Dear Members,

Best wishes to you, your employees, family and friends this holiday season. I hope you can join us in person at either our Southeast IPANM Christmas Party in Roswell on Dec. 18 or our IPANM New Year’s Happy Hour on Jan. 8, 2020. Feel free to invite prospective members, as these are great recruiting events. Of course, a special thanks to our sponsors for these fun events!

The upcoming year is shaping up to be extremely busy on the regulatory front for the two state agencies that have the most authority over Oil & Gas operations in New Mexico: the New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department (EMRND) and New Mexico Environment Department (NMED). For that reason, I’ve worked closely with our Executive Board and Executive Director Jim Winchester to meet with both cabinet secretaries and key directors to outline the year ahead. Members need to be aware of many of the upcoming hearings and regulatory changes that are summarized in this newsletter.

I have also continued to serve as an industry representative on an advisory board to State Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia-Richard. IPANM has been actively responding to a number of substantive actions directed at our industry on the part of the State Land Office. I continue to ask all members to reach out to me directly to report back on any issues you may be experiencing while conducting business with the State Land Office.

Finally, we are now just weeks away from the 2020 Legislative Session. We are preparing for another important session to protect, defend and promote our industry and independent producers. I encourage you to visit Jim or I while we work the hallways of the Roundhouse in Santa Fe from Jan. 21 to Feb. 20, 2020. Regardless of their party affiliation, we need to constantly remind elected leaders that this second consecutive billion-dollar state budget surplus is owed almost entirely to our industry.

As we wrap up 2019, I thank you for your support of IPANM and our many events and efforts. Please don’t forget to renew your membership and consider donating to our legal fund. I cannot underscore enough that we need your support to vigorously respond to multiple proposed new rules, each of which will disproportionately impact independent operators. Securing the necessary legal representation for these hearings is critical, and we need your support in 2020 to ensure your concerns are heard.

Regards,

Kyle
Kyle Armstrong, IPANM President