Denver International Airport (DIA) has invested $5.5 million on buying an additional 27 oil and natural gas wells on its property.

The airport owns the mineral rights on all of its 34,000 acres, but had leased approximately 27,000 acres to Petro-Canada Resources (USA) Inc (PCR) for oil and natural gas exploration. DIA exercised its preferential right to buy PCR's airport assets after it decided to sell up.

Denver's managing director for asset development, John Ackerman, predicts that the new wells will provide DIA with an additional $3.5 million in annual revenue. The gateway now owns or operates a total of 76 across the 53 square mile airport site.

"This deal is very good for DIA and our airline partners, because improving our non-airline revenue sources helps to keep costs down for our carriers," he enthuses.