Natural Resources Committee hears reappointment of Steven Mattoon to Oil and Gas Conservation Commission

The Nebraska Legislature’s Natural Resources Committee on Thursday heard the reappointment of Steven Mattoon of Sydney to the Nebraska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, a four-year term running Sept. 25, 2025, through Sept. 25, 2029.

Mattoon, an attorney who said he has practiced oil-and-gas law for more than 30 years, told the committee he has performed title and division-order work across about 15 counties and represented major and mid-level companies as well as individual operators. He said the commission’s office is in Sydney, near his home, and that the commission has relied on federal funding to plug and restore older wells. "In 3 years they have plugged in abandoned 429 wells," Mattoon said, describing that federally funded effort as ongoing.

Committee members asked Mattoon about industry trends and federal primacy for certain regulatory responsibilities. Mattoon said production and the number of wells drilled in Nebraska have declined significantly in recent years — he estimated production declines on the order of "probably 90%" over the last five years — and that deep exploratory drilling, including a 10,000-foot well near Geneva, has been attempted but was not successful.

Chair Tom Brandt and other members recorded no proponents or opponents on the nomination and noted there were no online comments. With no further testimony, the committee closed the hearing on the nomination. No committee vote on the nomination was recorded in the hearing transcript.

The committee did not take final action during the hearing; next steps for the nomination were not specified on the record.