DALLAS — Lucid Energy Group has announced it is underway with the development of its next large cryogenic processing plant at its flagship Red Hills Natural Gas Processing Complex in southwestern Lea County. The Red Hills V plant, located about 20 miles west of Jal on N.M Hwy 128, will have the capacity to process 230 million cubic feet of natural gas …

Solaris Water Midstream announced Tuesday the company has started the development of its Bronco facility, a recycling and blending facility in Lea County. The privately-held company, a provider of water-related infrastructure to the oil and gas industry, made the announcement while saying Solaris Water also has launched operations at its expanded Lobo Ranch Produced Water Recycling and Blending Center, a …

LOVINGTON — A majority of Lea County Commissioners turned thumbs-down on an idea to encourage employees to learn Spanish by providing a paid incentive each year. The U.S. Census Bureau’s Q u i ck Fa c t s website identified more than 58 percent of Lea County residents as Hispanic of all races based on 2017 data from numerous sources. …

With expansion of the terminal at the Lea County Regional Airport already begun, Assistant County Manager Corey Needham wants to again double the passenger holding area. At an estimated cost of more than $1.6 million and with funding already available, Lea County Commissioners gave their collective nod of approval after Needham explained the wisdom of making that change now, rather …

IRVING, Texas — ExxonMobil officials said that a new study commissioned by the multinational oil and gas corporation estimates its development of Permian Basin resources in New Mexico will generate $64 billion in net economic benefits for the state and local communities over the next 40 years, creating thousands of new jobs and providing increased funding for education, health and …

LOVINGTON — The Lea County Commission on Thursday approved concert contracts recommended by the Lea County Fair Board for six nights of excitement between Aug. 2 and 10 at the 2019 county fair and rodeo. On the bill is the headliner band Los Huracanes del Norte with Grupo Laberinto and Revancha Nortena set to start the fair with Hispanic Heritage …

We may be No. 2, but we try harder. The old commercial line comes to mind when oil production data from various sources show Lea County hit the No. 2 spot in the nation in January. According to County Finance Director Chip Low and Assistant County Manager Corey Needham, working the research together recently, Lea County produced 14.6 million barrels …

A Hobbs neighborhood near the Texas-New Mexico border was overrun by Lea Country Sheriff deputies and Hobbs police during a hostage situation on Easter Sunday. During those seven hours, Hobbs resident Jared Pendleton threatened his own life, while holding four family members at bay in a house on the 2500 block of Waylon, about a mile west of the state …

Lea County’s job market is tighter. The N.M. Workforce Solutions Department released its latest unemployment numbers on Friday and Lea County’s market continues to see fewer unemployed. In February, the county’s unemployment rate was 3.8 percent compared to 4.1 percent in January 2019. A year ago, the county’s February unemployment rate was 4.3 percent. At the same time, the number …

SANTA FE — The first session of the 54th New Mexico Legislature closed Saturday, leaving lawmakers representing Lea County voters both pragmatic and disappointed. Largely due to the booming oil and gas industry, the 2019 session started with a record budget surplus, a projected billion-dollar surplus for this year, and more than a billion dollars anticipated above this year’s for …