Oil Drilling in Santa Fe
Talking 'bout Texas Tea in Santa Fe, NM
What: Public Information Meeting hosted by Tecton Energy to discuss the company's plans for oil-and-gas drilling in Santa Fe County.
When: 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. November 1
Where: Genoveva Chavez Community Center, 3221 Rodeo Road, Santa Fe, NM.
Santa Fe is known for resources like stunning sunsets, green chile, the art community and turquoise jewelry. Apparently Santa Fe is sitting on another kind of mineral resource ... oil that is, black gold, Texas Tea. Tecton Energy LLC, from Houston, TX, has leased mineral rights for 65,000 acres in the Galisteo Basin, located south of Santa Fe, NM. Tecton announced that it will begin an exploration program involving two existing and six new oil wells in the Galisteo Basin. A local non-profit organization named Drilling Santa Fe has been formed to oppose oil exploration in the area.
Given the recent, dramatic increase in fossil fuel prices, companies like Tecton Energy have begun pursuing "Unconventional Resources" or UCR's, which include relatively low yield / high cost oil wells that are only profitable to pump when oil prices are high. This brings the dirty, industrial process of oil well exploration and drilling into areas that haven't seen such activity in decades, if ever. By twist of geologic fate the Galisteo Basin is the home to one such oil and gas deposit. By another twist of fate Santa Fe and the surrounding area is home to a large and vocal community of environmentally-minded citizens. All of which brings Drilling Santa Fe and Tecton Energy, LLC together in what will likely be a protracted battle in the press and the courts.
Suffice it to say that this is not a simple issue, nor one that will go away soon. We here at EcoDaddyo.com will be following this debate and writing more on the subject. As always, your thoughts and comments are welcome.
Further Reading
Santa Fe New Mexican: Pressure builds in battle over oil drilling
