oil production

For years ozone levels monitored by the New Mexico Environment Department and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in the Permian Basin have exceeded national standards. EPA told state an ozone nonattainment zone was imminent for the Permian Basin, which would have brought over oversight of oilfield operations. Now that may not happen with the election of Donald Trump.

Marianne Kah spent 25 years as chief economist at ConocoPhillips. She talked about rgw fossil fuel landscape with a focus on New Mexico, the upcoming presidential election, and the need for wealthy countries to step up their spending on climate change adaptation.

A historic and first-of-its-kind constitutional lawsuit accusing the state of New Mexico of failing to curb increasing air pollution is facing its first major hearing Friday as several groups petition the court to allow them to intervene in the case.

A settlement between the state of New Mexico and Ridgeway Arizona Oil Corp. will plug 299 of the company’s moribund, nonproducing oil wells, with the state paying the costs and the company reimbursing the state $30,000 a month until the bill is repaid.

As a top oil and gas producer, New Mexico has some of the strictest emissions rules in the country. That includes a state Environment Department rule that went into effect last year that aims to reduce ozone-causing air pollution by 260 million pounds a year. However, Environment Secretary James Kenney says the agency is falling short on enforcing the rules and is asking the Legislature to help change that.

Last week, the Bureau of Land Management held its first oil and gas lease sales in months, netting more than $8 million from drillers eyeing public...