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Cost to plug an oil well in New Mexico

The tested median cost to plug a well in New Mexico is $132,792, with a typical range of $74,508 to $323,520. That figure covers wells of all types: 167 of the 217 wells on file are oil wells.

Median, all well types

$132,792

BModerate confidence · typically within 31%

Typical range

$74,508 – $323,520

10th to 90th percentile

Oil wells on file

167

of 217 wells (77%)

What the figure means for an oil well in New Mexico

The free figure is the statewide cost across all well types, tested on wells left out of the calculation. A figure for oil wells alone in New Mexico passes testing and is part of Pro, along with 1 county-level figure. Individual wells vary widely: the records are mostly old, shallow orphan wells, so a deep or complex well can cost more.

The national Plugging Cost Index rose 11% from 2023 to 2024 (see the Cost Index).

Next steps

Data through June 2026. Wells are the reported costs behind each figure. Every figure is tested on wells left out of the calculation. AHigh confidence means a large sample and a figure typically within 25% of those wells; BModerate confidence means a smaller sample or within 40%. Anything weaker is shown as Insufficient data. How figures are tested.