Oil wells can leak pollution into the land and air when abandoned, and state agencies often must pick up the bill for cleanup.

In New Mexico, the work is conducted by the Oil Conservation Division, an arm of the state’s Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department.

The division reported it plugged 114 abandoned wells in Fiscal Year 2026, running from July 1, 2025, to June 30 of this year, via a July 9 report published by the agency.

That leaves 586 wells on state and private lands identified as abandoned in a July 2025 report by New Mexico’s Legislative Finance Committee – wells the Oil Conservation Division has the authority to plug without consent from the operator.

The division could soon seek approval to plug 1,400 other inactive wells, according to the committee report, which also identified 3,000 wells producing “extremely small quantities of oil and gas” that could soon require plugging.

Operators in New Mexico can receive approval from the division to keep wells idle, meaning they are not producing during an agreed-upon time frame.

When a well’s owner fails to communicate with the state about such a status, the well can be deemed abandoned or “orphaned.” In state terms, that means no active owner is identified – often when an operator finds the well to be no longer financially viable.

Once a well is declared orphaned, the state can plug and clean up the facility, potentially remediating the land back to its normal state.

Plugging is the first step toward cleaning up an unused well, with concrete and other materials poured into the borehole to prevent remaining gas or liquids from leaking out.

The FY 2026 plugged-well total surpassed the division’s previous record of 104 plugged wells set in FY 2024. The wells were plugged at an average cost of about $236,000 per well.

That means the wells plugged in FY 2026 wells cost roughly $26.9 million, not accounting for the costs of remediating the land, which the state estimated can amount to millions of dollars depending on the state of the land and age of the well.

The committee estimated the state could face a liability up to $1.6 billion for plugging all 60,000 of New Mexico’s currently active wells when they are no longer in use.

But Erin Taylor, acting cabinet secretary of the natural resources department, was optimistic that the state’s work so far prevented pollution in New Mexico’s atmosphere and water supplies.

“This milestone reflects New Mexico’s ongoing commitment to protecting public health and safety by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and safeguarding groundwater,” Taylor said of the work done in FY 2026.

Since then, the state said, it plugged 429 wells, estimating the work cut methane emissions from the wells by 59,000 grams per hour since FY 2023, or 517,000 kilograms per year.

The work was funded using a combination of federal grants and tax funds provided by oil companies through the state’s Oil Reclamation Fund.

That included about $109 million from the U.S. Department of Interior through a provision in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

The legislation was signed into law by former-President Joe Biden in November 2021, providing about $1.2 billion for well-plugging in 24 states, including New Mexico.

And New Mexico lawmakers passed House Bill 80, which was signed into law by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on March 9, to increase the amount going into the fund and restrict it from other uses. The bill was estimated to bring up to $108.7 million to the fund by FY 2030.

Looking ahead, the Oil Conservation Division said it was still eligible for $57 million in federal funds to plug wells and remediate land. The agency reported it already had spent $14.7 million to reclaim 505,950 square feet of land at former well sites.

“Every well we plug is a direct investment in New Mexico’s future,” said Division Director Albert Chang in a statement. “This year’s results show what’s possible when we combine technical expertise, effective planning and a commitment to serving the people of our state.”

Missi Currier, president of trade group the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association, said operators were largely compliant in cleaning up inactive wells.

“Our members fully support operators meeting, and often exceeding, their obligations to responsibly plug and remediate wells,” she said. “We remain committed to working with regulators on policies that protect the environment while preserving New Mexico’s ability to attract investment and sustain the revenues that fund our schools, health care, and public services, making our state an energy mecca for generations to come.”

But Antoinette Reyes at the Rio Grande Chapter of the Sierra Club, a national environmental nonprofit, said public tax dollars should not be used to address the impacts of private industry.

“New Mexicans should not be left paying to clean up oil and gas pollution after companies move on,” Reyes said. “Oil and gas operators should be responsible for cleaning up their mess after they privately profit from extracting public resources.”

Managing Editor Adrian Hedden can be reached at 575-628-5516, or @AdrianHedden on the social media platform X.

Tim Keithley
Ruidoso News

Plugging-up dangerous and abandoned oil wells and orphaned mineral mines in the western U.S. are two major projects that currently have the attention of new Bureau of Land Management Director Steve Pearce.

The longtime New Mexico congressman and former state Republican Party Chairman toured 11 orphaned mines in northern New Mexico last week. Pearce was back in his home state to speak at the Independent Petroleum Association of New Mexico’s annual convention in Albuquerque.

“The gas industry applauded our efforts to clean up those abandoned wells,” Pearce said on my Saturday morning radio show, “KWES Saturday Morning.” Pearce said there are thousands of abandoned oil wells and former mineral mines found on BLM land across the West.

“Our office has put together a working plan and we currently have the funds budgeted to cap the wells,” Pearce said. “We would like to have the majority of this work completed by the end of next year.”

Pearce said the job has been hectic since being sworn in as BLM director on May 19, but he enjoys the heavy workload. He described currently working 12-hour days in Washington D.C. that include regular meetings, while attempting to resolve any issues that can’t be addressed at one of the local field offices that manage 245 million acres and 700 million subsurface acres of public land.

“My 14 years in Congress, along with a previous career of working in the oil and gas business, has allowed me to get a grasp on the issues impacting the BLM,” Pearce said. “We are working with companies that have invested in the land and we’re balancing their concerns with preserving the land and environment.”

One of the issues that used to irritate Pearce while serving in Congress was government bureaucracy “red tape” inside the various agencies. As director of the BLM, Pearce said he is doing his best to streamline decisions without compromising environmental concerns.

“Mostly people just want answers,” Pearce said. “In one case that I’ve been involved with thus far, the company had been waiting for years for a decision to be made about a particular issue. We were able make a decision and move a project forward within days that previously had been held-up in paperwork for years.”

Pearce said one of the most important topics on his desk in his new position is water conservation in the West. An expert on oil and gas extraction, Pearce would like to see brackish water that comes out of wells as produced water become 100% reusable.

“This is one of the most important issues facing the western states,” Pearce said. “It is vital that oil and gas companies are doing everything possible to conserve as much water coming out of the ground as possible while producing product.”

Although Pearce has only two months on the job, he said that the BLM field offices have committed employees and staff that want to serve the public.

“Our 5,700 BLM employees are genuinely positive about our goals and projects,” Pearce said. “I’m enjoying the opportunity to serve every day.”

Ruidoso News columnist Tim Keithley writes about the people and events in the community. If you have a story idea, contact Tim at tkeithley@elritomedia.com.

Expectant mothers with high-risk pregnancies now have improved access to a higher level of care thanks to Native Air and LifeGuard.

The Roswell-based emergency air medical provider can now carry a TOCO monitor for continuous in-air fetal monitoring, and their sister bases in Artesia and Carlsbad are also trained to use the device on their helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft.

Native Air and LifeGuard join a handful of programs within Air Methods, the nation’s leading air medical service provider, to carry this device. Air Methods plans to expand the use of TOCO monitors to other community-based programs throughout the year.

A tocodynamometer, commonly known as a TOCO monitor, provides clinicians with valuable information about uterine activity, including the frequency, intensity, and length of contractions during labor. It is a non-invasive sensor placed on the abdomen to help clinicians gain insight into the well-being of both the mother and baby and respond with any critical care needed.

“The TOCO monitor allows us to monitor a baby’s heart rate and condition, as well as the frequency and length of the mother’s contractions, continuously throughout the transport,” said Air Methods Regional Clinical Director Ronnie Rivas-Savell. “This gives us the opportunity to see real time changes in both the baby and mother and treat them immediately, which is particularly important for women with high-risk pregnancies.” 

Due to limited OB resources in New Mexico, women with high-risk pregnancies, including those with twins, pre-eclampsia, premature membrane rupture, pregnancy-induced hypertension, or pregnant patients suffering trauma from car accident, falls, or other incidents are often flown to Albuquerque or to Lubbock, TX for specialized care.

With the addition of the TOCO monitor, more patients will be able to be transported by air in order to receive this medical attention as this device will be used on all pregnant patients transported after 20 weeks of gestation.

Native Air and LifeGuard have been serving the Energy Basin for over 20 years. Their helicopters and fixed-wing airplanes function as flying ICUs, carrying the equipment and medications needed to save lives in emergency situations.

Their industry-leading flight nurses and paramedics are trained to provide critical care to patients suffering from trauma due to accidents, cardiac and stroke events, high-risk obstetric emergencies, and more.  

“Air Methods is committed to providing air medical services to all members of the communities it serves and is in-network with most major health insurance providers across the country for emergency air medical services,” read a statement from Air Methods.

“Additionally, their patient advocates work with all patients, regardless of insurance, to ensure affordability while making pre-paid air medical membership unnecessary.”