the cleanup, said the old wells were vented and later plugged. Since then, monitoring at various sites on the approximately 14 acres affected by the seep found that methane concentrations were steadily declining, reaching 0 percent in September 2007.

"There is no methane anywhere on the site," Siesser said.

He said efforts also have been made to reclaim the soil.

"We're hoping to see vegetation in the spring," he said.

Methane continues to be present in the water. Because of this, well water in the area has to be treated before it is pumped into houses so it is not flammable.

Karen Spray, an environmental protection specialist with the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, said that the level of dissolved methane in the water is not generally increasing, but it remains relatively high.

The cost of the investigation, cleanup and monitoring has been about $1 million, Tricia Beaver, a spokeswoman with the oil and gas commission, said.

Butch Knowlton, La Plata County's director of emergency preparedness, said the progress was encouraging.

"It sounds like they are well on their way to a satisfactory result of all their efforts and all of their money," he said.

The Gas and Oil Regulatory Team, called GORT, formed in November 1994. It brings together government and industry technical experts to discuss issues relevant to Southwest Colorado.

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