New Mexico is expanding its effort to deal with abandoned oil and gas wells, with more than 1,600 still awaiting plugging or cleanup under existing state orders, the Midland Reporter-Telegram reports.
The state Oil Conservation Division has set up an Orphan Well Bureau to find abandoned wells, oversee plugging and clean up sites that may pose environmental risks. The move follows the unanimous passage of House Bill 80 in the 2026 legislative session, which will gradually redirect revenue from the state’s oil and gas conservation tax into the Oil and Gas Reclamation Fund.
The division, part of the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department, plugged 114 wells in fiscal year 2026. Department spokesperson Sidney Hill said the bureau is expected to have 13 employees by the end of its first year, including plugging engineers, field inspectors and environmental scientists, paid for by the reclamation fund. Officials won’t set annual plugging goals until the bureau is more fully staffed.
What's Next
The bureau is expected to reach 13 employees in its first year, and officials say they will set annual plugging targets once it is more fully staffed.
Why It Matters
Unplugged or poorly sealed wells can let oil, gas and other contaminants escape into the environment.
About This Story
Daily Reports is Brant.One’s news roundup. Each day we gather the New Mexico stories worth knowing from newsrooms across the state, sum them up and point you to the source. This one comes from Midland Reporter-Telegram’s reporting, and their original story has the interviews and full details.
