A computerized method of detecting lineaments on the Earth's surface from digital topographic data was evaluated for its usefulness in exploration and development of natural gas from tight sandstones. The method, known as co-planar lineament analysis, was applied to the topography of the Douglas Creek Arch of northwestern Colorado, where significant amounts of natural gas have been produced from the Upper Cretaceous Mancos B sandstone. The locations of the co-planar lineaments detected correspond poorly with the locations of linear trends on contour maps of cumulative production and initial production. Because co-planar lineaments are reflections of surface features that are mostly the results of surface geology, it is not too surprising to see a lack of correlation with natural gas production, which depends upon aspects of sub-surface geology. The conclusion of this study is not that co-planar lineament analysis will never work in the search for tight gas. Rather it is that its application to natural gas exploration and development will not work everywhere. Areas where the technique would be best employed would probably be those where the reservoir is relatively shallow, the surface rocks and reservoir rocks are similar in age and lithology, and where the subsurface geology is relatively simple with no unconformities, thrust faults, or plastic layers such as salt or soft shale between the surface and gas reservoir. In addition, it must be demonstrated that straight stream segments within a given area are indeed caused by joints in the surface rocks and not some other geological phenomenon such as the strike of an easily eroded bed. 31 refs., 24 figs., 3 tabs.