A day in the life of a BLM Hobbs Petroleum Engineering Technician

Welcome to Lea County, an oil-rich hub in southeastern New Mexico three times the size of Rhode Island. Did you know that it is one of the top-producing oil and gas counties in the United States? According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s Short-Term Energy Outlook,¹ the Permian Basin, a region spanning western Texas and eastern New Mexico, is expected to produce 6.79 million barrels per day of crude oil in 2025.

And you may not know it, but Lea County is also the homebase of the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) Hobbs Field Station, a critical player in the Trump Administration’s energy dominance agenda. Here a small but mighty team of eight BLM petroleum engineering technicians diligently carry out the critical day-to-day tasks necessary to sustain responsible energy production in one of the most active oil-producing regions in the nation.

The Hobbs Field Station is responsible for inspection and enforcement of oil and gas operations in southeastern New Mexico.

"Petroleum Engineering Technicians at the BLM facilitate and oversee oil and gas development on federal lands,” said Jon Staton, BLM Hobbs manager/supervisory petroleum engineering technician. “[We] play a vital role in supporting the local oil and gas industry by ensuring efficient, safe, and compliant operations on federal and Indian lands.”

A key responsibility of the BLM Petroleum Engineering Technicians’ job involves balancing industry needs with regulatory requirements. In a nutshell, they ensure compliance with federal regulations and policies related to oil and gas operations on public lands.

Some of their main job duties include evaluating Applications for Permit to Drill; performing site inspections; monitoring operations to prevent spills, contamination, and other environmental hazards; and advising industry operators, landowners, and stakeholders on federal oil and gas regulations. In addition, they maintain detailed records of well production, drilling activity, and compliance status to support industry operations and federal decision-making.

According to Staton, one of the more direct ways that the BLM Hobbs Petroleum Engineering Technicians contribute to the administration's agenda to boost domestic energy production is through the streamlining of the permitting process. This task involves expediting the review and approval of Applications for Permit to Drill, aligning with the administration's goal to reduce regulatory burdens on energy production.

At the end of the day, the work of a BLM Petroleum Engineering Technician can be extremely rewarding. Take it from Staton: “Every day presents new challenges, but knowing that my efforts help balance energy production with environmental responsibility makes my job incredibly rewarding," he said.

Staton said he finds fulfillment knowing his job is making a lasting impact through his contributions to policies and processes that improve how energy resources are managed for future generations.

¹ U.S. Energy Information Administration. “Short-Term Energy Outlook. March 2025.” Pg. 42. Retrieved from: steo_full.pdf