Il .
lnventory
leasing
ofgeothermal
and
drillingactivityin NewMexico
I
H. l\4izell,
by Nancy
Geologist,
NewMexrco
Bureau
andl\4ineral
ol Mines
Resources,
Socorro,
NM
Soaring oil and gas prices and a recognition
of limited supplieshave stimulatedan increasing interest in the development of geothermal
energy in New Mexico. Two recent things indicate this increased interest. First, the 1979
New Mexico Legislaturepassedlaw #19-13-6
that establishedareas referred to as Known
Geothermal Resource Fields (KGRF's). Enacted primarily to increasestate revenue,this
law also establishes much more extensive
boundaries around the federally designated
Geothermal Resource Areas
Known
(KGRA's) (Summers, 1979). Six of the 11
KGRF's are in or adjacent to the Rio Grande
valley, an area that shows the greatest potential for geothermal development. Second, the
number of drilling permits approved in the
last year (June 1979 to July 1980) has more
than tripled from previous years.
In New Mexico three separategovernment
agenciesadminister the leasing of state and
federal lands and the issuing of permits for
geothermalwell drilling. As a result, no single
sourceof information on geothermalexploration activity within the state has been available. Furthermore, none of theseagenciesroutinely provides a map showing the area they
regulate. The New Mexico Bureau of Mines
and Mineral Resourceshas developeda computerized inventory of state and federal land
Ieased and drilling permits granted. This inventory was first prepared in conjunction with
a survey of geothermal developmentactivity
in the state(Stoneand Mizell, 1977).The computer program used in the inventory was
developedby Mizell (1980). The inventory is
updated at least every six months and more
frequently when warranted.
Geothermal leasing and drilling activity information is entered into the computer inventory by township, range, section, and quarter
section; basic component of the grid is a unit
measuring 2 townships, N-S, by 3 ranges,
E-W.
The Bureau's inventory may be utilized by
specifying an area of interest, such as Township 27 South, Range l9 West (T27S, R19W).
The inventory is then searchedfor all leasing
and drilling activity within that area. Output
consistsof two parts: first, a computer listing
showing lesseeor driller, location, lease or
well number, and leasedates or date of drilling permit approval; second,a computer plot
showing the location of the leasesor drilling
sites for the 2-tdwnship by 3-range area that
includes the specified township and range.
The Animas Valley of Hidalgo County is
the only area in which there has been both
state and federal land leasing as well as drilling. Therefore, sample computer lists and
associatedcomputer plots of leasing and drilling activity in a part of the Animas Valley are
provided for clarification. For this example,
the specified area of interest was T27S, Rl9W.
Table I lists the federal lease locations in the
searcharea associatedwith this locality. Fig. I
is a computer plot of federal lease locations
listed in table l. Quad refers to quarter sectionswith I : NE, 2 : NW, 3 : SW, and4
: SE. The number following the name of the
lesseeis the number assigned by the state or
federal agency. Table 2 lists state lease locations in the area of interest, and fig. 2 is a
computer plot of locations listed in table 2.
Table 3 lists wells permitted in the area, and
fig. 3 shows their locations. Under expiration
date in table 3 the well name instead of the
date is listed becausedrilling does not expire
but produces a well, whose location is maintained in the inventory.
The computer list may indicate more sites
than are shown on the computer maps because
wells or leaselocations are plotted only to the
nearest quarter section and because several
wells or leased areas can occur in an area of
that size.
A current printout of the geothermal leasing
and drilling inventory is available for inspection at the New Mexico Bureau of Mines and
Mineral Resourcesin Socorro. All or parts of
the inventory may be purchasedthrough the
Bureau publications office (telephone 505835-5410) for the price of computer time inI:F
volved.
Souncts or lEeslNG AND DRILLtNc DATA usED tN coMpurER lNvENToRy
Sources of
Drilling
t.
,)
Leasing
Data*
and
lnformation
Provided
By Sources
Frequency
of Information
(Update)
Release
4.
In
New Mexico 0i1 Conservation Div.
P.O. Box 2080
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501
permits
Drilling
available
for inspection
ac Oil
Dj.vision
ConservaEion
Of f ice ;
copies
on file
at New Mexico
Bureau of Mines and Mineral
Resources
Permits
to the
released
publj.c as soon as approved
t00% to ? secEion (160 acres)
MINFO
P.O. Box 2288
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Listing
of leasing on state
and federal
land with
derail
to l4 section
Published weekly;
Ieasing
information
available
with-
lands
State
section
87501
.'-
^
-.^^1.
application
?
Accuracy of Informatlon
Computer PlotEins
New Mexico SEate Land
Ilinerals
Division
P.O. Box 1148
Santa !'e, New Mexico
Office
leasi,ng
of land
detail
Eo
I ^^^i-^
rsdrrtr6
acceptance
Federal
section,
957 xo
lands leased:
90%
5Oi4 to ra section
Not updated regularLy;
printout provided upon
request
Used
as a check
for
MINFO
Not updated regularly;
provided upon
listing
requesE
Used as a check
for
MINFO
87501
U . S . B u r e a u o f L a n d Management
P.0. Box 1449
Santa Fe, New Mexico 8 7 5 0 1
Sources for
ava ilable
Computer printout
areas leased with
secti-on
^f
ur
leased:
and drilling
Listing
of
with detail
range
on private
land areas leased
to tomship
and
lands
are
not
readily
New Mexico Geology
November 1980
TABLE I -Cotr.tpurEn pRtNTour oF Ftc. I oescrlslNo TBDERALLEASELocATIoNS.
L E SS E E
LOCATION
R19W
RI9W
Rl9W
Rl9W
Rl9W
RIgW
R19W
Rl9W
Rl9W
Rl9W
Rl9W
R19W
RI9W
Rl9W
Rl9W
Rl9w
RI9W
RI9W
RI9W
RIgI.I
Rl9W
RI9W
TZIS
"12]S
'1215
T27S
T27S
T21S
T21S
T2lS
T27S
T27S
T27S
T27S
T27S
T21S
T21S
T21S
T27S
T27S
T2]S
T21S
T27S
T21S
SEC
SEC
SEC
SEC
15
15
15
15
sEc 18
SEC 22
SEC 72
sEe 22
SEC22
SEC
SEC
SEC
SEC
SEC
26
26
26
25
27
JLV
Z I
JEL
J+
SEC34
SEC35
SEC35
SEC 3
SEC 8
SEC 8
QUAD 3
QUAD 4
QUAD 1
QUAD 2
QUAD I
QUAD I
QUAD 2
QUAD 3
QUAD 4
QUAD 1
QUAD 2
QUAD 3
QUAD4
QUAD 1
QUAD 4
QUAD
QUAD
QUAD
QUAD
QUAD
QUAD
QUAD
TABLE 2-Coupuren
A}1AXEXP INC 24884
AMAX EXP INC 24884
AMAX EXP INC 24884
AMAX EXP INC 24884
CHEVRONOIL CO 23L92
A M A XE X P ' T N C 2 4 8 8 4
AMAX EXP INC 24884
AMAX EXP INC 24884
AMAX EXP INC 24884
AMAX EXP INC 24880
AMAX EXP INC 24880
AMAX EXP INC 24880
A}{AX EXP INC 24880
AMAX EXP INC 24880
A]'{AXEXP INC 24880
AMAXEXP INC 24884
AMAXEXP INC 24884
AMAX EXP INC 24884
AMAX EXP INC 24884
OIL CO 23193
CHEVRON
CHEVRON
OIL CO 23195
CHEVRON
OIL CO 23195
T27S
T27S
T27S
T27S
T21S
T27S
T21S
T21S
T2 7 S
T2]S
T27S
R19W
R19W
RI9W
R19W
RI91,I
R19W
RI9W
Rl9W
R19W
R19W
R19W
Rl9W
Rl9W
RI9W
Rl9W
R19I.J
R19I,I
R19W
RI9I,,]
R19W
SEC
SEC
SEC
SEC
SEC
SEC
SEC
SEC
SEC
SEC
SEC
SEC
SEC
SEC
SEC
SEC
SEC
SEC
SEC
SEC
LESSEE
2
2
2
2
3
4
4
5
5
8
9
9
9
9
L6
I6
l6
l6
QUAD I
QUAD 2
QUAD 3
QUAD 4
QUAD 2
QUAD I
QUAD 2
QUAD t
QUAD 2
QUAD 3
QUAD 4
QUAD 2
QUAD I
QUAD 2
QUAD 3
QUAD 4
QUAD 1
QUAD 2
QUAD 3
QUAD 4
TABLE 3-CovpurEn
BURMAH O&G CO
BURMAH O&G CO
BURMAH O&G CO
BURMAH O&G CO
BURMAH O&G CO
BURMAH O&G CO
BURMAH O&.G CO
BURMAH O&.G CO
BURMAH O&G CO
BURMAH O&G CO
BURMAH O&G CO
BURMAH O&G CO
BURMAH O&G CO
BURMAH O&G CO
BURMAHO&G CO
BURMAH
BURMAH
BURMAH
BURMAH
BURI'IAH
RIgI^I
R2OW
R2OW
RzOW
RzO\^I
R2OW
R2OW
R2OW
R20W
RzOW
SEC 9
SEC I
SEC I
SEC 9
SEC II
SEC 14
SEC16
SEC 2I
SEC23
SEC36
L2-0t-76
L 2 - 0 L - 16
L 2 - 0 L - 16
L2-0L-75
ll-0r- 76
L 2 - 0 L - 16
L2-0L-16
L 2 - 0 1 - 16
L2-0r-16
r1-01-76
rr-0 l- 76
lI-0r-76
ll-0r-76
l1-0r- 76
ll-01-76
L2-01-76
L2-01-76
L 2 - 0 L - 16
L2-0L-t6
l1-01-76
L 2 - 2 8 - 76
L 2 - 2 8 -16
UNKNOWN
UNKNOWN
IJNKNOWN
UNKNOWN
UNKNOWN
UNKNOWN
UNKNOWN
UNKNOWN
UNKNOWN
UNKNOWN
UNKNOWN
UNKNOWN
UNKN0I!T'I
UNKNOWN
UNKNOI,N'I
UNKNOWN
UNKNOI$I
UNKNOIJN
L'I.IKNOWI{
UNKNOWN
UNKNOWN
UNKNOWN
FICURE l-FEoBnnL lr,lsE LocATIoNsIN rHE
Auves Vellnv. Nnw Mnxtco.
O&G
O&G
O&G
O&G
O&G
CO
CO
CO
CO
CO
39
39
39
39
40
4L
4L
42
42
42
42
29
30
30
GTR23 0
GTR2 3 0
GTR2 3 l
GTR2 3 1
GTR2 3 l
GTR2 3 1
GTR
GTR
GTR
GTR
GTR
GTR
GTR
GTR
GTR
GTR
GTR
GTR
GTR
GTR
LEASE DATE
EXPIRATION
DATE
08-L4-7 4
0 8 - L 4 - 74
0 8 - L 4 - 74
0 8 - L 4 - 74
0 8 ' L 4 - 14
0 8 - L 4 - 74
0 8 - L 4 - 74
0 8 - T 4 - 74
0 8 - L 4 - 14
08-L4-14
08-L4-74
03-12-7 5
0 3 - L 2 - 75
03-12-15
0 3 - L 2 - 75
0 3 - L 2 - 75
o 3 - 1 2 - 75
03-12-75
0 3 - L 2 - 75
0 3 - L 2 - 15
08-L4-l 9
08-L4-79
08-L4-19
o8-L4-19
08-L4-19
08-14-79
o8-14-19
o8-L4-79
o8-L4-79
08-L4-79
0 8 - L 4 - 19
0 3 - 1 2 -8 0
0 3 - 1 2 -8 0
03- 12-80
03-12-80
03-12-80
03- l2- 80
03-12-80
03- l2- 80
03-12-80
R 2OW
FIGURE
R,IgW
RtSW
2-STATE LEAsE LocATloNS IN THE
ANItrlas V.qu-EY. NEw MEXlco.
pRlNTour oF FIc. 3 oEscntstNcnpPRovEDDRTLLING
strES.
LOCATION
TZ7S
T27S
T21S
T21S
T27S
T28S
T2]S
.1215
T27S
T27S
EXPIRATION
DATE
nRrNTouroF Frc . 2 nrscnrnrNc srATE LEASELocATIoNS.
LOCATION
T21S
T27S
T21S
T27S
T27S
T27S
T27S
T27S
't275
LEASE DATE
LESSEE
QUAD
QUAD
QUAD
QUAD
QUAD
QUAD
QUAD
qUAD
QUAD
QUAD
AMINOIL USA
CHEVRON OIL
CHEVRON OIL
CHEVRON OIL
CHEVRON OIL
A-},lAX EXP INC
CHEVRON OIL
CHEVRON OIL
AMAX EXP INC
AMAX EXP INC
LEASE DATE
04-04-t 7
05-0r-76
05-0r- 76
05-01-76
05-0r- 76
l0-r8-76
05-0r- 76
05-0r-76
09-zo-16
09-20-16
EXPIBATION
DATE
M'IA1O
2Z
L-6
ll
L1
FICURE 3-Appnoveo oRILLINCslrEs lN THE
ANIMASVALLEY,New Mnxtco.
References
Mizell, N. H., 1980, Documentation for computerization of geothermal activity in New
New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral
Resources,Open-file Rept. l2l
November 1980
New Mexico Ceology
S t o n e , w . J . , a n d M i z e l l , N . H . , 1 9 7 7 ,G e o t h e r m a l
resources of New Mexico-a survey of work to
date: New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral
Resources,Open-file Rept. 73
S u m m e r s ,W . K . , 1 9 7 9 ,H y d r o t h e r m a l a n o m a l i e si n
New Mexico: New Mexico Bureau of Mines and
M i n e r a l R e s o u r c e s , R e s o u r c e M a P I ' scale
n