Otero Mesa
New Mexico's Otero Mesa holds a rich store of natural gas that could generate jobs and revenue for New Mexicans.
Otero Mesa is an approximately 2 million-acre section of public land in southeast New Mexico that covers Otero and Sierra Counties. Tapping the rich natural gas reserves in Otero Mesa could increase jobs and revenue for New Mexico's residents. The development of this land for natural gas drilling, however, remains in question.
New technology such as horizontal drilling minimizes the footprint required to tap this oil and gas reserve because fewer wells need to be drilled in order to reach the same amount of land versus traditional vertical well drilling. Fewer wells drilled protects the local grassland environment. Furthermore, oil and natural gas ccompanies would also be required to reclaim the grasslands of Otero Mesa once drilling is complete. A report by New Mexico State University analyzed the impact of oil and natural gas development on the Otero Mesa environment. The report found that "Tapping the rich natural gas reserves in Otero Mesa could help provide a boost to the already-significant jobs and revenue supported by New Mexico’s oil and gas industry."
The Bureau of Land Management proposed opening approximately 1,600 acres to development in 2005, but the state rejected this idea, and issued a lawsuit against this decision. Admnistrative processes and studies to analyze the environmental impact continue to stall the ability to create jobs, revenue, and valuable energy in an environmentally responsible manner.
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