OCD Permitting

PRELIMINARY DOCKET: OCD Special Examiner's Hearing set for July 1, 2025

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. 25272 Application of Tap Rock Operating, LLC for Approving a Standard Horizontal Spacing Unit and Compulsory Pooling, Eddy County, New Mexico. Applicant in the above-styled cause seeks an order from the Division: (1) approving a 1,920-acre, more or less, standard horizontal spacing and proration unit composed of all of Section 34, Township 25 South, Range 25 East, N.M.P.M., and all of Sections 3 and 10, Township 26 South, Range 25 East, N.M.P.M.; and (2) pooling all uncommitted mineral interests in the Purple Sage-Wolfcamp Gas Pool, designated as a gas pool, underlying said unit. The proposed wells to be dedicated to the horizontal spacing unit are the: PBR Fed Com 202H (API No. Pending), which is a gas well that will be horizontally drilled from a surface location in the NW/4 NE/4 (Unit B) of Section 34, Township 25 South, Range 25 East, to a bottom hole location in the Purple Sage-Wolfcamp Gas Pool in the SE/4 SW/4 (Unit N) of Section 10, Township 26 South, Range 25 East; the PBR Fed Com 204H (API No. Pending), which is a gas well that will be horizontally drilled from a surface location in the NW/4 NE/4 (Unit B) of Section 34, Township 25 South, Range 25 East, to a bottom hole location in the Purple Sage-Wolfcamp Gas Pool in the SE/4 SE/4 (Unit P) of Section 10, Township 26 South, Range 25 East; the PBR Fed Com 211H (API No. Pending), which is a gas well that will be horizontally drilled from a surface location in the NW/4 NE/4 (Unit B) of Section 34, Township 25 South, Range 25 East, to a bottom hole location in the Purple Sage-Wolfcamp Gas Pool in the SW/4 SW/4 (Unit M) of Section 10, Township 26 South, Range 25 East, and; the PBR Fed Com 213H (API No. Pending), which is a gas well that will be horizontally drilled from a surface location in the NW/4 NE/4 (Unit B) of Section 34, Township 25 South, Range 25 East, to a bottom hole location in the Purple Sage-Wolfcamp Gas Pool in the SW/4 SE/4 (Unit O) of Section 10, Township 26 South, Range 25 East. The wells are orthodox in location, and the take points and laterals comply with Statewide Rules for setbacks. The wells and lands are located approximately 6 miles southwest from Whites City, New Mexico.
2. 25228 Application of Mewbourne Oil Company for Compulsory Pooling, Eddy County, New Mexico. Applicant in the above-styled cause seeks an order pooling a non-standard 960-acre, more or less, horizontal well spacing unit in the Bone Spring formation underlying the E/2 of Section 35 and all of Section 36, Township 18 South, Range 31 East, NMPM, Eddy County, New Mexico. This spacing unit will be initially dedicated to the proposed Lead Belly 36/35 Fed Com #521H well, with a surface location in the NE/4 SE/4 (Unit I) of Section 36 and bottomhole location in the NW/4 NE/4 (Unit B) of Section 35; Lead Belly 36/35 Fed Com #523H and Lead Belly 36/35 Fed Com #624H well, with a surface location in the NE/4 SE/4 (Unit I) of Section 36 and bottomhole location in the SW/4 NE/4 (Unit G) of Section 35; Lead Belly 36/35 Fed Com #525H and Lead Belly 36/35 Fed Com #626H well, with a surface location in the NE/4 SE/4 (Unit I) of Section 36 and bottomhole location in the NW/4 SE/4 (Unit J) of Section 35; and Lead Belly 36/35 Fed Com #527H, Lead Belly 36/35 Fed Com #622H, and Lead Belly 36/35 Fed Com #628H well, with a surface location in the NE/4 SE/4 (Unit I) of Section 36 and bottomhole location in the SW/4 SE/4 (Unit O) of Section 35. Also to be considered will be the cost of drilling and completing the wells and the allocation of the costs thereof, the operating costs and charges for supervision, the designation of applicant as operator of the proposed spacing unit, and a 200% charge for risk involved in drilling said wells. Said area is located approximately 30 miles northeast of Carlsbad, New Mexico.
3. 25288 Application of Mewbourne Oil Company for Compulsory Pooling, Lea County, New Mexico. Applicant in the above-styled cause seeks an order an order pooling a non-standard 1,920-acre, more or less, horizontal well spacing unit in the Bone Spring formation underlying All of Sections 8, 17, and 20, Township 19 South, Range 36 East, NMPM, Lea County, New Mexico. This spacing unit will be initially dedicated to the proposed High Sea 8/20 Fed Com #522H well, with a surface location in the SW/4 SE/4 (Unit O) of Section 5 and a bottom hole location in the SW/4 SW/4 (Unit M) of Section 20; High Sea 8/20 Fed Com #524H well, with a surface location in the SW/4 SE/4 (Unit O) of Section 5 and a bottom hole location in the SE/4 SW/4 (Unit N) of Section 20; High Sea 8/20 Fed Com #526H well, with a surface location in the SW/4 SE/4 (Unit O) of Section 5 and a bottom hole location in the SW/4 SE/4 (Unit O) of Section 20; and High Sea 8/20 Fed Com #528H well, with a surface location in the SW/4 SE/4 (Unit O) of Section 5 and a bottom hole location in the SE/4 SE/4 (Unit P) of Section 20. Also to be considered will be the cost of drilling and completing the wells and the allocation of the costs thereof, the operating costs and charges for supervision, the designation of applicant as operator of the proposed spacing unit, and a 200% charge for risk involved in drilling said wells. The subject area is located approximately 14 miles west of Hobbs, New Mexico.
4. 25408 Application of Coterra Energy Operating Co. for approval of a non-standard spacing unit and compulsory pooling, Eddy County, New Mexico. Applicant seeks an order from the Division approving a non-standard spacing unit and pooling all uncommitted interests within a 1280-acre, more or less, Wolfcamp horizontal spacing unit comprised of Sections 34 and 35, Township 25 South, Range 25 East, NMPM, Eddy County, New Mexico. This spacing unit will be dedicated to the following wells: Scarlet 35-34 Federal Com 1H well with a proposed first take point in the NE/4 NE/4 (Unit A) of Section 35 and proposed last take point in the NW/4 NW/4 (Unit D) of Section 34; Scarlet 35-34 Federal Com 3H well with a proposed first take point in the SE/4 NE/4 (Unit H) of Section 35 and proposed last take point in the SW/4 NW/4 (Unit E) of Section 34; Scarlet 35-34 Federal Com 5H well with a proposed first take point in the NE/4 SE/4 (Unit I) of Section 35 and proposed last take point in the NW/4 SW/4 (Unit L) of Section 34; and Scarlet 35-34 Federal Com 7H well with a proposed first take point in the SE/4 SE/4 (Unit P) of Section 35 and proposed last take point in the SW/4 SW/4 (Unit M) of Section 34. The wells will be located within the Purple Sage Wolfcamp Gas Pool (Code 98220), which is subject to special pool rules that establish 330-foot setback requirements. Coterra will administratively apply for non-standard location approvals for the wells’ first and last take points. Also to be considered will be the cost of drilling, completing, and equipping said wells, the allocation of these costs as well as the actual operating costs and charges for supervision while drilling and after completion, designation of Cimarex Energy Co. as operator of the wells, and a 200% charge for risk involved in drilling said wells. Said area is located approximately 5.7 miles from Whites City, New Mexico.
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