Wright Sees Room to Grow in New Mexico Oil Production
U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright visited Hobbs in New Mexico on Tuesday as part of his 'Great American Energy Comeback Tour'. Wright highlighted the state's oil production and potential for growth, saying that New Mexico has 'room to grow' amid the current oil boom.
The Permian Basin, which covers southwestern New Mexico and west Texas, produced 6.6 million barrels per day of crude oil in 2025, making up 48% of total U.S. oil production. Lea County, where Wright visited, is the top oil-producing county in the Permian Basin.
Wright emphasized that the state should be proud of its oil-producing status and encouraged quick approval of permits for drilling operations to take advantage of remaining oil reserves. He noted that the U.S. Bureau of Land Management has reduced permit issuance time from over a year during President Joe Biden's term to less than 90 days under President Donald Trump.
Wright toured a facility owned by Mewbourne Oil Company, where he was shown how the company adapts to state laws aimed at reducing methane emissions. The company reported an 81% reduction in methane emissions over the past four years and captures 99.8% of all methane produced in its operations.