In an aerial view, some pumpjacks operate while others stand idle in the Belridge oil field on Nov. 3, 2021 near McKittrick, California. The Biden administration pledged to cut methane emissions from oil and gas production. In California, 35,000 oil and gas wells sit idle, many of which are unplugged and could leak methane gas. Scientists estimate that one-third of human-induced global warming is caused by methane. (Photo by Mario Tama / Getty Images)
The U.S. Interior Department on Thursday announced New Mexico and California will receive $14.5 million to clean up orphaned oil and gas wells. New Mexico’s portion—$5.5 million—will go be used to “plug up to 10 orphaned wells on state-owned or privately owned lands and remove and dispose of associated surface infrastructure,” according to a news release. The state will also perform analyses and remediation at about two well sites and surface restoration at up to 50 plugged well sites. Both New Mexico and California’s awards are matching grants through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which includes funding for legacy pollution such as abandoned oil and gas wells, which can contaminate water supplies, emit methane and other harms.
“Toxic orphaned oil and gas wells have plagued American communities for generations,” Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said in a statement. “With this funding, California and New Mexico will continue the progress already made plugging wells and begin to turn the tide on these environmental hazards that are harming our lands, waters and air.”
The New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department announced in 2022 an initial $25 million federal grant to work on orphaned oil and gas wells, and began its first plugging operation that year in October in Lea County; according to a EMNRD, the state at the time had approximately 1,700 orphaned wells. The state received an additional $25 million last year.