IPANM (August 5, 2026) – IPANM has formally filed an appeal to the New Mexico Oil Conservation Commission (OCC) in opposition to the Proposed Final Well Bonding Rule (Redline).
IPANM seeks a rehearing of the New Mexico Oil Conservation Commission’s July 2026 rulemaking order imposing a $150,000 single-well bonding requirement per well. IPANM argues the Commission:
- rubber-stamped the environmental applicants’ submission without independent analysis;
- recognized premature plugging constitutes waste yet adopted rules that will accelerate it;
- subjected statutorily protected temporary abandoned wells to heightened bonding contrary to legislative intent;
- excluded critical economic testimony while adopting an unsupported bond figure; and,
- suffered procedural irregularities during deliberations that preclude meaningful judicial review.
IPANM also renewed its its motion to reopen the record for supplemental expert economic testimony. The full filing can be reviewed by clicking below:
IPANM’s Motion for Rehearing (Appeal) of Well Bonding Rule
NMOGA has also filed an appeal, as well as the Western Environmental Law Center.
The OCC has scheduled a special hearing tomorrow in Santa Fe to debate the appeal motions on the record. Given the extremely quick turnaround of hearing which is asking the commissioners to comprehensively review all technical materials in a single overnight, it should be assumed that the Commission intends to simply reject all rehearing motions.
IPANM’s Board of Directors affirmed this week that IPANM will file a formal legal suit against the Oil Conservation Commission if our appeal is rejected.motion to reopen the record for supplemental expert economic testimony. The full filing can be reviewed by clicking below:
