New Mexico Oil Industry Unconcerned About Regulation Obstacles

The transition to a Democratic administration from a Republican one has not affected oil and gas drilling, said Ryan Flynn, executive director of the New Mexico Oil & Gas Association (NMOGA), a trade association group that represents nearly 1,000 upstream, midstream and downstream operators, in a conference call hosted by SunTrust Robinson Humphrey on July 24.

Lujan Grisham is a career politician who is a native of New Mexico and understands the importance of the energy industry to the state’s economy, he said. She previously served as the representative for the state’s first congressional district from 2013 to 2018. From 2004 to 2007, Lujan Grisham served as secretary of health of New Mexico and as a Bernalillo County Commissioner from 2010 to 2012.

“She (Lujan Grisham) has been really good to work with,” he said. “She has no personal opposition or and strong feelings for or against the industry. She has seen the state prosper as a result of the industry and suffer when prices were down.”