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New Mexico Woefully Behind In Produced Water Reuse Mechanisms
Beatty & Wozniak (May 28, 2026) - When it comes to produced water use and reuse, Texas and New Mexico
Introduced Legislation Gives Special Considerations to Small Producers
A group of Republican lawmakers is jointly introducing legislation in both the House and Senate aimed at easing air pollution
Federal Lease Sale in New Mexico and Texas Shatters Record; Over $4 Billion Generated
U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI)  May 20, 2026 - The US DOI generated over $4 billion in total receipts
IPANM Releases Statement on Confirmation of Steve Pearce as BLM Director
UPDATED (June 21, 2026) - IPANM is pleased to announce that newly confirmed Director of the Bureau of Land Management
Federal Reserve: Iran Conflict A Boon For State Revenues
Federal Reserve (May 12, 2026) - The conflict in Iran that erupted in late February represents one of the largest
IPANM Producers Meet With Interior Secretary Doug Burgum
IPANM   Carlsbad, NM (May 4, 2026 since updated May 11, 2026) - The Independent Petroleum Association of New Mexico (IPANM)
IPANM & Industry File Joint Motion To ReOpen WELC Bonding Hearing
After significant developments this week that included the signage of HB80 and the filing of an enviro group lawsuit against
Governor Signs SB151; "DeCoupling" Tax Increase Forthcoming
IPANM (March 11, 2026) - On the heels of the good news of the signage of HB80 on Monday, today
HB80 Is Now Law! Governor Signs Bill To Finally Fix Reclamation Fund
IPANM (March 11, 2026) - HB80 Oil & Gas Conservation Tax Act Changes, a bill that was first authored by IPANM
Operation Epic Fury Against Iran: Oil & Gas Facts
Power The Future (March 1, 2026) — Following American airstrikes targeting the regime in Iran, Power The Future Founder and Executive

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Independent Petroleum Association of New Mexico

IPANM Administrative Offices
P.O. Box 6101, Roswell, New Mexico, 88202
Bus. - 575-622-2566 | Fax. - 575-622-2566

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Independent Petroleum Association of New Mexico

IPANM Administrative Offices
P.O. Box 6101, Roswell, New Mexico, 88202
Phone 575-622-2566

Search

Website designed by Siarza Social Digital

Natural Gas

WTI Crude Oil

Beatty & Wozniak (May 28, 2026) – When it comes to produced water use and reuse, Texas and New Mexico are on the same road but at very different mileposts. Texas is drafting permit mechanics for the land application of treated produced water. New Mexico is still deciding whether to authorize broader off-oilfield reuse at all. Operators, midstream water companies, data center developers, hydrogen and geothermal sponsors, and industrial users with Permian or San Juan Basin exposure should plan around the gap—not around an eventual convergence.

At a glance:

  • Texas (TCEQ): On April 30, 2026, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) approved publication of proposed rules under Rule Project No. 2026-006-309-OW implementing Senate Bill (SB) 1145. Comment period closes June 16, 2026; adoption targeted 2027.
  • Texas Supreme Court (2025): Produced water is oil and gas waste owned by the mineral operator, not the surface owner, absent express agreement. Cactus Water Services, LLC v. COG Operating, LLC.
  • New Mexico (WQCC): On May 12, 2026, the Water Quality Control Commission (WQCC) voted 7-4 to advance WQCC 26-18, reopening 20.6.8 NMAC for off-oilfield reuse. Hearing to be scheduled; decision anticipated in 2027.
  • New Mexico—current rule: Existing 20.6.8 NMAC generally prohibits discharge of untreated or treated produced water to surface water or groundwater outside of oil-and-gas activities, while allowing limited pilot projects under New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) permitting.
  • Commercial takeaway: A reuse project that may be moving toward a permit pathway in Texas may remain legally uncertain in New Mexico. Multi-state projects should be structured by source state, treatment location, transport route, discharge or land-application location, end use, and contract risk allocation.

More information:

Produced Water Reuse Splits at the Permian Basin: Texas’s TCEQ Builds a Permit Pathway While New Mexico’s WQCC Reopens the Reuse Fight

A group of Republican lawmakers is jointly introducing legislation in both the House and Senate aimed at easing air pollution regulations for small oil and gas companies.

The bicameral legislation, obtained exclusively by the Washington Examiner, would soften Clean Air Act rules for the oil and gas industry, marking the latest effort from Congress to deliver on President Donald Trump’s call to “drill, baby, drill,” while also propping up the administration’s broader deregulatory agenda.

The bills, both called the Protect Domestic Oil and Gas Small Business Act of 2026, are expected to be introduced in the House and Senate on Thursday by Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX) and Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY).

If passed, the legislation would amend the Clean Air Act to exempt small oil and gas producers from Environmental Protection Agency performance standards required under Section 111 of the law, including requirements for monitoring, reporting, detecting, and repairing leaks of greenhouse gases such as methane.

This would only apply to “marginal wells,” meaning an oil well site that has an average daily production of 15 barrels of oil or oil equivalent per day per well or less. For natural gas, a site must have an average daily production per well of 90,000 cubic feet or less to qualify for the exemption.

U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI)  May 20, 2026 – The US DOI generated over $4 billion in total receipts from a Bureau of Land Management oil and gas lease sale in New Mexico and Texas, underscoring strong industry demand for domestic energy development on public lands.

The Bureau of Land Management leased 74 parcels totaling 33,530 acres during the quarterly lease sale. Combined bonus bids and rental payments from the sale totaled approximately $4,007,944,870. Revenue generated through lease sales is shared between the federal government and the states where the parcels are located.

“America is sitting on some of the richest energy resources in the world, and President Donald J. Trump is committed to putting those resources to work for the American people,” said Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum. “This over $4 billion lease sale is another sign that President Trump’s American Energy Dominance Agenda is delivering results. By cutting costs and removing barriers to development, we are unleashing American energy, strengthening national security, creating jobs and generating significant revenue for taxpayers and local communities.”

The sale was conducted under the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, which lowered the federal royalty rate for new onshore oil and gas production to 12.5%, reversing the 16.67% rate established under the Inflation Reduction Act. The lower royalty rate reduces costs for energy producers operating on public lands and is expected to encourage additional investment, leasing and drilling activity across the West. Oil and gas lease sales support reliable domestic energy production, strengthen American energy independence and help ensure the United States remains a global energy leader. Increased production on federal lands also supports manufacturing, transportation and national defense while helping stabilize energy costs for American families and businesses.

Consistent with Executive Order 14154, “Unleashing American Energy,” the Department of the Interior and Bureau of Land Management continue to support responsible energy development on public lands while ensuring projects comply with the National Environmental Policy Act and other applicable laws. Leasing is the first step in the process to develop federal oil and gas resources. Oil and gas leases are issued for a term of 10 years and continue as long as oil and gas are produced in paying quantities.

Additional information on current and upcoming lease sales is available through the National Fluid Lease Sale System.

See the official DOI News Release

UPDATED (June 21, 2026) – IPANM is pleased to announce that newly confirmed Director of the Bureau of Land Management Stevan Pearce will be the opening speaker at the 2026 IPANM Annual Meeting at Sandia Resort and Casino at July 10, 2026 at 8 a.m. MT!  For all information and how to register for the Annual Meeting, please go to IPANM’s 2026 Annual Meeting Page!

Roswell, NM (May 18, 2026) – Today, former U.S. Congressman Steve Pearce was confirmed as the new director of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) following a Senate vote. IPANM Executive Director Jim Winchester issued the following statement:

“Steve Pearce’s confirmation as Director of the Bureau of Land Management is a positive development for New Mexico and the nation’s energy future. Director Pearce brings strong leadership, practical experience, and a balanced approach to the responsible development of safe and efficient oil and natural gas production on federal lands.

Under Director Pearce’s leadership, IPANM looks forward to working with the Trump Administration to further advance meaningful reforms to burdensome Biden-era federal regulations that hindered domestic energy production and created significant legal and operational uncertainty for producers.

Director Pearce also recognizes the critical role that development on federal lands plays in supporting economic growth, job creation, and long-term prosperity in New Mexico. This issue is particularly important as many independent producers continue shifting investment away from New Mexico state lands in response to an increasingly challenging and uncompetitive state regulatory environment, choosing instead to focus operations on federal lands or in other energy-producing states.”

–Jim Winchester
Executive Director, Independent Petroleum Association of New Mexico

Federal Reserve (May 12, 2026) – The conflict in Iran that erupted in late February represents one of the largest global energy shocks in decades. The Strait of Hormuz—a key shipping channel for energy trade—remains closed as of April 2026, disrupting roughly 20 percent of global oil trade flows and leading domestic oil prices to jump by roughly 60 percent since late February. Although global energy inventories and excess oil supply leading into the conflict have kept prices from moving even higher, these buffers have limitations. Moreover, while oil futures prices currently remain subdued, both futures and spot oil prices could move higher if the disruption to energy transportation and production persists.

Although this energy shock poses challenges for consumers and businesses nationwide, it will likely generate greater severance tax revenue for Rocky Mountain states, which are relatively large energy producers. In this edition of the Rocky Mountain Economist, we summarize the characteristics of the recent Middle Eastern energy shock, outline how current circumstances differ from the recent past, and highlight the implications for severance tax revenues in Rocky Mountain states.

Iran Conflict and Energy Shock

In late February, joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran and the subsequent retaliation disrupted major energy trade routes, curtailing available energy to global markets. Chart 1 shows that vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz—a thoroughfare for more than 20 percent of global oil and petroleum products—dropped by more than 90 percent between February and April 2026 (EIA 2025).

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After significant developments this week that included the signage of HB80 and the filing of an enviro group lawsuit against the Oil Conservation Division, IPANM has joined with the New Mexico Oil & Gas Assocciation to file a joint Expedited Motion To ReOpen the Western Environmental Law Center’s (WELC) Bonding Rulemaking Hearing.

The motion, filed Friday, reads that IPANM and NMOGA “respectfully move the Commission to reopen the evidentiary record in Case No. 24683 for the limited purpose of supplementing the record to consider the implications of House Bill 80 (“HB 80”), and a new lawsuit filed by a Co-Applicant to this rulemaking against the State, both of which were enacted and filed this week on March 9, 2026, and to allow limited supplemental briefing by the parties on their impact on the Proposed Rules.”

Click Here: IPANM & NMOGA’s Expedited Motion To ReOpen WELC

Industry’s legal arguments for reopening make it clear that the circumstances have changed due to the signing of HB80. In essence, the core argument by WELC and the OCD for increased bonding was due to limited funding to address orphan well liability. However, with the Reclamation Fund set to receive a potential $1.2 billion dollar infusion over the next 10 years, the funding shortage no longer exists. Industry is also citing Monday’s lawsuit filed by the San Juan Citizen’s Alliance (a party to the WELC Bonding Rulemaking) against the state (regarding orphan well remediation), as evidence that the proposed rules are unsound.

IPANM and NMOGA have indicated to all parties that the Expedited Motion to ReOpen is NOT a tactic to obstruct the rulemaking. IPANM and NMOGA have indicated that industry does not intend to reopen every issue presented at the Oct-Nov 2025 hearing, nor does industry wish to backtrack on post-Hearing All-Party discussions, including a Joint Stipulation agreement that was finalized last week. However, IPANM and NMOGA do intend submit limited evidence on the impact of HB80 and related developments that impact a new bonding rule.

In a late development on Friday afternoon, the San Juan Citizen’s Alliance (SJCA) withdrew from the WELC environmental groups’ consortium.

IPANM (March 11, 2026) – On the heels of the good news of the signage of HB80 on Monday, today Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed SB151 Omnibus Tax Package despite continued opposition from IPANM and the business community.

In fact, industry (including IPANM) lobbied not once, but twice in the past week alone (in addition to repeated stated opposition during the 2026 session) to urge the Governor to NOT sign SB151.

The bill signing is a loss for the the state and the business community, further making it less attractive to do business in New Mexico.

SB151 Omnibus Tax Package is a complex bill. The bill “decouples” the state from Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill corporate tax cut rates. A brief summary is available, but member companies will have varying impacts, and it will be up to those individual companies to further determine how this signed bill will impact them.

Further analysis of the impacts can be found at the Tax Foundation Summary and the New Mexico Tax Research Institute’s most recent newsletter,  The Governor’s office puts her spin on the signing in this news release.

Governor Signs SB151; “DeCoupling” Tax Increase Forthcoming

 

Power The Future (March 1, 2026) — Following American airstrikes targeting the regime in Iran, Power The Future Founder and Executive Director Daniel Turner issued the following statement:

“Iran’s regime relies on illegal oil revenues to fund its military ambitions and terrorist operations around the world, which underscores the importance of American energy dominance achieved under the policies of the Trump Administration. American families are better shielded from potential disruptions to global oil markets because of our record domestic oil and natural gas production. Our energy workers continue to provide the buffer against the actions of evil regimes like Iran’s, and against the worst impacts of geopolitical instability.”

Key Energy Facts on Iran:

  • Iran produces about 3.3 million barrels of oil a day. (For comparison, New Mexico produces 2.1 million barrels per day.)
  • China is the primary buyer. Over 80% of Iran’s crude exports go to China — roughly 1.3–1.4 million barrels per day in 2025. Iranian oil accounts for about 13–14% of China’s seaborne crude imports.
  • Iran’s military benefited three times more from oil exports under Joe Biden. Iranian oil revenues hit $53 billion in 2023 compared with $54 billion in 2022, $37 billion in 2021 compared to $16 billion in 2020.

Energy exports are the backbone of Iran’s military and regional influence funding including Hamas and Hezbollah.

Power The Future is a 501c4 non-profit dedicated to fighting for American energy workers.