OCD Permitting

PRELIMINARY DOCKET: [NOVs] Special OCD Examiner's Hearing set for March 12, 2026

For hearings by affidavit: presenting parties are required to submit a pre-hearing statement no later than the Thursday before the hearing. The pre-hearing statement shall include: 1) a list of disputed facts and issues; 2) identification of witnesses and their qualifications; and 3) all exhibits and written testimony a party intends to enter into evidence at the hearing and a full narrative for each.

For contested matters: pre-hearing statements shall be filed no later than 9:00 a.m., 4 business days prior to the hearing and in addition to the requirements of 19.15.4.13.B(1) NMAC, shall include: all evidentiary exhibits, documents, affidavits, and full-written testimony of any witness a party offers at the hearing. Exhibits must be sequentially marked on every page.

Failure to timely file a complete pre-hearing statement may cause the Hearing Examiner to continue the hearing and/or impose sanctions up to and including the exclusion of late-filed evidence. Evidentiary objections must be filed no later than 48 hours before the hearing. Rulings on the objections will be addressed as a preliminary matter when the case is called.

If you are an individual with a disability who needs a reader, amplifier, qualified sign language interpreter, or other form of auxiliary aid or service to attend or participate in a hearing, contact Freya.Tschantz@emnrd.nm.gov, or the New Mexico Relay Network at 1-800-659-1779, no later than 10 days prior to the hearing.

NOTICE: The hearing examiner may call the following cases in any order at their discretion.

Case No. Description
1. 25953 Application of Mewbourne Oil Company for Compulsory Pooling and Approval of Non-Standard Unit, Eddy County, New Mexico. Applicant seeks an order pooling all uncommitted interests in the Second Bone Spring interval of the Bone Spring formation underlying an 876.42-acre, more or less, non-standard horizonal spacing unit comprised of the N/2 of Section 19, Township 18 South, Range 30 East, the N/2 of Section 24, Township 18 South, Range 29 East, and the NW/4 and W/2 NE/4 of Section 23, Township 18 South, Range 29 East, Eddy County, New Mexico (“Unit”). The Unit will be dedicated to the following wells (“Wells”): IOU 19/23 Fed Com #521H, which will be drilled from a surface hole location in the NW/4 NW/4 (Unit D) of Section 20, Township 18 South, Range 30 East, to a bottom hole location in the NW/4 NW/4 (Unit D) of Section 23, Township 18 South, Range 29 East; and IOU 19/23 Fed Com #523H, which will be drilled from a surface hole location in the NW/4 NW/4 (Unit D) of Section 20, Township 18 South, Range 30 East, to a bottom hole location in the SW/4 NW/4 (Unit E) of Section 23, Township 18 South, Range 29 East. The “West Area” of the spacing unit is the NW/4 and W/2 NE/4 of Section 23, Township 18 South, Range 29 East. The “East Area” of the spacing unit is the N/2 of Section 24, Township 18 South, Range 29 East, and the N/2 of Section 19, Township 18 South, Range 30 East. The West Area and the East Area are separated by the E/2 of the NE/4 of Section 23, Township 18 South, Range 29 East (“Separating Area”). The Separating Area is not part of the Unit. Therefore, Applicant requests approval of a non-standard horizontal spacing unit pursuant to Rule 19.15.16.15(B)(5) NMAC, which will create cost efficiencies, prevent waste, and protect correlative rights. The completed intervals of the Wells will be orthodox. The Wells will traverse the Separating Area but will not be completed within it. Also to be considered will be the cost of drilling and completing the Wells, the allocation of the costs, the designation of Applicant as operator of the Wells and the Unit, and a 200% charge for the risk involved in drilling and completing the Wells. The Wells are located approximately 21 miles East-Southeast of Artesia, New Mexico.
2. 25894 Unresolved Alleged Violations of: 19.15.29.8, 19.15.29.11, 19.15.29.12, 19.15.29.16 and 19.15.5.11 NMAC
3. 25895 Unresolved Alleged Violations of: 19.15.27.8, 19.15.29.8, 19.15.29.9, 19.15.29.10, 19.15.34.20 and 19.15.25.8(B) NMAC
4. 25920 Unresolved alleged violations of: 19.15.25.8 and 19.15.5.9(A) NMAC
5. 25921 Unresolved alleged violations of: 19.15.25.8 and 19.15.5.9(A) NMAC
6. 25923 Unresolved alleged violations of: 19.15.25.8 and 19.15.5.9(A) NMAC
7. 25924 Unresolved alleged violation of: 19.15.25.8 and 19.15.5.9(A) NMAC
8. 25925 Unresolved alleged violations of: 19.15.25.8 and 19.15.5.9(A) NMAC
9. 25927 Unresolved alleged violations of: 19.15.25.8 and 19.15.5.9(A) NMAC
10. 25929 Unresolved alleged violations of: 19.15.25.8 and 19.15.5.9(A) NMAC
11. 25930 Unresolved alleged violations of: 19.15.25.8 and 19.15.5.9(A) NMAC
12. 25941 Unresolved alleged violations of: 19.15.25.8 and 19.15.5.9(A) NMAC
13. 25872 Unresolved alleged violations of: 19.15.25.8 and 19.15.5.9(A) NMAC
14. 25922 Unresolved alleged violations of: 19.15.25.8 and 19.15.5.9(A) NMAC
15. 25926 Unresolved alleged violations of: 19.15.25.8 and 19.15.5.9(A) NMAC
16. 25928 Unresolved alleged violations of: 19.15.25.8 and 19.15.5.9(A) NMAC
17. 25939 Unresolved alleged violations of: 19.15.25.8 and 19.15.5.9(A) NMAC
18. 25888 Application of Powderhorn Operating, LLC for Compulsory Pooling and Approval of Non-Standard Spacing Unit, Eddy County, New Mexico. Applicant applies for an order pooling all uncommitted interests in the Bone Spring formation underlying an 800-acre, more or less, non-standard horizontal spacing unit comprised of all of Section 20 and the E/2 E/2 of Section 19, Township 19 South, Range 30 East, Eddy County, New Mexico (“Unit”). The Unit will be dedicated to the following wells (“Wells”): Quail Dobbs Federal Com 201H (U-Turn) well, which will produce from a surface hole location in the SW/4 NW/4 of Section 21 to a bottom hole location in the SE/4 NE/4 (Unit H) of Section 20; and Quail Dobbs Federal Com 202H (U-Turn) well, which will produce from a surface hole location in the SW/4 NW/4 of Section 21 to a bottom hole location in the SE/4 SE/4 (Unit P) of Section 20. The completed intervals of the Wells will be orthodox. Applicant requests approval of a non-standard horizontal spacing unit pursuant to Rule 19.15.16.15(B)(5) NMAC, which will create cost efficiencies, prevent waste, and protect correlative rights. Also to be considered will be the cost of drilling and completing the Wells and the allocation of the costs, the designation of Applicant as the operator of the Wells, and a 200% charge for the risk involved in drilling and completing the Wells. The Wells are located approximately 20 miles northeast from Carlsbad, New Mexico.
19. 25899 Application of Select Water Solutions, LLC for Approval of a Saltwater Disposal Well, Lea County, New Mexico. Select Water Solutions, LLC (“Select Water”) (OGRID No. 289068) applies for an order approving its proposed Coyote Fed 14 SWD #1, to be drilled at a location 2,631’ from the north line and 901’ from the east line (Unit H) of Section 14, Township 26 South, Range 35 East, Lea County, New Mexico, for the purpose of produced water disposal. Select Water seeks authorization to inject produced water into the Bell Canyon and Cherry Canyon formations (SWD; Bell Canyon-Cherry Canyon; Code 96802), at a depth of approximately 5,175 feet to 6,420 feet. Select Water proposes to inject an average of 15,000 barrels of water per day up to a maximum of 20,000 barrels of water per day, and requests that the Division approve a maximum surface injection pressure of 1,035 psi. The well is located approximately 9.75 miles SW of Jal, New Mexico.
20. 25931 Unresolved alleged violations of: 19.15.25.8 and 19.15.5.9(A) NMAC
21. 25940 Unresolved alleged violations of: 19.15.25.8 and 19.15.5.9(A) NMAC
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