News Release

For Release:  January 22, 2009 
Contact:  Hans Stuart 505.438.7510, Dave Evans 575.234.5901

Devon Energy Contributes $50,000 to Oilfield Reclamation Efforts in Eddy County
- BLM Matches Donation to Fund Work by Local Contractors -

Carlsbad, N.M. – Devon Energy Corporation of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, has contributed $50,000 to a combined industry-BLM effort to reclaim abandoned oilfield facilities in Eddy County. The work will remove abandoned roads, well pads and caliche pits on federal lands in the county and restore the areas, allowing native vegetation to be reestablished.

The BLM has matched Devon’s contribution, and is working with the Carlsbad Soil and Water Conservation District to contract for this work with local firms.  Companies will remove the caliche from roads and well pads; caliche is a clay-like substance that does not allow native prairie vegetation to grow. The treated areas will then be reseeded with native grasses.

The scope of the project will include reclamation of old caliche pits, which will be re-contoured to replicate the surrounding topography, and topsoil will be replaced to provide for seeding.

“We’re thrilled to match Devon’s contribution to this effort,” said Jim Stovall, manager of the BLM’s Carlsbad Field Office. “This work will restore historic damage to the land and benefit the economy by contracting with local businesses to do the work.”

“This program represents an exciting opportunity for Devon to give back to surrounding communities and assist in statewide reclamation efforts,” said David Frank, vice president of the land department for Devon's Western Division. “Being a good neighbor is important to us and we’re grateful for the opportunity to partner with the BLM to improve habitat and the environment.” 

Reclamation will focus on historic ‘footprints’ (well pads, caliche pits and roads typically 40 years or older) that remained in place when oil wells were plugged and abandoned. 

Older oil and gas operators were not required to reclaim their facilities to today’s strict standards.  The earliest operators were not required to perform any reclamation before being released from leases on federal lands, and later lease holders (up to the early 1980s) were just asked to reseed disturbed areas on their leases and were released from any further obligation whether or not the areas had successful revegetated.

Today all companies operating on federal lands must reclaim disturbed areas by removing caliche from well pads and roads, and ensuring that native vegetation is reestablished, removing the ‘footprint’ on the land that existed during production.
 
Another problem associated with caliche pits is that some are being used as dumps for anything from household trash to large items such as cars.  Illegal dumping is being addressed by local, state and federal agencies, but the best way to prevent illegal dumping is through education, cleanup activities, posted notices and enforcement activities, Stovall added.

- BLM -