Oil production in New Mexico’s Permian Basin has increased nearly ten-fold since 2010, leading to a surge of devastating air, water, and climate pollution. Recently, fossil fuel companies have been investing more heavily in our Permian Basin because fuel demand surged with OPEC policies, and the Russian war in Ukraine. Fossil fuel producers saw an opportunity to increase production. Now, analysts have predicted the region’s fossil fuel production would continue to grow faster than some of the biggest-producing countries in the world.

New Mexico has more than 62,000 oil and gas facilities. It’s easy to see that The state produces about seven times more natural gas than it consumes with most of it being used for electric power generation while the rest is being exported to Arizona and Texas.^, In 2022, New Mexico’s annual crude oil production reached an all-time high of about 574 million barrels, almost 9 times greater than it was in 2010.  New Mexico’s crude oil refinery can process about 110,000 barrels of crude oil per calendar day. Most of it comes from the Permian Basin and serves markets in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico.

New Mexico is a state with a little over 2.1 million people. Clearly its fossil fuel resources are mainly being used to make money for the industry while fueling the climate emergency and hurting health outcomes.

The 2022 congressional committee report found oil and gas companies were likely under-reporting their emissions of methane air pollution to the federal government. The report estimated that about 12% of emissions sources in the Permian were responsible for half of the region’s releases. Currently, analysis estimates that New Mexico’s oil and gas companies emit over 1.1 million metric tons of methane annually, which has the same short-term climate impact of 28 million automobiles. That’s approximately 5 times more pollution than EPA data suggest and has the same near-term climate impact as 25 coal-fired power plants. 

The Oil and Gas Threat Map shows over 144,000 people in New Mexico live within a half-mile of an oil and gas facility, including 20% of the state’s Indigenous residents. This threat radius is correlated with adverse health outcomes, including cancer, respiratory illness, fetal defects, blood disorders, and neurological problems stemming from chemicals associated with oil and gas production.

Pollutants from oil and gas facilities in New Mexico include the carcinogen benzene, hydrogen sulfide, and volatile organic compounds that can contribute to the formation of ground-level ozone (smog), according to the EPA. Air pollution from fossil fuels is responsible for more than 13% of deaths in people aged 14 and older in the United States. Black, Brown, Indigenous and low-income communities are disproportionately impacted since these groups, due to systemic racism, tend to live in neighborhoods with more pollution. Oil and gas extraction has pushed air pollution levels so high in southeast New Mexico that the Permian Basin region is now violating federal smog standards.

Oil and gas extraction has pushed air pollution levels so high in southeast New Mexico that the Permian Basin region is now violating federal smog standards.

Oil and gas operators spill toxic liquid waste an average of four times per day in New Mexico, endangering land, air, water and public health. Too often, these toxic spills affect streams, groundwater, and public lands.

As New Mexico faces increasing aridification from the climate crisis, oil companies use vast quantities of New Mexico’s dwindling freshwater resources for fracking. The oil and gas industry turns 14 billion gallons of water into toxic waste every year to drill, frack, and produce wells. This is equal to the amount of water used by 1/8 of New Mexico’s population. The state can’t afford this precious resource to be allocated for fossil fuel profits while the industry has put $10 billion in clean-up costs on the shoulders of New Mexico taxpayers.

New Mexico’s economy could run on clean renewable energy instead of being beholden to oil and gas companies. People are often told that the oil and gas industry is the key to New Mexico’s economic prosperity. If that were true New Mexico wouldn’t rank 50th in education, 49th in terms of citizens to succeed and have the 44th worst economy out of all states. Our infrastructure is the 5th worst in the U.S. and for a third year in a row we posted the third-highest poverty rate, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. If these social statistics weren’t bad enough the 2022 KIDS COUNT Date Book ranked N.M. last in child well-being.  

Additionally, the climate crisis is increasing costs to every New Mexican. Farmers in New Mexico already pay $73 million annually because of climate crisis warming temperatures and extreme weather. New Mexicans pay $248 million more in energy bills every year to keep cool. Estimates indicate the state pays $1.6 billion every year because of the changing climate.

The fossil fuel industry has had a disproportionate economic negative impact on New Mexico.

Utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) facilities provided only around 5% of New Mexico’s total in-state net generation in 2022. Yet, according to the Office of Renewable energy: “The New Mexico State Land Office has about nine million acres of land available for lease to renewable energy companies and has a sustained track record of partnering with companies to create successful projects. Renewable energy leasing is expected to be the largest growth area for commercial leasing, providing a tremendous opportunity to earn more money for State Trust Land beneficiaries – which include public schools, universities, and hospitals throughout the state – while creating jobs, advancing clean energy, saving taxpayer money, and caring for the land.”