ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – A memorial was held Monday night for Dante Conley, who was murdered on Saturday at his home on the 1100 block of Arizona Street.
Conley was 34 years old, and people at the vigil remembered him as taken too soon.
“He always had this big smile on his face, he was always a very positive and creative force in our community. He’s definitely going to be missed a lot,” said Joel Brandon, one of Conley’s friends.
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Albuquerque police arrested Collin Terrazas and accused him of the murder after a SWAT standoff at Journal Center on Sunday.
Police said Terrazas tried to set Conley’s house on fire.
Police said Terrazas went to a local smoke shop after the killing covered in blood and said he killed someone. Detectives used video surveillance to track him.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – State officials are tightening rules to address the costly legacy of abandoned oil wells, aiming to protect public money as the cleanup bill grows.
The New Mexico Energy Minerals and Natural Resources Department (EMNRD) recently enacted new rules after a state law passed, requiring oil and gas operators to guarantee funds for cleaning up high-risk wells. These changes come as the number and cost of orphaned wells continue to rise.
Oil’s legacy and new rules
In oil-rich regions of New Mexico, the industry shapes the local economy and landscape. Charlie Barrett, an oil and gas industry watchdog with Oilfield Witness, documents the environmental impact left by the state’s largest industry.
“It is an economic powerhouse for New Mexico,” said Barrett.
Barrett uses specialized equipment to detect invisible emissions from oil operations.
“This camera is basically $140,000 camera. So, humans cannot see volatile organic compounds. We can’t see methane, we can’t see hydrogen sulfide, and we can’t see CO2,” Barrett said.
Barrett’s photos have become evidence in lawsuits, including one from the New Mexico Department of Justice, which alleges some operators transfer low-producing wells to shell companies to avoid cleanup costs, leaving behind orphaned wells.
“They try to get a few bucks out of these old wells that bigger operators don’t see as viable, and they just walk they walk away,” Barrett said.
Mounting costs and state action
A government report projects the number of orphaned wells already outpaces the state’s ability to plug them, with cleanup costs potentially reaching up to $1.6 billion.
“The costs can start to run away on you really quickly,” said Ben Shelton, deputy secretary of EMNRD.
Shelton explained how a new rule enacted this summer is designed to hold operators accountable that leverage low-producing, high risk oil wells.
“So the new rules require oil and gas operators to guarantee at about $150,000, financial assurance, or a bond for wells that we consider at a high risk of abandonment. $150,000 is the number that was chosen because that’s about a midpoint,” Shelton said.
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Industry response and ongoing challenges
Missi Currier, executive director of the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association, said most wells are plugged by the industry and noted that new legislation redirects oil and gas tax revenue to a fund cleanup.
“Wells are oil and gases’ mess and we should clean them up. We believe in that 100%. And quite frankly, we are,” Currier said.
She also thinks the new $150,000 bond is too high.
“We feel [the bond cost] is too high for a lot of reasons, including it’s very difficult to go get a bond right now,” Currier said. “And if companies can’t get a bond, that means that there’s a chance they could walk away.”
A Legislative Finance Committee report highlighted that some companies have struck deals with the state that stretch repayment over generations. One company, Ridgeway Arizona, settled to plug 299 wells, but the agreement will take 170 years to make the New Mexico taxpayer whole.
“It is an example. And those types of bad actors, I would like to say that they are not a NMOGA member. They’ve never been in a NMOGA member. And for the bad actors that are out there, they make it difficult for all of us. And they also make it unfair to the rest of industry and the everyday New Mexican,” Currier said.
Barrett remains skeptical about the impact of the new rules, noting $150,000 does not cover the average cost of plugging a well.
“Even if the rule making worked perfectly, the debt to the New Mexican taxpayer continues to rise,” Barrett said.
By the numbers
Up to $1.6 billion: Projected cost to clean up orphaned wells in New Mexico.
$150,000: Financial assurance required per high-risk well under new rules. Industry advocates argue that’s too high, environmentalists argue it’s too low.
114: Wells plugged by the state last year, the most ever.
700: Wells still on the official list to be plugged.
1,400: Additional wells likely to be added to the list.
3,000: More wells considered to be in poor condition.
Looking ahead
State regulators say they must continue breaking records for the number of wells plugged every year for the next decade to keep up with the growing problem. The issue, once overlooked, now demands close attention to ensure taxpayers are not left with a massive bill as the state works to hold the oil and gas industry accountable for cleanup.
These dogs are up for adoption through the state of New Mexico.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — On this Love 4 Pets, meet Zack, Ewok, Hank and Ella – all up for adoption in New Mexico.
Zach is at the Bernalillo County County Shelter on Second Street in Albuquerque. Ewok is from the Lincoln County Humane Society in Ruidoso. Then, there’s Hank at Albuquerque’s Eastside Animal Shelter and Ella at Albuquerque’s Westside Animal Shelter.
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