ConocoPhillips is taking its Delaware Basin operations to the next level — cutting emissions with its Zia Hills Solar Farm, speeding up drilling with a Super Spudder rig and distributing grid power through its Big Kahuna Substation. And there's a new Central Gas Compression facility in China Draw — it’s all part of the progress.
Scroll down to learn a bit more about these strategic projects.
Zia Hills Solar Farm
ConocoPhillips' Zia Hills Solar Farm is a 20-megawatt renewable energy facility that supplies power to the company's Zia Hills Unit, an oil and gas field in New Mexico. Spanning nearly 150 acres, the solar panels at this facility can tilt or rotate to follow the sun throughout the day. By supplementing existing grid power, this solar farm boosts ConocoPhillips' infrastructure resilience, delivering clean energy in a region where grid capacity is limited.
Super Spudder drilling rig
To save time and money, ConocoPhillips uses a smaller drilling rig, known as a Super Spudder, to handle the early well-construction phases before bringing in a more expensive "big rig" to finish the longer lateral drilling. By pre-drilling surface and intermediate sections, this specialized rig facilitated delivery of 19 wells ahead of schedule in the first half of 2025.
Big Kahuna Substation
ConocoPhillips constructed the Big Kahuna Substation in Reeves County, Texas, as a high-capacity electrical hub designed to draw power directly from the regional electrical grid. A key power source for the China Draw area, this substation supports the company’s oil and gas operations by distributing electricity to three centralized tank batteries, one central gas compression facility (see below) and numerous well pads.
Central gas compression using electric compressors
Powered by the Big Kahuna Substation, the Central Gas Compression facility in China Draw exclusively handles natural gas. It features 10 electric compressors and two dehydration units. As part of the broader network of centralized facilities in the area, it plays a critical role in streamlining gas operations. The facility compresses and conditions natural gas for use in well-site gas-lift operations or for sale via the gas-delivery-point network.
