Latest news with #RailroadCommissionofTexas
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
RRC successfully complies with well plugging grants
Mar. 17—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, a news release said. 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 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," RRC Executive Director Wei Wang said in the release. "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 here.
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Texas Railroad commissioner, Texas business man announced campaign for Comptroller
AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Christi Craddick, the chair of the Railroad Commission of Texas, and Don Huffines, a Texas businessman and former state Senator, both launched their campaign for Texas Comptroller after the current state Comptroller, Glenn Hegar, became the sole finalist for Chancellor of the Texas A&M University System. RELATED | Texas A&M Board of Regents names Glenn Hegar as university system's next leader Craddick has served as the Chairman of the Railroad Commission of Texas for more than a decade. The RRC regulates the state's oil and gas industry, pipeline safety, and natural gas utilities. 'Throughout my tenure at the Commission, we have managed our work with efficiency, transparency, and common sense, reflecting the bedrock principles the Texas economy has been built upon, and our commitment to the principles of a free market have helped our economy thrive,' Craddick said in a news release announcing her candidacy. 'At the heart of all good government, good business and fiscal responsibility is one simple fact: Don't spend money you don't have.' Craddick's full statement is below: Huffines served four years in the Texas Senate from 2015 to 2019. He ran against Gov. Greg Abbott in the Republican primaries in 2022 and finished third in the polls earning 12% of the vote. He said he is committing $10 million to his campaign on day one. 'As comptroller, I will DOGE Texas by exposing waste, fraud, and abuse in government to increase efficiency and put every penny we save into property tax relief.' Huffines' full news release is below: Both of these announcements come after the Texas A&M University System's Board of Regents selected Hegar as the sole finalist to be the next chancellor. 'The opportunity to serve as the next Chancellor of the Texas A&M University System is a tremendous honor, and I want to thank each of the Regents for their confidence, yet more importantly for their energy, passion, dedication, and constant commitment to excellence,' Hegar said in a news release Friday morning. 'I look forward to working with the Regents, as we set forth a bold vision to better serve our students, the people of Texas, and our Nation.' A spokesperson for the Texas Comptroller's Office said the agency does not have further comment at this time. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
RRC reaches new energy milestone with first permitted geothermal well
Feb. 26—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, a news release said. 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," RRC Executive Director Wei Wang said in the release. "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.
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Permian region earthquake rattles New Mexico, felt as far north as Albuquerque
Feb. 15—LAS CRUCES — A magnitude 5.0 earthquake that shook western Texas late Friday night caused shaking and swaying across a swath of southern New Mexico as well. The earthquake occurred at 10:23 p.m. MST, 33 miles northwest of Toyah, Texas, a sparsely populated town 70 miles from Van Horn and 190 miles from El Paso. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the initial quake occurred at a depth of 6.6 kilometers and was followed two minutes later by a tremor of magnitude 3.8 — the first in a series of quakes or aftershocks. However, little to no damage was expected. Friday's quakes occurred in the region where a 5.2 earthquake struck in 2023. However, increased seismic activity in the Permian Basin region has seen hundreds of smaller earthquakes and shocks rock southeastern New Mexico and neighboring Texas counties. Geological researchers have linked higher seismic activity to high volumes of wastewater from oil and gas production injected into subsurface reservoirs, leading to the activation of faults. Last year, the Railroad Commission of Texas, which regulates oil and gas production in that state, shut down saltwater disposal wells in Reeves and Culberson counties due to seismic activity. Local news reports and social media accounts Friday night and Saturday morning indicated the quakes were felt in Lubbock, El Paso, and across southeastern New Mexico as far west as Las Cruces and Sierra County. Former Bernalillo County Sheriff Darren White even reported feeling it in Albuquerque, 380 miles northwest of Toyah. Taking to X, he wrote: "I don't think I've ever felt a quake before tonight. Even if it was so light. But enough to make that ceiling fan chain move."
