SAN JUAN COUNTY — Jeffery Hildebrand, owner of Hilcorp, pledged to rebuild Venezuela's oil infrastructure during a White House meeting in January with President Donald Trump.

Hildebrand's Gulfstream G600 aircraft landed at Dulles Airport in January. He attended a meeting in the East Room of the White House where President Trump requested energy executives to commit $100 billion to Venezuela's oil industry. Hildebrand told President Trump, "Hilcorp is fully committed and ready to go to rebuilding the infrastructure in Venezuela." President Trump responded, "That’s good. You’ll be very happy." Hildebrand has contributed millions of dollars to Trump's presidential campaign and does not have major business operations outside the United States.

A former Hilcorp lobbyist holds a senior position at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), overseeing revisions to methane regulations for oil and gas wells. This former lobbyist solicited input on methane rules from trade groups funded by Hildebrand. The EPA is planning revisions to methane restrictions for the oil and gas industry, and the Biden administration issued methane pollution restrictions in 2024.

Hilcorp operates approximately 11,000 oil and gas wells in the San Juan County region. Scientific studies indicate that low-producing wells, which account for about 6 percent of U.S. oil and natural gas production, are responsible for roughly 50 percent of methane emissions in the oil and gas sector. Methane can trap heat at a rate up to 80 times higher than carbon dioxide.

On June 29, Carbon Mapper satellite data recorded a methane plume at Hilcorp's Huerfano Unit 119 well site. Infrared imaging also recorded emissions from a pressure-release valve on a storage tank at the site. The recorded methane discharge rate was 199 kilograms per hour, which represents approximately 12 times the volume of natural gas the well typically produces in that timeframe. A caution sign at the Huerfano Unit 119 well site reads, "Well vents randomly." New Mexico state regulators have recorded no reported gas venting from the Huerfano Unit 119 well since May 2024. The Huerfano Unit 119 well, drilled in 1969, generates approximately $50 in daily revenue.

Andrew Logan, a representative for Ceres, discussed the challenges of addressing emissions from low-producing wells. Logan stated, "If you could lose 6% of production and cut emissions in half, who wouldn’t make that trade?" He also said, "It’s a question of who benefits and who doesn’t, and who has the power."