Tecton Says 'Frack You': Denies Request to Withdraw Drilling Applications in Santa Fe County

On December 24, 2007, Forest Guardians, Drilling Santa Fe and Santa Fe Not Oil released the following statement:

Santa Fe, NM – Tecton Energy, a Houston, Texas based oil and gas company, has denied a request from various conservation groups and individuals to withdraw three applications for permits to drill in Santa Fe County that it recently submitted to the New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department. On December 22nd three organizations—Forest Guardians, Drilling Santa Fe and Santa Fe Not Oil—and four individuals sent a letter to Tecton asking them to withdraw their applications. 

The letter was signed by the majority of participants in the Santa Fe County oil and gas ordinance working group that Commissioner Paul Campos convened for its first meeting on December 13th—the same day that Tecton submitted its three applications. The letter requested that Tecton Energy withdraw the applications because doing so would “demonstrate [Tecton’s] good faith participation in the County’s oil and gas working group.”  Further the letter said filing the applications on the same day that the working group convened “show(s) disrespect for the County Commissioners who are trying to responsibly gather relevant community and expert input to inform their decisions.”

In denying the request just two days after it was sent to them, Tecton asserted that it “has an obligation to [mineral] lessors to make a best-efforts attempt to develop the minerals. Filing applications with the State was a necessary step 1 in a multi-stage process required to pursue that goal.”

“Their denial of our request shows that Tecton couldn’t care less about what the people of Santa Fe County think about the real threat of oil and gas development,” said John Horning, Executive Director at Forest Guardians. “They’re putting their corporate profits above the will of the people of Santa Fe County who don’t want to see our landscape transformed into an industrial sacrifice zone,” Horning added.

The groups and individuals that attended the meeting convened by Commissioner Campos on December 13th believe that Tecton’s denial of the request to withdraw the drilling permits is another example of the company’s belief that Santa Fe County has no authority to regulate oil and gas development.

“Tecton’s submission of those permit applications on the same day that they met with us and the County is a symbolic denial of the county’s authority to regulate oil and gas,” said Johnny Micou, a leader of Drilling Santa Fe. “Tecton just keeps thumbing their nose at the majority of the citizens by steamrolling along with their development plans.”

Steve Sugarman, a Galisteo Basin resident and local environmental attorney, who has been a vocal opponent of Tecton’s development plans argues that it is the Commissioners and not just the citizens who should feel snubbed. “Tecton threw sand in the commissioners’ faces when it filed its applications for permits to drill on the morning that the working group first convened,” said Sugarman. “Tecton added insult to injury when it stated at the work group’s first meeting that it is not legally bound to abide by the terms of the County’s moratorium.  Clearly, Tecton has no respect for our Commissioners’ authority to regulate land use in the County.”

In light of Tecton’s denial, the groups and individuals that participated in the working group are re-evaluating their next steps. Regardless of the next steps the groups that sent the request to Tecton say they will be participating in Santa Fe county hearings in early January on the proposed ordinance as well as state Oil Conservation Division hearings in early February on the three applications for permit to drill that were the subject of the letter.