CO-NM Mile 274 + 39 chains – 37th Parallel Project

CO-NM Mile 274 + 39 chains (approximately). Looking west at 37˚ 0.00414′ N 108˚ 16.8132′ W

At elevation of 6600 feet in the middle of a vast network of 40,000 gas and oil wells, looking west. North of the line (on the right, the Utah side, looking west) is the Southern Ute Nation. It was unclear where the actual state border lies. A better bet might be seen in the image below, also looking west from a short distance south:

CO-NM Mile 274 + 39 chns (approximately). Looking west at 36˚ 59.98596′ N 108˚ 16.7772′ W

The city of Farmington, NM, about 25 miles south of here, hosted gas field workers for years. Now empty storefronts there confirm the relentless decline of petroleum production; the major firms have left, leaving mom and pop operations to squeeze out the dwindling reserves and cap old wells.

Next location: westbound eastbound