Ben Shepperd,
PBPA President
The year 2023 brought members of the Permian Basin Petroleum Association another year of record production met with another year of legislative, regulatory, and economic uncertainty. Whether it was continued chaos in Washington, D.C., complete with talks of impeachment, political campaign rhetoric, and unstable leadership—or challenges in Santa Fe or Austin—PBPA has been focused on the vital issues that matter for each and every one of our member companies.
We are proud of the work we have done on your behalf and further we look forward to continuing this work in 2024 and beyond. And we already have a good understanding of just what this New Year will bring us.
In 2024, the New Mexico Legislature returns to the Roundhouse to begin their budget session but more on the agenda looms. PBPA is preparing to engage in efforts by the Oil Conservation Division to amend the Oil and Gas Act and we have been working through the language that has been provided by the OCD and we greatly appreciate our members who have been working with us to tackle this effort.
PBPA is committed to providing feedback that ensures the long term ability for our members to continue to produce the vital energy that our nation and our nation’s allies need.
In addition to those efforts in Santa Fe, PBPA will also be focused on the state budget in the Land of Enchantment and this includes the generational investments in education that are made possible because of your efforts to explore and produce, as well as to create jobs and prosperity for communities in New Mexico.
Our federal friends in Washington, D.C., have also been keeping us busy as we continue to evaluate whether or not the Environmental Protection Agency will move forward with efforts to designate portions of the Permian Basin in Texas or New Mexico as areas of non-attainment for ozone, a move which would create certain challenges for the region, despite very little evidence demonstrating the need.
PBPA is also at the forefront of protecting the industry from overreach related to the weaponization of the Endangered Species Act and we continue to push back on the listing efforts of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service with regard to the Lesser Prairie Chicken and the Dunes Sagebrush Lizard. Together these efforts are part of an attempt to limit the industry’s ability to operate despite years of successful efforts that have included habitat protections through conservation agreements.
And in Texas, we remain committed to working through the ongoing efforts on weatherization as well as our continued electrical and transmission needs. Additionally, we expect to continue working through the rule making proposed by the Railroad Commission of Texas related to authorized pits and commercial facilities. Further, we remain focused on continuing to work through the RRC and the Texas Produced Water Consortium to engage in new beneficial reuse pilot projects and more in 2024.
There is no shortage of items that this new year will bring but, more than ever, we need your continued support to help us ensure that the Permian Basin continues to thrive for generations to come.