by Maddy Hayden

Oil and gas spills in the state in 2016 were down 11 percent from the year
before, according to the Center for Western Priorities, a nonpartisan
conservation policy and advocacy group.

The organization used data from the state’s Oil and Conservation Division,
which documents spills and other mishaps that occur in oil and gas
operations.

“Thankfully, New Mexico’s reporting requirements for oil and gasrelated
spills can help people know where and when spills happen,” said Jesse
Prentice-Dunn, advocacy director at the Center for Western Priorities.
“Going forward, the state should strengthen reporting requirements ! and
provide the public with additional useful information on the impacts of oil
and gas development.”

According to the report, 1,310 oil and gas-related spills were reported to
the state in 2016.

Prentice-Dunn said 521 – around 40 percent – of those took place in Eddy
County.

Statewide, the spills totaled 14,021 barrels of crude oil, 78,887 barrels
of produced water and 848 million cubic feet of natural gas.

Five companies were responsible for 40 percent of the state’s spills.

COG Operating, a subsidiary of Concho Resources, made up for around 12
percent of the spills and Occidental Permian made up for 11 percent.

OXY USA (7.8 percent); Devon Energy Production (5.1 percent); and BOPC! O
(3.9 percent), a subsidiary of ExxonMobil, rounded out the t! op five.

Prentice-Dunn said it’s difficult to tell whether the downturn in oil or
better practices contributed to the decrease in spills.

“I don’t think we can really tell from this data,” he said. “I think it’ll
be interesting to look, when production ramps up, what happens to the
numbers.”

Prentice-Dunn praised New Mexico for its easily accessible spill tracking
database.

“It’s good that New Mexico has their spill data online for the public to
see,” he said. “Wyoming, for instance, has a much more convoluted system
that is much more difficult to use.”

He said there’s still room for improvement, though.

Colorado’s system allows users to view a spill’s proximity to gro!
undwater, surface water and structures.

Beth Wojahn, spokeswoman for the Oil Conservation District, said the
division agrees with the majority of the report’s numbers, though they
don’t “tell the whole story.”

“The volumes of produced water and crude oil spilled are very similar, but
they fail to take into account the volumes immediately recovered,” Wojahn
wrote in an email. “The difference between the two is the volume lost which
is the true environmental consideration.”

Wojahn said 3,473 gallons of produced water on average are “lost” each day,
compared to 9,009 gallons spilled. Still, the spill would be reported as
9,009 gallons.

“That’s a very big difference,” she said.

Wojahn said a revision of the divisions spill regulations is und! erway.

“As part of that larger process, the reporting requirements have been
reviewed and there does not appear to be a need to modify the reporting
requirements,” she said.

Oil and gas spills in the state in 2016 were down 11 percent from the year
before, according to the Center for Western Priorities, a nonpartisan
conservation policy and advocacy group.

The organization used data from the state’s Oil and Conservation Division,
which documents spills and other mishaps that occur in oil and gas
operations.

“Thankfully, New Mexico’s reporting requirements for oil and gasrelated
spills can help people know where and when spills happen,” said Jesse
Prentice-Dunn, advocacy director at the Center for Western Priorities.
“Going forward, the state should strengthen reporting requirements ! and
provide the public with additional useful information on the impacts of oil
and gas development.”

According to the report, 1,310 oil and gas-related spills were reported to
the state in 2016.

Prentice-Dunn said 521 – around 40 percent – of those took place in Eddy
County.

Statewide, the spills totaled 14,021 barrels of crude oil, 78,887 barrels
of produced water and 848 million cubic feet of natural gas.

Five companies were responsible for 40 percent of the state’s spills.

COG Operating, a subsidiary of Concho Resources, made up for around 12
percent of the spills and Occidental Permian made up for 11 percent.

OXY USA (7.8 percent); Devon Energy Production (5.1 percent); and BOPC! O
(3.9 percent), a subsidiary of ExxonMobil, rounded out the t! op five.

Prentice-Dunn said it’s difficult to tell whether the downturn in oil or
better practices contributed to the decrease in spills.

“I don’t think we can really tell from this data,” he said. “I think it’ll
be interesting to look, when production ramps up, what happens to the
numbers.”

Prentice-Dunn praised New Mexico for its easily accessible spill tracking
database.

“It’s good that New Mexico has their spill data online for the public to
see,” he said. “Wyoming, for instance, has a much more convoluted system
that is much more difficult to use.”

He said there’s still room for improvement, though.

Colorado’s system allows users to view a spill’s proximity to gro!
undwater, surface water and structures.

Beth Wojahn, spokeswoman for the Oil Conservation District, said the
division agrees with the majority of the report’s numbers, though they
don’t “tell the whole story.”

“The volumes of produced water and crude oil spilled are very similar, but
they fail to take into account the volumes immediately recovered,” Wojahn
wrote in an email. “The difference between the two is the volume lost which
is the true environmental consideration.”

Wojahn said 3,473 gallons of produced water on average are “lost” each day,
compared to 9,009 gallons spilled. Still, the spill would be reported as
9,009 gallons.

“That’s a very big difference,” she said.

Wojahn said a revision of the divisions spill regulations is und! erway.

“As part of that larger process, the reporting requirements have been
reviewed and there does not appear to be a need to modify the reporting
requirements,” she said.