New Mexico to get $43.7 million for orphan well clean-up

New Mexico to get $43.7 million for orphan well clean-up

SANTA FE – Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and members of the Congressional delegation announced today that the U.S. Department of the Interior has made $43.7 million available to the state to clean up abandoned oil and gas wells in New Mexico through the federal Infrastructure and Jobs Act.

There are approximately 1,700 orphaned and abandoned wells in New Mexico on state and private land. At current funding levels, the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department (EMNRD) plugs about 50 wells a year. With the additional funding announced today, that number will significantly increase.

By Office of the Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham