Oil and gas industry on edge (NM radical green Dems plan to rein in industry)

The Albuquerque Journal ^ | January 21, 2019 | Kevin Robinson-Avila

[CedarDave]

New Mexico’s oil and gas industry is facing significant regulatory reforms under the state’s new Democratic-dominated government, and it’s got producers on edge.

That includes potential legislative amendments to New Mexico’s Oil and Gas Act to let the state Oil Conservation Division directly impose penalties and fines on operators who violate environmental laws, plus statutory changes in leasing policies to allow royalty rates for production on state lands to rise from 20 percent to 25 percent. The state’s first rules and regulations to control methane emissions in oil and gas operations are also on the horizon.

“Folks down here are worried about the direction things could take,” said Raye Miller, president of Regeneration Energy Corp. in Artesia. “…I hope officials are cognizant of how much our industry contributes to the state economy. With punitive policies, capital will flow across state lines into Texas.”

For the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department, giving the Oil Conservation Division authority to impose sanctions is critical to enforce regulations. Under current statutes, the OCD must sue violators in court through the Attorney General’s Office, something officials say impedes effective oversight.

“We need tools to enforce the law,” said department secretary-designate Sarah Cottrell Propst. “It’s a glaring, missing piece our agency needs to do its job.”

But industry leaders say the judicial process ensures fairness through independent assessment of alleged violations, rather than state inspectors acting as judge and jury.

“The benefit is we get an impartial decision maker and a clean record based on evidence developed by both sides,” said New Mexico Oil and Gas Association Executive Director Ryan Flynn. “All we want is a fair shake.”

“That seems like an effort not to increase accountability, but to open opportunities to beat up the industry,” Flynn said

[CedarDave]

Elections have consequences.

The NM oil and gas industry provides over 33 percent of revenue for state government and education. I wonder how thin the Golden Goose has to get before it quits laying those golden eggs?

[CedarDave]

NM list PING!

I may not PING for all New Mexico articles. To see New Mexico articles by topic click here: New Mexico Topics

To see NM articles by keyword, click here: New Mexico Keywords

To see the NM Message Page, click here: New Mexico Messages

(The NM list is available on my FR homepage for FR member use; its use in the News Forum should not be for trivial or inconsequential posts. Let me know if you wish to be added or removed from the list.)
(For ABQ Journal articles requiring a subscription, scroll down to the bottom of the page to view the article for free after answering a question or watching a short video commercial.)

[choctaw man]

Dems platform is ‘no jobs’

[lonestar67]

It is great news for Texas because a record oil find was just discovered at the border between the two. Texas will grab the plunder.

[Red Badger]

They voted for it.
I have no sympathy...................

[tomkat]

Let the watermelon bastards freeze in the dark.

When they come crawling back begging for those nasty hydrocarbons, double their prices.

Customers wearing MAGA caps to be granted immunity from said embargo.

[rktman]

Awesome huh. Something to help the NM economy? Shut it down. Our sympathy CedarDave.

[rktman]

So, what happens if they do some horizontal drilling under the state line?

[butlerweave]

New Mexico is about to go Dark

[CedarDave]

More details on changes at this ABQ Journal link:

A change in energy

[Joe Bfstplk]

Some old-fashioned slant hole drilling from Texas
will get the product.

[laplata]

They voted for it.
I have no sympathy...................

><<

Some people voted for it.

[Red Badger]

The majority.................

[lodi90]

Some people voted for it.

---

I don’t know about the rest of the industry but Tillerson and Exxon sure seemed all in on the progressive corportist agenda.

[apostoli]

“They voted for it.
I have no sympathy...................”

Understood; however, we moved from CA to NM last year and these NM sheep seem to believe all the democrap lies and fear mongers (globull warming, CO2 is a poison, etc)... i HOPE these sheeple don’t vote 80% for EVERY new tax like the CA’s.

at least the move was from the fire to the frying pan...

[laplata]

The majority.................

><

It’s still “some”. Not “all” voted for it so those who voted against it have my sympathy. They tried to stop it.

If what Leftists do only affected them, it would be fine. But the rest of us have to suffer the consequences.

[laplata]

I don’t know about the rest of the industry but Tillerson and Exxon sure seemed all in on the progressive corportist agenda.

><

Because Globalism is their agenda. They have no loyalty to the USA.

[Lion Den Dan]

By enabling the regulatory agency to extract fines without exposure to the light of day brought by a court hearing only opens the system to wide spread graft. Who would not pay a couple million bribe to avoid several millions in penalties? Hopefully, no one here needs to be told where the bribe money would go.

[Gen.Blather]

“I wonder how thin the Golden Goose has to get before it quits laying those golden eggs? “

Those companies that can should quit NM. It’s amazing how a sudden drop in revenue will change governmental policies.

Every day there’s something more stupid than yesterday. Today it’s an attempt to ban paper receipts. The problem is, they will never stop banning things. It isn’t about those things it’s about power and maintain the virtue signaling. Oh, and being more liberally righteous than thou.

[ronnie raygun]

When you pay you play sorry Charlie, move to another more friendly state