texas railroad commission News

Investigators in West Texas Following 5.4 Earthquake

MIDLAND, Texas (AP) – The Texas Railroad Commission, which oversees the state’s oil and gas industry, on Saturday sent investigators to west Texas following a 5.4 magnitude earthquake near Midland. “RRC inspectors will be examining disposal activity at injection well …

Latest Quake in Top Texas Oilfield to Hike Scrutiny of Drilling Waste Injections

A magnitude 4.5 earthquake that rattled the Permian basin in Texas on Monday night is likely to add pressure on oil producers in the region to slow or stop underground wastewater injections that regulators believe may cause the tremors. The …

Texas Senators Blast Regulator for Power Grid Winterization Loophole Lawmakers OK’d

In a committee hearing on Sept. 28, Texas state senators were furious that natural gas companies won’t have to better prepare their facilities for extreme weather before this winter and rebuked the Texas Railroad Commission, which regulates the state’s massive …

Texas Leaders Failed to Heed Warnings About Vulnerability of Power Grid, Experts Say

Millions of Texans have gone days without power or heat in subfreezing temperatures brought on by snow and ice storms. Limited regulations on companies that generate power and a history of isolating Texas from federal oversight help explain the crisis, …

Texas Regulatory Commission Says it Won’t Cut Oil Production

After overseeing the state’s energy sector through one of Texas’ largest oil booms in recent years, the Texas Railroad Commission has suddenly found itself in the middle of two global crises that have delivered devastating reversals of fortune to the …

Analysis: It’s Not the Whole Texas Economy, But Energy Is a Critical Piece

If it lasts, this week’s plunge in oil prices could hit the Texas economy in ways that make it much harder for state and local governments to help the state’s residents. It’s part of a double whammy on the state …

Texas’ Oil and Gas Regulators Not Ready to Cut Production

Facing a steep drop in oil demand with much of the world staying home to practice social distancing, more than 55 energy executives, analysts and critics appeared one after another Tuesday at a video meeting of the Texas agency that …

Emails Show Atmos Energy Investigated Leaks Before Deadly Dallas House Blast

An email sent by Atmos Energy to Texas regulators reveals company workers were investigating natural gas leaks involving fires at two Dallas homes some 12 hours before an explosion at another home killed a 12-year-old girl. The company did not …

Rejecting Science, Texas Still Denies Fracking Link to Quakes

A white Chevy Suburban with “Railroad Commission of Texas” emblazoned on its side rolled north on Interstate 35. Behind the wheel sat Milton Rister, the commission’s director. Trim and balding, Rister was a veteran political operator who had held influential …

Report Questions Texas Regulators’ Handling of Flood-Related Oil ‘Mess’

Internal emails show Texas energy regulators describing a “mess” of leaking crude oil heading downstream near Houston following heavy storms in May, raising new questions about how the state has handled flood-related spills visible in aerial photographs, a newspaper reported …