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                                                                   EXHIBIT 10.22



                       AMENDMENT TO EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT


                 This Amendment to Employment Agreement (the "Amendment") is
entered into April 15, 1997 by and between COSTILLA ENERGY, INC. (the
"Company") and BOBBY W. PAGE ("Page").

                                R E C I T A L S

                 A.       Costilla Petroleum Corporation and Costilla Energy,
L.L.C. (collectively, the "Predecessor Entities") and Page entered into an
Employment Agreement dated June 30, 1996, (the "Original Agreement").

                 B.       The Company has assumed the obligations of the
Predecessor Entities under the Original Agreement as a result of mergers
between the Predecessor Entities and the Company.

                 C.       The Company and Page have agreed to modify the
Original Agreement by this Amendment for the sole purpose of modifying Page's
title under Section 4 of the Original Agreement.

                 NOW, THEREFORE, the Company and Page for good and valuable
consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are acknowledged agree to
modify the Agreement as follows:

                 1.       The first sentence of Section 4 of the Agreement is
deleted and replaced to read in its entirety as follows:

                 "Page's title during his term of employment shall be Senior
                 Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and Chief Financial
                 Officer."

                 2.       Except as modified by this Agreement, all other terms
of the Original Agreement shall remain unchanged.

                 EXECUTED the date and year first above written.

                                       COSTILLA ENERGY, INC.


                                       By: /s/ Michael J. Grella             
                                          -------------------------------
                                           Michael J. Grella, President


                                           /s/ Bobby W. Page
                                          -------------------------------
                                                BOBBY W. PAGE