The purpose of the Hydrostatic Test Dewatering document is to provide a guide for filing proper notification and preparing plans when operators intend to discharge wastewater generated from hydrostatic testing of a pipeline and/or an above ground storage tank from facilities for the production, refinement, pipeline transmission of oil and gas or products thereof, the oil field service industry as related to oil and gas production activities, oil field brine production wells, and carbon dioxide facilities, under the jurisdiction of the Oil Conservation Division (OCD).  The document is available for download here.

The New Mexico Oil Conservation Division (OCD), Environmental Bureau, has reviewed a discharge permit application for Sendero Midstream, Crestwood Equity Partners, LP, Carlsbad Gas Plant.  The discharge permit application was deemed administratively complete on 9/28/2023.  Subsection E of 20.6.2.3108 NMAC requires the below information be posted on OCD’s website and sent to those persons on a general and facility-specific list maintained by OCD.

Sendero Midstream owns and operates the Carlsbad Gas Plant located at 1025 Bounds Rd, Loving, NM 88256 in Eddy County (32.26121N, 104.12331W).  The Plant provides midstream oil and natural gas compression and processing.  Average throughputs for the Plant include 236 million standard cubic feet per day (MMscfd) of natural gas and 28,244 barrels per day of liquid natural gas.  The Plant produces approximately 4,192,020 gallons per year of stabilized condensate and 193,202,436 gallons per year of natural gas condensate through the natural gas compression process.  Materials stored or used at the Plant also include triethylene glycol, amines, transformer oils, slop oil, methanol, compressor oils, sanitary wastewater, and waste waters from facility operations.  The Plant manages a total of approximately 268,128 gallons of various aforementioned liquid materials on site at a given time.

The aquifer most likely to be affected in the event of an unintentional discharge is the Capitan Reef Aquifer, a minor aquifer encompassing the southerly regions of Eddy and Lea counties, New Mexico. The depth to groundwater for this aquifer is approximately 60 feet. The total dissolved solids concentration is approximately 3,000 milligrams per liter.

The OCD contact by which interested parties may obtain information, submit comments, and request to be placed on a facility-specific mailing list for future notices is Leigh Barr, Administrative Permitting Supervisor, 505-795-1722, LeighP.Barr@emnrd.nm.gov.  The OCD mailing address is 1220 South St. Francis Drive, Santa Fe, New Mexico, 87505.  The OCD will accept comments and statements of interest regarding the discharge permit application and will create a facility-specific mailing list for persons who wish to receive future notices.

The New Mexico Oil Conservation Division (OCD), Environmental Bureau, has reviewed a discharge permit application for MorningStar Operating LLC, Buckeye CO₂ Plant.  The discharge permit application was deemed administratively complete on 9/6/2023.  Subsection E of 20.6.2.3108 NMAC requires the below information be posted on OCD’s website and sent to those persons on a general and facility-specific list maintained by OCD.

MorningStar Operating LLC owns and operates the Buckeye CO₂ Plant located in the SW ¼ of SE ¼ of Section 36, Township 17 South, Range 34 East at latitude/longitude 32.784532, -103.508311 in Lea County.  The Plant is currently designed to handle 60 million standard cubic feet per day of carbon dioxide (CO₂) rich gas along with entrained hydrocarbons and water.  The Plant utilizes the Ryan-Holmes process to recover hydrocarbons from the CO₂ rich gas stream that is produced with oil production from nearby fields.  After the hydrocarbons are removed, the CO₂ gas stream (plus methane, ethane, and hydrogen sulfide) is piped offsite for reinjection (i.e., enhanced oil recovery). 

The Plant collects liquid waste and contact stormwater via drain systems and injects it into the Glorieta/Paddock formation via OCD permitted injection wells at a total depth of 6,315 feet.  The daily injection rate is limited to 7,000 gallons.  Groundwater most likely to be affected by an accidental discharge is at a depth from 115-120 feet below ground service and has a total dissolved solids concentration of approximately 325 mg/l.

The OCD contact by which interested parties may obtain information, submit comments, and request to be placed on a facility-specific mailing list for future notices is Leigh Barr, Administrative Permitting Supervisor, 505-795-1722, LeighP.Barr@emnrd.nm.gov.  The OCD mailing address is 1220 South St. Francis Drive, Santa Fe, New Mexico, 87505.  The OCD will accept comments and statements of interest regarding the discharge permit application and will create a facility-specific mailing list for persons who wish to receive future notices.

The New Mexico Oil Conservation Division (OCD), Environmental Bureau, has reviewed a discharge permit application for ETC Texas Pipeline, LTD, Jal #3 Gas Plant.  The discharge permit application was deemed administratively complete on 8/21/2023.  Subsection E of 20.6.2.3108 NMAC requires the below information be posted on OCD’s website and sent to those persons on a general and facility-specific list maintained by OCD.

ETC Texas Pipeline, LTD owns and operates the Jal #3 Gas Plant located in Section 33, Township 24 South, Range 37 East in Lea County (32.173543°N, 103.174206°W).  The Plant processes and treats natural gas of up to 100 million standard cubic feet per day and 800 barrels per day of condensate which is sold to various oil and gas operators.  All wastes (e.g., sludges, pigging waste, solids entrained in process streams, rainwater, spent amine, spent TEG, and used oil) are manifested or tracked with an appropriate contractor for transportation and disposal.  All liquids utilized at the facility are stored in dedicated above ground or below-grade storage tanks prior to offsite disposal or recycling at an OCD approved site.  All storage tanks are within properly engineered secondary containments.  Groundwater most likely to be affected is at a depth of approximately 80 feet below ground surface and total dissolved solids (TDS) can range from 320 milligrams per liter (mg/l) to 20,200 mg/l.

The OCD contact by which interested parties may obtain information, submit comments, and request to be placed on a facility-specific mailing list for future notices is Leigh Barr, Administrative Permitting Supervisor, 505-795-1722, LeighP.Barr@emnrd.nm.gov.  The OCD mailing address is 1220 South St. Francis Drive, Santa Fe, New Mexico, 87505.  The OCD will accept comments and statements of interest regarding the discharge permit application and will create a facility-specific mailing list for persons who wish to receive future notices.

The New Mexico Oil Conservation Division (OCD), Environmental Bureau, has reviewed a discharge permit application for DKL Field Services, LLC, Libby Gas Plant.  The discharge permit application was deemed administratively complete on 8/3/2023.  Subsection E of 20.6.2.3108 NMAC requires the below information be posted on OCD’s website and sent to those persons on a general and facility-specific list maintained by OCD.

DKL Field Services, LLC owns and operates the Libby Gas Plant located at 32°32’23.64″N, 103°31’23.12″W in Lea County, New Mexico (NM).  The Plant’s physical address is 674 Marathon Road (aka County Road 27A) Hobbs, NM 88240.  The Plant receives and processes up to 85 million standard cubic feet per day (MMscf/day) of field gas from offsite compressor stations.  Primary Plant operations include the separation of natural gas liquids (NGLs) from field gas, which produces a residue gas product and NGL product.  The Plant utilizes a cryogenic gas separation process for NGL extraction; the residue gas and NGLs are then piped to respective nearby interconnect metering stations that are owned by other 3rd parties.

Major Plant equipment includes aboveground storage tanks for produced water and condensate with shell capacities ranging from 200 barrels (bbls) to 500 bbls, compressors driven by natural gas fired internal combustion engines with capacities from 1,380 horsepower (hp) to 1,680 hp, an amine sweetening unit with design capacity of 85 MMscf/day, process flares with capacities up to 220 MMscf/day, and process heaters with capacities up to 49 MMBtu/hr.  The Plant does not operate any onsite disposal facilities, surface impoundments, wastewater effluent, nor other equipment that intentionally discharges to surface water or groundwater.  Groundwater at the Plant is estimated to be around 270 feet below ground surface and contains total dissolved solid concentrations of approximately 400 parts per million (ppm).

The OCD contact by which interested parties may obtain information, submit comments, and request to be placed on a facility-specific mailing list for future notices is Leigh Barr, Administrative Permitting Supervisor, 505-795-1722, LeighP.Barr@emnrd.nm.gov.  The OCD mailing address is 1220 South St. Francis Drive, Santa Fe, New Mexico, 87505.  The website address for discharge permit notices can be found at https://www.emnrd.nm.gov/ocd/applications-permits-notifications/.  The OCD will accept comments and statements of interest regarding the discharge permit application and will create a facility-specific mailing list for persons who wish to receive future notices.

The New Mexico Oil Conservation Division (OCD), Environmental Bureau, has reviewed a discharge permit application for OXY USA Inc., Bravo Dome CO₂ Plant (East).  The discharge permit application was deemed administratively complete on 7/27/2023.

OXY USA Inc. owns and operates the Bravo Dome CO₂ Plant (East) located within the North Half of the Northwest Quarter (N1/2 NW1/4) of Section 26, Township 19N, Range 34E in Union County (35.85314N, 103.29744W).  The Plant is a carbon dioxide (CO₂) compressor station with a total rated horsepower of 98,000.  Water saturated CO₂ gas from the field collection system is fed to the two-phase inlet scrubbers (350 PSIG design pressure) where free water is knocked out of the gas.  The CO₂ gas from the scrubber goes directly to the compressors where the pressure is increased from 65-120 PSIG to 1600-1800 PSIG, in three stages, with interstage and final cooling to 60-120 degrees Fahrenheit.  The CO₂ gas is dehydrated after the second stage of compression/cooling by passing the gas through triethylene glycol dehydration contactors.  The inlet scrubber, all compressor headers and related piping and the compressor suction and discharge scrubbers are sized for 155 million standard cubic feet per day (MMSCFD) capacity.  The glycol dehydration and reconcentration equipment is sized for 86 MMSCFD capacity.  The compressed gas then leaves the facility via pipeline.  The estimated annual waste disposed of by the Plant includes approximately 400 barrels of tank bottoms/produced water and approximately 3,000 gallons of used oil.  Domestic trash is collected on a weekly basis.  Groundwater at the facility is estimated to be less than 160 ft below ground surface and contains total dissolved solid concentrations of approximately 185 to 376 milligrams per liter.

Based on the submitted discharge permit application, OCD has prepared a draft permit for the Bravo Dome CO₂ Plant (East).  The OCD contact by which interested persons may obtain information, submit comments, request to be placed on an OCD created facility-specific mailing list for future notices, request a copy of the draft permit, and request a public hearing is Leigh Barr, (505) 795-1722, LeighP.Barr@emnrd.nm.gov with mailing address 1220 South St. Francis Drive, Santa Fe, New Mexico, 87505.

The OCD will accept comments and statements of interest regarding the discharge permit application and the draft permit; prior to ruling on any proposed discharge permit, the Director shall allow a period of at least thirty (30) days after the date of publication of this notice, during which interested persons may submit comments and/or request in writing that OCD hold a public hearing.  Note, all comments will be considered.

Requests for a public hearing shall be in writing and shall set forth the reasons why a hearing should be held. A hearing will be held if the Director determines that there is substantial public interest.  If no public hearing is held, the Director will approve or disapprove the permit based on information available, including all public comments received.  If a public hearing is held, the director will approve or disapprove the permit based on public comments and information submitted at the hearing.  The OCD shall notify the applicant and any person requesting a public hearing of the decision whether to hold a public hearing and the reasons therefore in writing.

Link to Draft Permit

The New Mexico Oil Conservation Division (OCD), Environmental Bureau, has reviewed a discharge permit application for Occidental Permian Ltd., North Hobbs Recompression Facility and Natural Gas Liquids Plant.  The discharge permit application was deemed administratively complete on 7/27/2023. 

Occidental Permian Ltd., owns and operates the North Hobbs Recompression Facility and Natural Gas Liquids Plant located approximately 4.0 miles northwest of Hobbs, New Mexico in Lea County (32.71859630N, 103.19973160W).  The Plant is a natural gas recompression facility through which oil, natural gas, and condensate from nearby oil and gas production facilities is transported by pipeline for treatment and processing.  Once gathered at the Plant, the oil and gas are compressed through cryogenic processing, dehydrated to remove the water content, and processed to remove and recover natural gas liquids (NGL).  The Plant has 9 inlet compressors and motors totaling 36,000 horsepower.  Field gas is brought in from several production satellites and batteries, up to 300 million standard cubic feet per day (MMSCFD), and then returned to the field injection system.  There is also an NGL Plant that takes a split stream of 95 MMSCFD of natural gas and produces 1,300 barrels per day of NGL and is sold down the pipeline.  Groundwater at the facility is estimated to be less than 170 ft below ground surface and contains total dissolved solid concentrations of approximately 300 to 415 milligrams per liter.

Based on the submitted discharge permit application, OCD has prepared a draft permit for the North Hobbs Recompression Facility and Natural Gas Liquids Plant.  The OCD contact by which interested persons may obtain information, submit comments, request to be placed on an OCD created facility-specific mailing list for future notices, request a copy of the draft permit, and request a public hearing is Leigh Barr, (505) 795-1722, LeighP.Barr@emnrd.nm.gov with mailing address 1220 South St. Francis Drive, Santa Fe, New Mexico, 87505. 

The OCD will accept comments and statements of interest regarding the discharge permit application and the draft permit; prior to ruling on any proposed discharge permit, the Director shall allow a period of at least thirty (30) days after the date of publication of this notice, during which interested persons may submit comments and/or request in writing that OCD hold a public hearing.  Note, all comments will be considered. 

Requests for a public hearing shall be in writing and shall set forth the reasons why a hearing should be held. A hearing will be held if the Director determines that there is substantial public interest.  If no public hearing is held, the Director will approve or disapprove the permit based on information available, including all public comments received.  If a public hearing is held, the director will approve or disapprove the permit based on public comments and information submitted at the hearing.  The OCD shall notify the applicant and any person requesting a public hearing of the decision whether to hold a public hearing and the reasons therefore in writing.

Link to Draft Permit

The Underground Injection Control (UIC) Class III Solution Mining Well “State ‘4’ BSW No. 1” (API# 30-025-26370) is located at UL: E, Section 4, Township 13 South, Range 36 East (Lat. N 32.22251º Longitude: W -103.31548°- NAD83), NMPM, Lea County, New Mexico. The injection well is located approximately 2.4 miles south of the City of Tatum Intersection of East Broadway St. (Hwy. 380) and N. Main St. (Hwy. 206), approximately 660 ft. east of Hwy. 206.

Administratively Complete (3/30/2023)

Applications (3/2/2018 & 1/2/2023)

Technical Issues Resolution (4/25/2023)

Discharge Permit (3/28/2023)

Public Notice (Estimated OCD publication date: Sunday 4/9/2023)

Draft Permit:  HF Sinclair Navajo Refining LLC Underground Injection Control (UIC) Class I (Non-hazardous) Injection well Dischage Permit Renewals.

Discharge Permit (UICI-008-1/Facility ID# fCJC2117350329) HollyFrontier Sinclair Navajo Refining, LLC., UIC Class I (Non-hazardous) Injection Well “Disposal Well No. 1 – WDW-1” (API No. 30-015-27592) UL: O, Section 31, Township 17 South, Range 28 East, 660 FSL 2,310 FEL (Lat./Long.: 32.78518/104.21377 NAD83), NMPM, Eddy County, New Mexico

Discharge Permit (UICI-008-2/Facility ID# fCJC2117351808) HollyFrontier Sinclair Navajo Refining, LLC., UIC Class I (Non-hazardous) Injection Well “Disposal Well No. 2 – WDW-2” (API No. 30-015-20894) UL: E, Section 12, Township 18 South, Range 27 East, 1,980 FNL 660 FWL (Lat./Long.: 32.76366/104.23849 NAD83), NMPM, Eddy County, New Mexico

Discharge Permit (UICI-008-3/Facility ID# fCJC2117354810) HollyFrontier Sinclair Navajo Refining, LLC., UIC Class I (Non-hazardous) Injection Well “Disposal Well No. 3– WDW-3” (API No. 30-015-26575) UL N, Section 1, Township 18 South, Range 27 East, 790 FSL 2,250 FWL (Lat./Long.: 32.77121/104.23328 NAD83), NMPM, Eddy County, New Mexico

Discharge Permit (UICI-008-4/Facility ID# fCJC2117357871) HollyFrontier Sinclair Navajo Refining, LLC., UIC Class I (Non-hazardous) Injection Well “Disposal Well No. 4 – WDW-4” (API No. 30-015-44677) UL K, Section 23, Township 17 South, Range 27 East, 1,319 FSL 2,493 FWL (Lat./Long.: 32.81609/104.24987 NAD83), NMPM, Eddy County, New Mexico

Administratively Complete (12/7/2022): Administratively Incomplete

Applications (8/12/2022):  UICI-8 (WDW-1, WDW-2 & WDW-3) & UICI-8 (WDW-4)

Discharge Permit Renewals (2/17/2023):  WDW-1; WDW-2; WDW-3 & WDW-4

Public Notice:  Pending subject to receipt of hydrogeologic information specified in “Administratively Complete” letter above.

Mansfield #11N Landfarm, located in the NE ¼ of the SW ¼  (Unit Letter K) in Section 29 of Township 30 North, Range 9 West NMPM in San Juan County, NM (latitude 36.78040, longitude -107.80726) approximately 3 miles northwest of Turley, New Mexico.

Hilcorp Energy Corporation Form C-137 EZ Registration and Approval