Governor Bill Richardson Monday directed the state Oil Conservation Division to begin drafting new rules specifically aimed at protecting certain portions of Rio Arriba County.

Thousands of oil and gas wells are already located in Rio Arriba County, but recent interest in drilling the relatively untouched eastern side of the county has raised concerns that about contamination of the streams that feed into the Rio Chama and Rio Grande.

"It is important that we identify and thoroughly scrutinize proposed drilling in highly sensitive areas like portions of the Chama Watershed," Richardson in a statement released Monday.

Rio Arriba passed a four-month moratorium on drilling in April hoping to buy time to rewrite its rules governing oil and gas development. That moratorium is being challenged in state District Court by Approach Resources LLC, which seeks to develop about 90,000 acres worth of mineral rights in the county.

Rio Arriba County planning and zoning director Gabriel Boyle recently called on Richardson to issue a moratorium on drilling in the area, as the governor has done in the Galisteo Basin.

Energy Minerals and Natural Resources spokesman Jodi Porter said based on how long it took to write special rules for Otero Mesa, it will likely be two to four months before the new regulations are done. Asked what would happen to new drilling permits in the meantime, Richardson spokesman Gilbert Gallegos said in a statement: " I assume all pending permits in that area of the county will be on hold so the new rules can be applied."

Porter said she couldn't answer the question without consulting the department's legal department for confirmation.

Contact Phaedra Haywood at 986-3068 or phaywood@sfnewmexican.com.