Karl Rove Stars in SF Meeting

Karl Rove is in town today to keynote the New Mexico Oil & Gas Association Annual Meeting, which is essentially four days of golfing, fine dining and back patting for the industry.

Of course, that's not how Wally Drangmeister, vice president and director of communications for the association, describes it.

"It's just an opportunity for the industry folks to get together in a low-key environment, check-in with each other, see what's going on," Drangmeister says.  "The industry is doing very well in New Mexico, you know—there's a lot of interest in this state right now."

Indeed, the oil and gas industry is experiencing a boom in the state. Recently, the Las Cruces Sun-News reported that production was up 70 percent from 2008 and expected to continue to grow 20 percent through this year. Today, 101 oil wells are operating in New Mexico, according to Drangmeister.

Oil and gas royalties also make up 97.5 percent of the state's Permanent Fund, which is used to pay for public schools across the state.

But don't forget that oil and gas producers are subject to loads of criticism for the industry's effects on the environment and its hold on political interests. Liberal Santa Fe also isn't exactly the most friendly place to hold such a convention. Last month, the Santa Fe County Commission passed a yearlong moratorium on strip mining development, which is used in other regions to extract oil from oil sands.

A small protest formed outside of the Eldorado Hotel earlier today, which resulted in a quick march to La Fonda. Only about a dozen people attended, but many of them said they had quickly organized the protest after learning about the event last night and this morning.

"I think it's important to confront people like Karl Rove who help install people like Susana Martinez in office," says David Cortez, who attended the protest.

Organizers for the oil and gas conference, which started with a golf tournament sponsored by Halliburton on Saturday and ends tomorrow, also refused to let reporters attend today's luncheon at La Fonda Hotel. The cost to attend the conference varied from $425 for Association members to $650 for nonmembers.

But Drangmeister maintains that there's nothing secretive about the event, which has been held annually for 86 years now.

"This is not where the heavy policy work is done," he says. "We kind of do an update about where we are in the industry, what we see are the issues going forward."

Besides Rove's luncheon address scheduled for today, Gov. Susana Martinez also reportedly addressed the conference this morning.

Santa Fe Reporter