News

AUSTIN – The U.S. Department of the Interior Office of the Inspector General has released an audit report showing the Railroad Commission of Texas successfully used federal grant funding for orphaned well plugging and complied with all related laws and regulations.

The RRC utilized its 40 years of well plugging expertise to expend a $25 million Initial Grant from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) passed by Congress. The agency plugged more than 760 orphaned wells through the Initial Grant.

The Inspector General concluded that “We found that the State of Texas properly expended IIJA orphaned well initial grant funds and fulfilled program goals in accordance with applicable laws, Federal regulations, and grant terms…We make no recommendations as there are not reportable findings.” The audit also noted that the RRC “performs enhanced monitoring on all the contractual work performed on the well-plugging using IIJA funds” submitting daily reports on all completed work and costs as well as performing three levels of review to ensure invoice accuracy.

 

The majority of oil and gas wells that are no longer producing are plugged by the responsible operators. If an operator is non-compliant or goes out of business the well is considered orphaned, and the Railroad Commission administers a program to plug the wells.  The IIJA grants supplement state funds that are used annually to plug orphaned wells across the state.

The RRC is now utilizing the first phase of IIJA Formula Grants to plug wells. However, the formula grants include administrative hurdles that are not specified in the IIJA, such as reviews of Endangered Species Act compliance and compliance with the National Historic Preservation Act, that significantly delay plugging projects. In fact, in the first 12 months of the IIJA Formula Grant, the RRC plugged 45 percent fewer wells using federal funds than were plugged during the first 12 months of the IIJA Initial Grant due to the reviews.

“We are proud to remain a leader in well plugging efforts nationwide and look forward to working with the new Secretary of the Interior to expeditiously plug wells in Texas,” said RRC Executive Director Wei Wang. “According to a recent Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission study, thanks to RRC’s robust state managed plugging program, Texas has seen one of the lowest increases in orphaned well population. We would urge our federal partners to examine and remove the red tape implemented by the previous program staff.   Texas stands ready and we are more than capable of accomplishing this important work efficiently.”

A copy of the Department of the Interior Inspector General Report can be found at https://www.doioig.gov/reports/audit/infrastructure-investment-and-jobs-act-orphaned-well-initial-grant-awarded-state.

AUSTIN – This week President Donald Trump signed the Congressional Review Act (CRA) repeal of the Biden administration’s natural gas tax. This legislative action nullifies the methane fee imposed by the Biden administration on oil and natural gas production, which would have driven up costs to producers and American consumers.

“President Trump’s overturning of Biden’s natural gas tax is one of the many actions his administration has taken to set America back on course toward American Energy Dominance,” said Commissioner Wayne Christian. “During his first term, President Trump led a reliable energy resurgence which gave us energy independence and a roaring economy—and he’s teeing up to do it again. This tax would have been the death knell for small ‘mom and pop’ operators, who produce more than 83% of America’s oil and gas. I want to congratulate the President, Senator John Hoeven, and Congressman August Pfluger on this monumental achievement which defends independent producers—the backbone of American oil and gas.”

For Texas, this legislation is vital. As the nation's largest producer of oil and gas, Texas is the source for America’s reliable energy. If the Lone Star State were its own country, Texas would be the world's third largest producer of gas and fourth largest producer of oil. The industry is vital to the state’s economic success bringing in billions of dollars to benefit the State and supports about 38% of the overall economy. Texas also represents about one-third of the nation’s LNG exports. With growing global demand for LNG, Texas catapulted America to be the world's top LNG exporter.

Christian continued, “Last year, Biden’s own EPA said the quiet part out loud that the industry is already mitigating methane emissions, revealing that the true motive behind the tax all along was to squeeze the life out of the oil and gas industry. Radical environmentalists love to pick and choose ‘science’ that justifies their ‘sky is falling’ narrative, which is that the world is ending and fossil fuels are to blame. But this couldn’t be further from the truth, just like they like to ignore the fact that EPA regulated emissions are down 78% in the last fifty years.”

In 2024, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reported that methane emissions from the largest oil and natural gas-producing basins fell 44% between 2011-2013; and also dropped in seven oil and natural gas-producing basins by up to 87% from 2019-2023.

A lifelong conservative businessman, Wayne Christian was elected as our 50th Texas Railroad Commissioner in November 2016. Prior to his time at the Commission, Christian served seven sessions in the Texas House of Representatives, accumulating a strong record of standing for free markets and against burdensome regulations. Christian is married to his wife, Lisa, and together they have three daughters, Liza, Lindsey and Lauren. You can learn more about Chairman Christian here.

AUSTIN – This week Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin announced his agency will take 31 actions to roll back onerous Biden and Obama era regulations.

Included in these actions will be a reconsideration of the 2009 ill-named 'endangerment finding', which made greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, pollutants subject to agency regulation.

This finding provided the legal framework to regulate CO2 and enabled the Net Zero movement to gain traction both in the United States and worldwide. Following EPA Administrator Zeldin’s actions, Texas Railroad Commissioner Wayne Christian said the following:

“President Trump promised Americans he’d scrap Net Zero, the Green New Deal and other radical environmental policies that stifle American fossil fuel production and inhibit his mission to re-establish American Energy Dominance. The Net Zero agenda is a fantasy built on a house of cards, and EPA Administrator Zeldin’s reconsideration of the ‘endangerment finding’ will knock it down. Because America reduced EPA’s six major regulated pollutants by 78% over the last half century, the Left had to invent CO2 as a pollutant – creating a boogeyman – to justify their continued war on fossil fuels. I applaud President Trump and EPA Administrator Zeldin in their effort to challenge climate catastrophists and put America’s reliable energy producers first.”

A lifelong conservative businessman, Wayne Christian was elected as our 50th Texas Railroad Commissioner in November 2016. Prior to his time at the Commission, Christian served seven sessions in the Texas House of Representatives, accumulating a strong record of standing for free markets and against burdensome regulations. Christian is married to his wife, Lisa, and together they have three daughters, Liza, Lindsey and Lauren. You can learn more about Chairman Christian here.

AUSTIN – The Railroad Commission of Texas issued a total of 665 original drilling permits in February 2025. The total includes 563 to drill new oil or gas wells, 11 to re-enter plugged wellbores, 16 field transfers and 75 for re-completions.

The breakdown of well types for total original drilling permits in February 2025 is: 105 oil, 34 gas, 487 oil and gas, 34 injection, and 5 other permits.

In February 2025, Commission staff processed 1,239 oil, 305 gas, and 395 injection completions.

Detailed data on drilling permits and well completions for the month can be found at this link:

https://www.rrc.texas.gov/oil-and-gas/research-and-statistics/drilling-information/monthly-drilling-completion-and-plugging-summaries/

FEBRUARY 2025 TEXAS OIL AND GAS NEW DRILLING PERMITS AND COMPLETIONS BY RAILROAD COMMISSION OF TEXAS DISTRICT*

AUSTIN – Statewide and county crude oil and natural gas production for December 2024 reported in the tables below came from 158,989 oil wells and 83,536 gas wells.

Crude oil production reported by the RRC is limited to oil produced from oil leases and does not include condensate, which is reported separately by the RRC. For full oil and gas production statistics, you can visit the links below.

Statewide totals: https://www.rrc.texas.gov/oil-and-gas/research-and-statistics/production-data/texas-monthly-oil-gas-production/

County rankings: https://www.rrc.texas.gov/oil-and-gas/research-and-statistics/production-data/texas-monthly-oil-gas-production-by-county-ranking/

TABLE 1 - December 2024 STATEWIDE PRODUCTION*

* These are preliminary figures based on production volumes reported by operators and will be updated as late and corrected production reports are received.

TABLE 2 - December 2023 STATEWIDE PRODUCTION

TABLE 3 – December 2024 TEXAS TOP TEN CRUDE OIL PRODUCING COUNTIES RANKED BY PRELIMINARY PRODUCTION

TABLE 4 – December 2024 TEXAS TOP TEN TOTAL GAS (GAS WELL GAS & CASINGHEAD) PRODUCING COUNTIES RANKED BY PRELIMINARY PRODUCTION

TABLE 5 – December 2024 TEXAS TOP TEN TOTAL CONDENSATE PRODUCING COUNTIES RANKED BY PRELIMINARY PRODUCTION

AUSTIN – The Railroad Commission of Texas has issued its first permit for a deep geo-pressured, geothermal well to Sage Geosystems in Atascosa County.

Located south of San Antonio in the Anaconcho Formation, this well permit marks a significant milestone in Texas’ energy sector as the first deep geo-pressured, geothermal permit issued since the Texas Legislature transferred regulatory authority for these types of wells from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to the RRC.

The well will be utilized in electricity generation by the San Miguel Electric Cooperative to serve its customers. Sage Geosystems has entered into a land use agreement with the cooperative to develop a three-megawatt Geopressured Geothermal System energy storage facility.

“Texas has been at the forefront of energy regulation and innovation for more than a century, and this transition has streamlined the permitting process for geothermal wells and reinforced the Commission’s leadership in emerging energy technologies,” said RRC Executive Director Wei Wang. “We remain dedicated to adapting our regulatory approach to facilitate the growth of new energy technologies while upholding the highest standards of environmental and public safety as we have done for more than a century.”

The RRC’s regulatory framework ensures that all geothermal projects adhere to rigorous environmental and safety standards while helping develop this emerging industry which has substantial skill and technology overlap with oil and gas industry.

AUSTIN – The Railroad Commission of Texas assessed $1,346,019 in enforcement docket fines against operators and businesses at the Commissioners’ open meeting on Wednesday.  The Commission has primary oversight and enforcement of the state’s oil and gas industry and intrastate pipeline safety.

Master default orders for operators that failed to appear at Commission enforcement proceedings can be found on the RRC Hearings Division web page.

Master Agreed Orders in which operators were ordered to come into compliance with Commission rules can be found on the RRC General Counsel web page.  

Below is a summary table of fines assessed.

In the absence of timely motions for rehearing, decisions are final as stated in these final orders.

AUSTIN – A Central Texas landowner is breathing a sigh of relief thanks to an RRC program that restored her property to its natural state.

The RRC’s Abandoned Mine Land (AML) program recently completed a project restoring land that was at an abandoned mine site in Rockdale, about 50 miles east of Austin. The extensive work over the course of a couple of months involved earthwork, erosion control, repairing more than 450 sinkholes, and revegetation.

The sinkholes had been fatal for some of the cattle on the property when they became trapped in the holes in the ground hidden by brush.  

Pre-reclamation sinkhole

Reclaimed land

AML has now completed more than 105 projects since 1977 with a distinct high-tech aspect added to the RRC’s decades of expertise.  

“We’ve been leveraging modern technology for our AML projects as the years have progressed, and the Rockdale project is a great example,” said Joe Parks, RRC Surface Mining and Reclamation Division Director. “We used drones and Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) to examine the land and properly identify sinkholes and previous mining. A LiDAR created detailed 3D maps of surfaces using laser pulses measuring depth and distances.”

Watch video of Linda Hicks, the property owner, talking about how grateful she is for the work the RRC did restoring her land: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nN3b9qD48so.

AUSTIN – The Railroad Commission of Texas issued a total of 666 original drilling permits in January 2025. The total includes 607 to drill new oil or gas wells, 6 to re-enter plugged wellbores, and 53 for re-completions.

The breakdown of well types for total original drilling permits in January 2025 is: 134 oil, 26 gas, 463 oil and gas, 32 injection, 5 service and 6 other permits.

In January 2025, Commission staff processed 1,340 oil, 377 gas, and 290 injection completions.

Detailed data on drilling permits and well completions for the month can be found at this link:

https://www.rrc.texas.gov/oil-and-gas/research-and-statistics/drilling-information/monthly-drilling-completion-and-plugging-summaries/

January 2025 TEXAS OIL AND GAS NEW DRILLING PERMITS AND COMPLETIONS BY RAILROAD COMMISSION OF TEXAS DISTRICT*

Statewide and county crude oil and natural gas production for November 2024 reported in the tables below came from 159,727 oil wells and 82,958 gas wells.

Crude oil production reported by the RRC is limited to oil produced from oil leases and does not include condensate, which is reported separately by the RRC. For full oil and gas production statistics, you can visit the links below.

Statewide totals: https://www.rrc.texas.gov/oil-and-gas/research-and-statistics/production-data/texas-monthly-oil-gas-production/

County rankings: https://www.rrc.texas.gov/oil-and-gas/research-and-statistics/production-data/texas-monthly-oil-gas-production-by-county-ranking/

TABLE 1 - NOVEMBER 2024 STATEWIDE PRODUCTION*

* These are preliminary figures based on production volumes reported by operators and will be updated as late and corrected production reports are received.

TABLE 2 - NOVEMBER 2023 STATEWIDE PRODUCTION

TABLE 3 – NOVEMBER 2024 TEXAS TOP TEN CRUDE OIL PRODUCING COUNTIES RANKED BY PRELIMINARY PRODUCTION

TABLE 4 – NOVEMBER 2024 TEXAS TOP TEN TOTAL GAS (GAS WELL GAS & CASINGHEAD) PRODUCING COUNTIES RANKED BY PRELIMINARY PRODUCTION

TABLE 5 – NOVEMBER 2024 TEXAS TOP TEN TOTAL CONDENSATE PRODUCING COUNTIES RANKED BY PRELIMINARY PRODUCTION

AUSTIN - The Railroad Commission of Texas assessed $1,524,265 in enforcement docket fines against operators and businesses at the Commissioners’ open meeting on Wednesday.  The Commission has primary oversight and enforcement of the state’s oil and gas industry and intrastate pipeline safety.

Master default orders for operators that failed to appear at Commission enforcement proceedings can be found on the RRC Hearings Division web page.

Master Agreed Orders in which operators were ordered to come into compliance with Commission rules can be found on the RRC General Counsel web page.

Below is a table outlining the fines assessed.

In the absence of timely motions for rehearing, decisions are final as stated in these final orders.

AUSTIN – Texas Railroad Commissioner Wayne Christian released the following statement today on President Donald Trump’s Executive Orders supporting reliable energy production in America:

“On day one, President Trump prioritized actions to undo some of the harmful, radical policies from the last administration and set America on a course toward energy independence. His executive orders will grow U.S. fossil fuel production by incentivizing new investments and unleashing new areas of production, which will lead to more energy, cheaper costs and a more secure nation.

“The last year has seen the turning of the tide against ‘woke’ energy agendas and unrealistic environmental policies in America and across the globe. Radical, anti-energy policies like ESG are finally being revealed to be the scam that they are, from major U.S. investment banks withdrawing from global ‘climate’ organizations to a federal judge ruling that ESG is a violation of fiduciary responsibility. They don’t work, they’re based on fantasy ideals and leave hard working Americans worse off. President Trump withdrawing from the Paris Climate Accords and other globalist cohorts will only further fuel the fire to the domestic reliable energy renaissance that the Americans will benefit from.

“As Commissioner of the largest oil and gas producing state in the nation, I look forward to President Trump’s leadership and having an ally in the White House. Energy is the catalyst to a better everything in our lives and the economy, and having access to cheap, clean and reliable sources is paramount to human flourishing. To my fellow Texans, I hope you’re ready to ‘drill, baby, drill’ and reap the benefits that increased production will do for the State and your individual lives.”

Background: In 2019, the U.S. became a net exporter of energy for the first time in 67 years, surpassing Saudi Arabia and Russia to become the largest producer of oil and gas in the world. This gave the nation affordable energy, thousands of new jobs, economic growth and national security. America achieved this by simply empowering, instead of attacking, domestic oil and gas producers.

A lifelong conservative businessman, Wayne Christian was elected as our 50th Texas Railroad Commissioner in November 2016. Prior to his time at the Commission, Christian served seven sessions in the Texas House of Representatives, accumulating a strong record of standing for free markets and against burdensome regulations. Christian is married to his wife, Lisa, and together they have three daughters, Liza, Lindsey and Lauren. You can learn more about Chairman Christian here.

AUSTIN – This week the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) is accepting final comments on pending rulemaking (Rule Project Number 2024-027-113-AI) to establish new methane requirements for oil and natural gas operations in Texas.

This state rule implementation is required by federal law under the Biden administration and imposes undue burdens on U.S. oil and gas operators, especially small producers who lack the resources of multinational corporations. These rules are part of a larger agenda that threatens not only the state’s energy independence but also the livelihood of numerous Texans who rely on this industry.

As a state leader overseeing the oil and gas industry, Texas Railroad Commissioner Wayne Christian sent a letter to the TCEQ commissioners with concerns and a request to halt implementation of the Biden rule.

“The Biden administration has taken over 250 actions to end oil and gas production, and this new methane rule is one of the many aimed at stifling large producing states like Texas,” said Commissioner Wayne Christian. “The real victim of President Biden’s methane rule won’t be ‘Big Oil’ – which is why many of them haven’t opposed this rule – it will be the small and independent producers. EPA’s stringent methane regulations impose significant compliance costs and operational burdens that many smaller producers will find insurmountable, while doing little to reduce emissions. Simply put: this rule will shut down tens of thousands of Texas wells, folks.”

“Elections have consequences, and the American people decided that the Biden administration’s energy and environmental agenda aren’t in their best interest,” Commissioner Christian continued. “President-elect Donald Trump once rescinded this Obama-era rule and Biden revived it. The fate of these punitive rules on producers is far from over; and as such, I would advise caution and patience in any state administration of this federal overreach. Relief from Washington bureaucrats in the DC swamp is on the way; let’s wait for the cavalry to arrive before surrendering.”

You can read the letter here.

Background:

Since 2021, Commissioner Wayne Christian has been a vocal opponent against President Biden’s EPA methane rule. In 2023, when EPA finalized their rule, Commissioner Christian continued to warn of the dangers the rule would have to independent producers and America’s energy security. In 2024, Christian highlighted an EPA report that demonstrated that methane emissions had plummeted in the nation’s highest producing regions, revealing that the true motive behind Biden’s policies was to end the oil and gas industry. Additionally in 2024, the three Texas Railroad Commissioners voted to instruct the Texas Attorney General’s office to challenge the rule in court.

A lifelong conservative businessman, Wayne Christian was elected as our 50th Texas Railroad Commissioner in November 2016. Prior to his time at the Commission, Christian served seven sessions in the Texas House of Representatives, accumulating a strong record of standing for free markets and against burdensome regulations. Christian is married to his wife, Lisa, and together they have three daughters, Liza, Lindsey and Lauren. You can learn more about Chairman Christian here.

Statewide and county crude oil and natural gas production for October 2024 reported in the tables below came from 159,986 oil wells and 83,497 gas wells.

Crude oil production reported by the RRC is limited to oil produced from oil leases and does not include condensate, which is reported separately by the RRC. For full oil and gas production statistics, you can visit the links below.

Statewide totals: https://www.rrc.texas.gov/oil-and-gas/research-and-statistics/production-data/texas-monthly-oil-gas-production/

County rankings: https://www.rrc.texas.gov/oil-and-gas/research-and-statistics/production-data/texas-monthly-oil-gas-production-by-county-ranking/

TABLE 1 - October 2024 STATEWIDE PRODUCTION*

* These are preliminary figures based on production volumes reported by operators and will be updated as late and corrected production reports are received.

TABLE 2 - October 2023 STATEWIDE PRODUCTION

TABLE 3 – October 2024 TEXAS TOP TEN CRUDE OIL PRODUCING COUNTIES RANKED BY PRELIMINARY PRODUCTION

TABLE 4 – October 2024 TEXAS TOP TEN TOTAL GAS (GAS WELL GAS & CASINGHEAD) PRODUCING COUNTIES RANKED BY PRELIMINARY PRODUCTION

TABLE 5 – October 2024 TEXAS TOP TEN TOTAL CONDENSATE PRODUCING COUNTIES RANKED BY PRELIMINARY PRODUCTION

AUSTIN – For more than a month the Railroad Commission of Texas has taken important steps to help ensure adequate natural gas supply for winter weather, including this week’s wintry conditions. Starting in the first week of December, RRC’s Critical Infrastructure Division (CID) began weatherization inspections of critical natural gas facilities in the state’s electricity supply chain.

CID has conducted more than 1,200 inspections, including all of what are known as Tier One facilities which are major components of gas supply – oil and gas leases that produce more than 5 million cubic feet of gas per day, gas processing plants, underground gas storage facilities, and natural gas pipelines that directly connect to electricity generation plants.  

Natural gas that is stored underground is also an important resource that can be withdrawn and utilized during weather emergencies. There was 522.4 billion cubic feet of working natural gas in underground storage in Texas as of the end of November 2024, which is the highest monthly total in the 25 years the RRC has tracked storage volumes.

“As we have done in past cycles, we will continue to stay on top of bad winter weather with inspections and calls with oil and gas operators,” said Danny Sorrells, RRC Deputy Executive Director. “We take every step we can to make sure gas flows to power plants and for home heating, and we want to reassure Texans that the agency takes an all-hands-on deck approach to protect residents in weather emergencies.”

The RRC’s winter weatherization inspections of critical natural gas facilities last through the end of March.

AUSTIN – The Railroad Commission of Texas issued a total of 630 original drilling permits in December 2024. The total includes 580 to drill new oil or gas wells, 13 to re-enter plugged wellbores, 5 field transfers, and 32 for re-completions.

The breakdown of well types for total original drilling permits in December 2024 is: 126 oil, 44 gas, 445 oil and gas, 10 injection, 1 service and 4 other permits.

In December 2024, Commission staff processed 1,431 oil, 248 gas, and 670 injection completions.

Detailed data on drilling permits and well completions for the month can be found at this link:

https://www.rrc.texas.gov/oil-and-gas/research-and-statistics/drilling-information/monthly-drilling-completion-and-plugging-summaries/

TABLE 1 – DECEMBER 2024 TEXAS OIL AND GAS NEW DRILLING PERMITS AND COMPLETIONS BY RAILROAD COMMISSION OF TEXAS DISTRICT*