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July 4th Switch Cornhole Tournament 

Michael Smith
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JT Keith 

Artesia Daily Press

jtkeith@elritomedia.com

On Friday, July 4, players took part in the Top Dog Cornhole 4th of July Switch Tournament.

The object of cornhole is to throw as many bags in the hole as possible. It uses cancellation scoring, which means that if a player throws a bag in the hole and another player throws a bag in the hole, the scores cancel each other out, resulting in zero points. A bag in the hole is three points, and a bag on the board is one point. The first player to score 21 points wins the game.

It was so hot outside that some players pitched tents and brought coolers to brave the 100-degree weather at Jaycee Park.

The event celebrated Independence Day, with a turnout of over 30 players. In first place were Ricardo Puentes and Michael Waldrop, in second place were Dominick Onsurez and Conner Summers, and in third place were Mikey Perez and Brittany Caley.

“There were 30 great players that came out,” said Bradley Davis, president of Top Dog Cornhole. “This is great for our area.”

Davis said the Top Dog Cornhole league began in 2018, and he has taken on the role of president, keeping the league going.

The league plays every Wednesday night at the Compound Clubhouse, 1416 S. 1st St. Davis said that when the league meets, it plays different formats and different teams.

Davis said that everyone plays together, the children with the adults, and some of the kids are better than the adults.

“We are just here to have a good time,” Davis said. “We want to provide some fun for the community.”

Davis is the regional director for southeastern New Mexico, which participates in the Texas Cornhole League.

The league will start in August and run through June 2026, Davis said. The league features some notable players, including Richard Vasquez from Arizona and Coty Gooch and Dean Parker, both from Hobbs.

“We have been hosting a tournament on Saturdays at the Artesia Aquatic Center,” Davis said. ‘We try to get some families out there to swim and have a good time.”

Davis said that he wants to grow the sport, which includes having kids play. The league usually has between 25 and 30 members playing.

jtkkeith can be reached at 575-420-0061, or on X@JTKEITH1.

DONNIE JOE LAIRSON

Katherine Smith
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Services will be held July 4, 2025 at 4pm for Donny Joe Lairson at the Lairson family cemetery in Lake­wood, NM. Donny passed away in Bradford, England on January 30, 2025.
 Donny was born to Thomas and Patricia (Medcalf) Lairson on July 3, 1972 in San Diego, California. Raised in Westphalia, Kansas, Donny grew up with his sister, Donna on the family farm where they raised livestock and grew corn, wheat, and soybeans. After graduating high school in Burlington, Kansas, Donny enlisted in the Navy and served for six years as an Electronics Technician. He rejoined his family in New Mexico in 1998 and lived in Artesia until his passing.
 Donny spent his time with various business ventures over the years and was an avid online gamer. He was also a firearms enthusiast who enjoyed trading more than shooting.
 He is survived by his parents Tom and Patricia Lairson; sister Donna Mersman and husband John; two nephews, Bryce and Blain Mersman; and his signifi­cant other, Holly Schiel.

LARRY DON RIORDAN

Katherine Smith
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Larry Don Riordan passed away in his home on July 3rd at the age of 79 in Granbury, Texas. Larry was born in Hobbs NM on September 13, 1945. Living with his dad from age 6, Larry quickly learned the importance of independence and self-reliance. Larry married his wife Jessie of 56 years in December 1965 and they raised three children. While serving in the Army National Guard Larry began his 38-year career with the Gas Company of NM. Beginning his work in the field as a backhoe operator, he was promoted to Area Manager in Clayton ending his career as Albuquerque Area Manager in 1996 then moving back to Alamogordo and retiring in 1997.

Larry served as Alamogordo Mayor and was a Rotarian and participated in several humanitarian missions to Mexico. Larry also led the Alamogordo Rotary Little League for several years in the early 2000s.

Larry married Sible Tharp in 2024 and while their life together was short, they enjoyed many faraway trips and almost as many moves. They attended services and activities at the Triple Cross Cowboy Church, with a shout-out to the band which Larry really enjoyed. They met many new friends in the Golden Gears Car Club.

Larry was Poppop to his grandchildren and he adored and loved them. Poppop was the fixer of all things which led to his grandchildren saying “My Poppop can do it”. “Howdy, howdy” with a lighted smile was Larry’s greeting. He was proud of what he accomplished with family, work, and life, and deservedly so.

Larry is survived by his wife, Sible Riordan, children Donnette Nelson (Doug), Tim Riordan (Randi), grandchildren Heath Johnson (Allison), Karly Middlebrook (Taylor), Megan Nelson (Atalie), Tyler Riordan, Abby Riordan, Hayden Riordan, Jimmie Riordan, and Marissa Baumann, his brother John Gale (Holly Ruth), sister Rhonda Wolf (Thomas), Sible’s son John Tharp, daughter Edie Tharp (Jigger) along with numerous great-grandchildren whom he adored.
Larry is preceded in death by his wife Jessie, son Jimmy, parents Jesse Riordan and Minnie A Gale, stepfather John Gale, and sister Reneè Gale.

Services will be held at Wiley Funeral Home, 400 Highway 377 E Granbury, Texas on Thursday July 10th at 1pm.
July 3, 1972-January 30, 2025

Services will be held July 4, 2025 at 4pm for Donny Joe Lairson at the Lairson family cemetery in Lake­wood, NM. Donny passed away in Bradford, England on January 30, 2025.

Donny was born to Thomas and Patricia (Medcalf) Lairson on July 3, 1972 in San Diego, California. Raised in Westphalia, Kansas, Donny grew up with his sister, Donna on the family farm where they raised livestock and grew corn, wheat, and soybeans. After graduating high school in Burlington, Kansas, Donny enlisted in the Navy and served for six years as an Electronics Technician. He rejoined his family in New Mexico in 1998 and lived in Artesia until his passing.

Donny spent his time with various business ventures over the years and was an avid online gamer. He was also a firearms enthusiast who enjoyed trading more than shooting.

He is survived by his parents Tom and Patricia Lairson; sister Donna Mersman and husband John; two nephews, Bryce and Blain Mersman; and his signifi­cant other, Holly Schiel.

Let heroes be heroes

Michael Smith
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Let heroes be heroes

Sen. Crystal Brantley
District 35

Last week, I stood in the smoke-shadowed foothills near the Gila, watching the Hotshot crews return from another 16-hour shift fighting the Trout Fire. Faces were blackened, arms scraped, boots worn — but not one of them complained. They were focused, disciplined, and ready to do it again the next day.

These are the kinds of men and women who eat heat for breakfast. They are New Mexico’s quiet heroes — firefighters, farmers, ranchers, oil field workers — doing hard jobs under hard conditions. They train for it, they plan for it, and they know how to take care of themselves and each other.

Recently, the New Mexico Environment Department proposed a new “heat illness prevention rule.” The rule, as proposed, would require employers to create written heat safety plans, record heat-related symptoms and incidents, provide mandatory breaks, and document all compliance. It goes as far as inspection of each individual’s daily water consumption, regardless of existing internal policies.

To be clear: the new “heat illness prevention” rule proposed by the Environment Department exempts emergency responders like wildland firefighters. That’s the right call.

But what happens when the fire is out?

That’s when construction workers arrive to rebuild. Municipal crews restore power and water. Highway workers clear debris, and teams scramble to shore up culverts and flood channels before the monsoon hits. Those folks—the men and women working on the secondary disaster—are covered under this rule. And they’re already stretched thin.

These professionals don’t need a government directive to tell them it’s hot. They need flexibility. And they need the freedom to focus on the mission in front of them, not on daily logs and compliance forms that assume the worst of them.

In rural New Mexico, common sense is not a luxury. It’s the only way things get done. Farmers plan around the sun. Ranchers adapt to the season. Oil field crews hydrate, rotate shifts, and protect their own—because losing a teammate to illness is catastrophic. The idea that a centralized agency knows better than the people doing the work is just plain wrong.

Let’s be clear—safety matters. But regulation without realism backfires. This rule may sound good on paper, but in the real world, it threatens to sideline the very people who rebuild communities and maintain the systems that keep us safe.

It’s one thing to offer guidance. It’s another to handcuff heroes with a clipboard.

Let’s call this what it is: micromanagement masquerading as public health. It needs to stop. Whether they’re battling blazes, restoring power, or rebuilding roads, New Mexico’s workforce deserves trust, not red tape.

Let heroes be heroes.

Senator Crystal Brantley represents District 35 in the New Mexico Senate which includes parts of Catron, Doña Ana, Grant, Hidalgo, Luna, Sierra & Socorro counties.

Police blotter

Michael Smith
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Police blotter

June 28

WELFARE

9:51 am – Officer dispatched to W. Main St. and S. 20th St. in reference to the welfare of an adult.

VANDAL

11:29 am – Officer dispatched to 800 block of S. Roselawn Ave. in reference to vandal.

LARCENY

2:42 pm – Officer dispatched to 200 block of W. Main St. in reference to larceny.

WELFARE

2:51 pm – Officer dispatched to 1000 block of N. 5th St. in reference to welfare of an adult.

SUSPICIOUS

3:13 pm – Officer dispatched to W. Hank Ave. and N. 14th St. in reference to a suspicious person.

WELFARE

5:06 pm – Officer dispatched to 2700 block of W. Richardson Ave. in reference to the welfare of a child.

RECKLESS

5:35 pm – Officer dispatched to 1700 block of S. 1st St. in reference to a reckless vehicle.

WELFARE

6:00 pm – Officer dispatched to 700 block of W. Lolita Ave. in reference to the welfare of an adult.

6:40 pm – Officer dispatched to 1900 block of W. Richey Ave. in reference to the welfare of an adult.

WANTED

6:40 pm – Officer dispatched to 800 block of S. Roselawn Ave. in reference to a wanted subject.

DISTURBANCE

8:07 pm – Officer dispatched to N. 1st St. and W. Texas Ave. in reference to disturbance.

FIREWORKS

9:30 pm – Officer dispatched to 600 block of S. 8th St. in reference to fireworks.

SHOTS FIRED

9:39 pm- Officer dispatched to 900 block of N. 13th St. in reference to an active shooter.

RECKLESS

11:03 pm – Officer dispatched to S. 37th St.  and W. Main St. in reference to a reckless vehicle.

June 29

RECKLESS

1:06 am – Officer dispatched to S. 28th St. and W. Missouri Ave. in reference to a reckless vehicle.

LOUD

2:32 am – Officer dispatched to 1900 block of W. Richey Ave. in reference to loud music.

SUSPICIOUS

2:33 am – Officer dispatched to 300 block of S. 8th St. in reference to a suspicious person.

WELFARE

3:16 am – Officer dispatched to W. Bullock Ave. and S. 2nd St. in reference to the welfare of a child.

HARASSMENT

7:52 pm – Officer dispatched to 1200 block of S. 13th St. in reference to harassment.

WELFARE

9:36 pm- Officer dispatched to 600 block of N. 26th St. in reference to the welfare of an adult.

FIREWORKS

10:11 pm – Officer dispatched to 900 block of N. 6th St. in reference in fireworks.

10:20 pm – Officer dispatched to 900 block of S. 6th St. in reference to fireworks.

June 30

DOMESTIC

1:47 am – Officer dispatched to 800 block of S. 2nd St. in reference to domestic.

WELFARE

3:33 am – Officer dispatched to 500 block of S. 20th St. in reference to the welfare of a child.

8:56 am – Officer dispatched to 700 block of W. Quay Ave. in reference to the welfare of an adult.

SUSPICIOUS

12:38 pm – Officer dispatched to 2000 block of Jacobs Ave. in reference to a suspicious person.

DISTURBANCE

2:43 pm – Officer dispatched to S. 13th St. and W. Main St. in reference to disorderly disturbance.

ACCIDENT

3:55 pm – Officer dispatched to N 1st St. and W. Richey Ave. in reference to a motor vehicle accident.

SUSPICIOUS

5:20 pm – Officer dispatched to S. 20th ST. and W. Main St. in reference to a suspicious person.

DISTURBANCE

5:58 pm – Officer dispatched to 400 block of W. Kemp Ave. in reference to disturbance.

DOMESTIC

9:54 pm – Officer dispatched to 100 block of W. Centre Ave. in reference to domestic.

July 1

DOMESTIC

2:09 am – Officer dispatched to 700 block of N. 10th St. in reference to domestic.

SUSPICIOUS

3:09 am – Officer dispatched to 3100 block of Dallas Ave. in reference to suspicious activity.

3:39 am – Officer dispatched to N. 7th St. and W. James Ave. in reference to a suspicious person.

4:20 am – Officer dispatched to 1800 block of Northgate Pl. in reference to suspicious activity.

ARMED

8:11 am – Officer dispatched to 700 block of N. 10th St. in reference to an armed subject.

BURGLARY

8:14 am – Office dispatched to 1900 block of W. Richey Ave. in reference to an auto burglary.

ACCIDENT

8:48 am – Officer dispatched to 1000 block of Memorial Dr. in reference to a motor vehicle accident.

WELFARE

4:17 pm – Officer dispatched to 1900 block of W. Richey Ave. in reference to the welfare of an adult.

BURGLARY

4:20 pm – Officer dispatched to 1900 block of S. 1st St. in reference to an auto burglary.

BATTERY

4:45 pm – Officer dispatched to 1900 block of W. Richey Ave. in reference to battery.

SUSPICIOUS

4:59 pm – Officer dispatched to S. 20th St. and W. Main St. in reference to a suspicious person.

5:52 pm – Officer dispatched to 600 block of W. Cleveland Ave. in reference to a suspicious person.

HARASSMENT

6:01 pm – Officer dispatched to 500 block of W. Bush Ave. in reference to harassment.

SUSPICIOUS

7:20 pm – Officer dispatched to 800 block of S. 4th St. in reference to a suspicious person.

THREATS

9:29 pm – Officer dispatched to S. 9th and W. Clayton Ave. in reference to threats.

July 2

HARASSMENT

9:47 am – Officer dispatched to N. 7th St. and W. JJ Clarke Dr. in reference to harassment.

10:20 am – Officer dispatched to 1000 block of W. Runyan Ave. in reference to harassment.

SUSPICIOUS

12:13 pm – Officer dispatched to 300 block of W. Cleveland Ave. in reference to a suspicious person.

HARASSMENT

1:40 pm – Officer dispatched to 1900 block of W. Richey Ave. in reference to harassment. ACCIDENT

2:22 pm – Officer dispatched to 600 block of N. 26th St. in reference to a motor vehicle accident.

STOLEN

2:23 pm – Officer dispatched to 200 block of W. Hermosa Dr. in reference to a stolen vehicle.

UNWANTED

2:32 pm – Officer dispatched to 2700 block of W.  Richey Ave. in reference to an unwanted subject.

ARMED

3:04 pm – Officer dispatched to 1300 block of W. Richey Ave. in reference to an armed subject.

DISTURBANCE

4:21 pm – Officer dispatched to 1100 block of S. 4th St. in reference to disturbance.

July 3

WELFARE

1:47 am – Officer dispatched to 1900 block of W. Richey Ave. in reference to the welfare of an adult.

THREATS

7:26 am – Officer dispatched to S. Roselawn Ave. and W. Washington Ave. in reference to threats.

SUSPICIOUS

9:20 am – Officer dispatched to 800 block of W. Main St. in reference to a suspicious person.

VANDAL

9:28 am – Officer dispatched to 800 block of S. 10th St. in reference to vandal.

GRAFFITI

9:36 am – Officer dispatched to 1600 block of S. 21st St. in reference to graffiti.

UNWANTED

10:27 am – Officer dispatched to 200 block of W. Chisum Ave. in reference to an unwanted subject.

ACCIDENT

11:36 am – Officer dispatched to 100 block of N. 25th St. in reference to a motor vehicle accident.

THREATS

12:36 pm – Officer dispatched to 900 block of N. 10th St. in reference to threats.

UNWANTED

1:54 pm – Officer dispatched to 2600 block of W. Richey Ave. in reference to an unwanted subject.

VANDAL

2:19 pm – Officer dispatched to N. 6th St. and W. Main St. in reference to vandalism.

WELFARE

2:28 pm – Officer dispatched to 800 block of S. Roselawn Ave. in reference to the welfare of an adult.

5:50 pm -Officer dispatched to S. 20th St. and W. Main St. in reference to the welfare of an adult.

7:50 pm – Officer dispatched to S. 15th St. and W. Missouri Ave. in reference to the welfare of a child.

HARASSMENT

6:06 pm – Officer dispatched to 700 block of Bowman Dr. in reference to harassment.

RECKLESS

8:25 pm – Officer dispatched to N. 15ht St. and W. Main St. in reference to a reckless vehicle.

July 4

DOMESTIC

12:33 am – Officer dispatched to 700 block of N. 7th St. in reference to physical domestic.

ACCIDENT

3:28 am – Officer dispatched to 800 block of N. 1st St. in reference to a motor vehicle accident.

DISTURBANCE

10:34 am – Officer dispatched to 300 block of E. Main St. in reference to disorderly disturbance.

WELFARE

6:57 pm – Officer dispatched to 700 block of N. 10th St. in reference to the welfare of an adult.

BURGLARY

8:11 pm – Officer dispatched to 800 block of W. Lolita Ave. in reference to burglary.

ACCIDENT

9:51 pm – Officer dispatched to 1000 block of N. 4th St. in reference to a motor vehicle accident.

WELFARE

11:06 pm – Officer dispatched to 1300 block of W. Ray Ave. in reference to mental welfare.

SHOTS FIRED

11:28 pm – Officer dispatched to W. Hank Ave. and N. 10th St. in reference to shots fired in the area.

New Mexico trout love caddisflies

Michael Smith
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New Mexico trout love caddisflies

Information and photo provided by Dustin Berg and the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish

All species of trout appreciate a good meal of caddisflies. Across New Mexico we see large caddis hatches that cause fish to heavily feed during the warmer months.

Keep an eye out for bigger bugs fluttering in the air, and if you can catch one with your hands that is the best way to get a good look at what coloration of fly you will need to match the hatch. Caddisflies normally range in color from light brown to dark brown but can also have a hint of yellowish/green/gray.

Caddisflies start out as eggs that hatch into aquatic larvae and then into terrestrial adults. Once they go terrestrial, they are on a mission to mate and will congregate on the water’s edge in the grasses or bushes. When they land on the water’s surface to lay their eggs or crash-land into the water by way of flying mishap, that’s when opportunistic trout can be found feeding on the water’s surface.

When fishing your caddis fly, the first thing to do is try to find rising fish. If you see fish feeding on the water’s surface, they are going to be your best bet for getting a strike. Try to float your fly naturally through the lane that the fish are feeding in. Casting at an angle up stream will give your fly a longer float. If you cast your fly downstream the waters current and your fully extended fly line will cause the fly to drag in the water. A fly dragging in the water is unnatural and will severely limit the number of fish that decide to bite your fly.

Big fish can be feeding right alongside the water’s edge. You don’t necessarily have to fish in the middle of the stream or river. Sometimes the best place to fish is within inches or feet of the stream or rivers edge. Try floating your fly along the bank of the stream or river through bank undercuts, overhanging grass, and small eddies. Be ready when a fish you had no idea was there darts out from beneath its cover to snatch up your fly.

Tip: Dry fly flotant makes a big difference when trying to keep your fly floating on the water’s surface for extended periods of time. I just learned about a new flotant called High N Dry that worked excellent with my caddis flies on my recent trip.

This article was originally published by the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish in 2023.

Mewbourne Oil Company Celebrates 60 years

Michael Smith
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Staff reports

On June 1, Mewbourne Oil Company (MOC) marked six decades in the oil and gas industry. Founded in 1965 by Curtis Mewbourne, the company began its journey in the Permian Basin before expanding operations into the Anadarko Basin in 1976. Today, MOC employs more than 800 people and has grown into one of the largest oil and gas companies in America.

“Mr. Mewbourne was a great man and a brilliant oilman. He would be delighted to see our growth and success, which has been driven by the talent and dedication of our great people, said MOC President and CEO Ken Waits. “We continue to see incredible opportunities in the Permian and Anadarko basins and believe our future has never been brighter.”

The company is still privately-owned by the Mewbourne family six decades after it as created, and Waits said Mewbourne remaing “committed to the business and the long term success and well being of its’ owners, employees, partners and stakeholders.”

To commemorate this milestone, the company hosted celebrations for all employees, recognizing and honoring many with service awards for their invaluable contributions.

“I am incredibly proud of Mewbourne Oil Company’s accomplishments and stability over our remarkable 60 year history,” Waits said. “I am confident we will have many more of these celebrations in the years to come.”

For more information about Mewbourne Oil Company, visit www.mewbourne.com.

Survey Says

Michael Smith
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Survey Says

Ty Houghtaling

I received an email with a survey for evangelical pastors from a church curriculum provider the other day. In it, I was asked how often a Gospel presentation was offered at my church. Generally speaking, we offer an invitation to accept the Good News every Sunday. On occasion, there has been a Sunday where an invitation wasn’t offered to accept the message of Jesus. Church leaders can get fearful, maybe fearful is too strong of a word, of confronting non-church people (non-followers of Jesus) with the Gospel. There is pressure on pastors and church leaders to keep from running people off with the confrontational message about sin and our need for a Savior. Supposedly, many churches don’t even use terminology like “sin”, “salvation”, or “you must be born again”. The message of “love God and love people” (a critical message of Christianity) is typically what resonates with churches that are uncomfortable with evangelism. The survey I took brought up these types of concerns. I am nominally aware of the trends of churches and the concerns of pastors who do not wish to offend people due to the confrontational nature of Jesus’ message of forgiveness and transformation. The truth is, the Gospel message is confrontational. And, until a person can admit their sins and repent of those sins against God and then, by faith, believe in Jesus as the one God sent to die on our behalf, salvation isn’t possible. I accepted that message a long time ago and I am not ashamed of that message. I will continue to present it to anyone willing to consider it for it is the power of God for salvation (Rm 1:16). What are your thoughts? Are the concerns over the church’s invitation to respond to the Gospel at the end of a service merited? Why or why not? Email me at ty@fbcartesia.org and maybe we both can make sharing the Good News about Jesus easier and more effective. (FYI “Repent of your sins”: Mt 3:2, Rv 2:16, Mt. 4:17, Mk 1:15, Ac 2:38, Ac 3:19, Lk 13:3; “be born again” Mt 3:3, 2 Cr 5:17, Ez 36:26-27, Ti 3:5, 1 Pt 1:23, Rm 6:4, Ep 2:4-5, 1 Jn 5:1, Ja 1:18; “salvation” 2 Co 6:2, Rm 13:11)

County settles social media censorship lawsuit

Michael Smith
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County settles social media censorship lawsuit

Christina Holt
Hobbs News-Sun

Government entities, including the Lea County Sheriff’s Office, use social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram to give out information and engage with the public.

However, it is important to note these public entities are typically restricted from deleting comments or blocking users from its public social media pages under the First Amendment.

This is exactly what Jason Sanchez of Texas claimed was done to him by LCSO, leading to a lawsuit which ended in a settlement agreement of Sanchez receiving $50,000.

Sanchez filed the lawsuit through his attorney Benjamen Gubernick against Lea County Board of Commissioners in January, claiming his civil rights under the New Mexico Constitution and First Amendment of the United States Constitution were violated.

Sanchez is a former resident of Eddy County and maintains a Facebook page currently called “Eddy and Lea County Exposed.” This page was previously named “New Mexico Exposed” and “Eddy County Exposed,” according to the lawsuit.

The purpose of the page is to “monitor corruption and encourage good government in New Mexico,” the complaint read.

Sanchez used the “New Mexico Exposed” Facebook page to comment on a post in September 2024 made by LCSO regarding how drivers in Lea County should not drive while intoxicated.

The post was an attempt to expose hypocrisy and corruption within LCSO, according to the lawsuit.

“Regular citizens are disciplined for drunk driving while the misdeeds and vices of leaders … are overlooked and swept under the rug,” the lawsuit read.

The comments Sanchez posted did not contain threats or profanity, nor did he disclose personal information of any deputy or LCSO family members, according to the complaint.

After making the comments, Sanchez learned the New Mexico Exposed page was blocked by LCSO and subsequently, his comments were deleted. He then filed his lawsuit and settled in January 2025.

Since the settlement in January, Lea County Manager Corey Needham signed a new social media policy for the county turning off commenting for all posts effective April 1.

“ … social media remains a tool for disseminating accurate and timely information while minimizing the risk of misinformation, inappropriate content, or non-compliant interaction,” the policy read.

The county opted to disable public commenting on all county-run social media.

Since commenting on a Lea County social media posts is no longer an option to ask questions or bring up concerns, the public will have to either call, email or directly message to the post.

Commenting was allowed prior to April 1, as indicated by the “Our Lea County” Facebook page. The comment section was previously open and treated as a designated public forum.

Christina Holt’s email is reporter3@hobbsnews.com.

State to spend millions on abandoned oil wells

Michael Smith
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State to spend millions on abandoned oil wells

Adrian Hedden
Artesia Daily Press
ahedden@elritomedia.com

Abandoned oil and gas wells could cost New Mexico more than $200 million and take a decade to clean up, according to a report issued by state economists as lawmakers debate what to do about the problem.

Wells are typically abandoned by operators when they are no longer financially viable, as older wells generally produce less oil and gas. The environmental community fears the wells leach chemicals into the land and air, risking public health and the environment if not remediated.

To do that, operators pay into state bonds when wells are drilled – currently about $25,000 per well or up to $250,000 for “blanket bonds” to cover multiple wells in a tiered system depending on the number of wells owned by a company across New Mexico.

But that money does not usually cover the full expense, at current cost rates for construction and materials to plug the well, remove surface disturbance and remediate the land back to its natural state, read a June 24 report by the Legislative Finance Committee.

So, the state picks up the bill.

The report was presented to committee members during their June 24 interim meeting, held between legislative sessions for lawmakers to consider policies. The authors detailed how and why wells are abandoned and remediated, and suggested the industry should be held to higher financial requirements.

Stephanie Joyce, a committee program evaluator who presented the research, said the average cost to plug and remediate a single well was estimated at about $163,000.

“The state faces significant and growing financial liabilities for oil and gas well cleanup,” she said. “Wells aren’t built to last forever.”

Concerns were voiced by Jim Winchester, president of the Independent Petroleum Association of New Mexico – a trade group that represents smaller producers he said would be disproportionately impacted by the increased requirements for well-plugging.

“Industry has long been very concerned over plugging abandoned wells,” he said. “We recognize that problem and want to fix it.”

Winchester said the state’s Oil Reclamation Fund – created in the 1970s and funded by energy companies that pay into the fund for reclamation of abandoned sites – should be adequate when combined with current bonding rates.

He said the fund was “robbed” in the last 15 years by lawmakers to pay for other state expenses, meaning up to “a billion dollars” were taken away from well-plugging. Winchester admitted he had no hard data to back up his estimate.

“It is the Legislature that has swept these funds and allocated them elsewhere,” Winchester said. “That’s broken the trust with industry.”

Yet, New Mexico Commissioner of Public Lands Stephanie Garcia Richard said oil and gas companies must be held liable over state taxpayers for the cleanup.

She said the State Land Office Garcia Richard leads, managing operations on 13 million acres of State Trust lands, forced companies to plug 700 such wells since she took office in 2019.

“I think most companies are starting to take us seriously when we say they need to honor the terms of their leases and clean up after themselves,” she said.

How many abandoned wells are left?

The report estimated there were about 60,000 currently active wells that will need to be plugged in the future in New Mexico.

While operators typically plug their own wells, the report read, the state’s Oil and Gas Division was forced to plug about 1,000 abandoned wells in the last 20 years – about 5% of all wells plugged in the state during that time.

“However, the number of wells the division is authorized to plug has consistently outpaced its plugging efforts,” read the report.

As of the report’s release, the division – which functions as New Mexico’s lead compliance agency for the oil and gas industry – had gained the authority to plug 700 wells it found to be abandoned, but expected a future need to plug 1,400 more wells believed inactive.

Authority to plug a well is gained by the state when it determines the site is abandoned and issues a notice of violation. A hearing can be held and if the well is still in violation, and the operator does not plug it themselves, the state will take on the work.

About 3,000 wells in New Mexico were producing “extremely small quantities” of oil and gas, the report read, meaning they would likely need to be plugged soon.

The estimated cost of plugging just the currently identified abandoned wells was $208 million, the report read, rising to $468 million for the rest of the inactive wells and to more than $1 billion for those close to the end of their lifetime.

In total, the report estimated between $700 million and $1.6 billion to be New Mexico’s “current and near-future” liability. Federal grants could offset some of the expense, Joyce said, through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act signed into law by former President Joe Biden in November 2021.

So far, New Mexico has gained $55 million through the act, she said, and is eligible for another $100 million in the coming years. The money helped the division plug some of the wells, Joyce said, but meanwhile the cost ballooned from about $30,000 in 2019 to the $163,000 reported recently.

Solutions or an ‘attack’ on industry?

To solve this purported dilemma, the report said lawmakers should clarify the definition of “abandoned” or “orphan” wells, assess higher financial assurances for low-producing wells, and allow the Division to block transfers of older, low-producing wells to smaller operators it believes are unlikely to meet the requirements.

Under the report’s other recommendations, which also called on the division to publish a monthly list of abandoned wells, a low producing well would be defined as one generating less than 750 barrels of oil equivalent (BOE) per year and the definition for inactive wells would be expanded to include those producing less than 180 BOE per year.

A barrel of oil equivalent is a unit of measurement that combines oil and natural gas. One BOE is a barrel of oil – about 42 gallons – or 6,000 cubic feet of gas.

Sen. Steven Lanier, (R-2) of Aztec, who represents an area located among the aging natural gas fields of the northwest San Juan Basin, said the report was “biased” and amounted to a false criticism of the state’s oil and gas industry.

It’s a business that produces about half of New Mexico’s budget each year and generated more than $13 billion in state and local revenue in fiscal year 2025, according to the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association.

Lanier said all that was under “attack” by the report and those who produced it, putting the state’s economy at risk.

“Fortunately, my colleagues and I recognized the source of this misleading report – self-serving ‘climate warriors’ once again trying to further their radical progressive policy goals without regard for the damage they would do to our state’s economy,” he said.

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

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