Overview
Plains Knight No1 Tank Battery is an oil extraction facility located near Jal, New Mexico, USA. It operates in the Permian Basin, one of the most productive oil regions in the United States.
Plains Knight No1 Tank Battery is an oil extraction facility located approximately 6.23 miles north-northeast of Jal, New Mexico, in Lea County. The facility operates within the Permian Basin, a prolific oil-producing region that spans West Texas and southeastern New Mexico. As a tank battery, it serves as a collection point for crude oil from nearby wells, where it is temporarily stored before being transported via pipeline or truck. The facility operates under the regulatory framework of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), including the Clean Air Act (CAA) and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). New Mexico's Oil Conservation Division (OCD) also oversees state-level permitting and inspections. Typical oil extraction facilities in this region employ conventional drilling and artificial lift methods, with tank batteries equipped with vapor recovery units to reduce emissions. The Permian Basin is a major contributor to U.S. oil production, and facilities like Plains Knight No1 Tank Battery play a critical role in the regional supply chain. The facility's location in Lea County places it in an area with significant oil and gas infrastructure, supporting local employment and energy markets. Environmental considerations include groundwater protection and air quality management, with operators required to implement spill prevention and leak detection programs.
Environmental context
The facility is situated in the arid climate of southeastern New Mexico, where water resources are scarce and groundwater protection is critical. Oil extraction operations in this region must comply with EPA's Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) rules and New Mexico's groundwater protection regulations. The Permian Basin's high density of oil infrastructure increases the risk of soil and water contamination from leaks or spills, necessitating robust monitoring and containment measures.
Frequently asked questions
Plains Knight No1 Tank Battery is located approximately 6.23 miles north-northeast of Jal, New Mexico, in Lea County, within the Permian Basin.
It is an oil extraction facility that collects and temporarily stores crude oil from nearby wells before it is transported for refining or sale.
Oil extraction in New Mexico is regulated by the U.S. EPA under the Clean Air Act and RCRA, and by the New Mexico Oil Conservation Division, which oversees permitting, inspections, and environmental compliance.
Tank batteries pose risks of oil spills, volatile organic compound emissions, and groundwater contamination. Operators must implement spill prevention plans and vapor recovery systems to mitigate these risks.
The Permian Basin's high productivity and extensive infrastructure support efficient oil extraction, but also require stringent environmental management due to the density of operations and arid climate.
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