Northwest New Mexico oil, gas production continues slide

Natural gas production in northwest New Mexico decreased 15.8 percent during the first three months of 2013, continuing a years-long decline that has rippled across the San Juan Basin. Perhaps most discouraging for the basin's sprawling oil and gas industry, oil production -- a source of some hope -- was also down by 12.3 percent, according to the New Mexico Oil Conservation Division.  Natural gas production fell to 168.4 billion cubic feet from 200 billion cubic feet during the same period in 2012. This year is on track to mark the seventh consecutive year of declining gas production in northwest New Mexico. Oil production also fell to 227,553 barrels, down from 259,548 barrels during the first quarter of 2012. That's a reversal after two years of climbing oil production. Industry officials said the two are linked because most oil production in the San Juan Basin is a byproduct of natural gas drilling. San Juan Basin well operators are increasingly shutting in old gas wells until prices improve...more