Image: "Hawk Dunlap shows how the cement in a plug from 2021 has broken and is no longer holding it in place on Antina Ranch on Tuesday, April 25, 2023 near Monahans."

Elizabeth Conley/Staff photographer for the Houston Chronicle

By Amanda Drane
July 17, 2023

 

Mesquite waved in the breeze at Antina Ranch as well control specialist Hawk Dunlap dipped a stick into a hole in the ground and smelled it. “See?” he asked, extending the stick.
It smelled like gasoline.

Where there’s the odor of oil and gas there’s often noxious fumes such as benzene. His device measured 104 parts per million of volatile organic compounds outside one hole on the West Texas property southwest of Odessa. An invisible stream of chemicals was pouring up from below.
“And that’s with the wind, too.”

The site is just one of dozens of legacy oil wells on the 22,000-acre property in Crane County that have mysteriously reanimated, spewing a toxic mix of crude oil, salty water and methane from holes that in some cases were drilled more than 50 years ago. The crew assembled to address the issue at Antina calls them “zombie wells.”

An unplugged well is a portal into a dimension where brine can flow like an underground river, at times carrying the detritus of oil and gas production. They include chemicals used in extraction, leftover hydrocarbons and radioactive elements freed by drill bits cutting through the sedimentary rock. Modern regulations mandate steel and cement caps to prevent what flows beneath from traveling up through a retired well. When those protections fail, as they have at Antina, climate-warming gasses and toxic waters can freely rise to the surface, poison groundwater aquifers and kill plants.

Thank you for being part of our effort to reform oil and gas oversight in Texas. Together we can make the Railroad Commission of Texas a stronger agency that plans for our energy future and puts people and the environment first.

As pressure mounts to rapidly permit CCUS infrastructure throughout the country, you can get involved now to share your concerns with state and federal agencies about the build out and the risks that come with it.  CCUS technologies haven’t consistently proven to have a climate benefit, but the Biden Administration is pushing for rapid widespread commercial deployment of CCUS as a climate solution. This month we encourage everyone to learn more about CCUS and get involved. 

 

New Chapter 5 Carbon Dioxide Rules Public Hearing

 

On July 19th, the Railroad Commission hosted an online public comment hearing on the proposed amendments to Chapter 5, relating to Carbon Dioxide (CO2). The announcement came on July 5th: the day after a national holiday, just two weeks before the meeting date, and in the peak of summer – when folks are more likely to be experiencing disrupted schedules and/or struggling with health problems due to extreme heat. Fewer than five individuals spoke at the statewide virtual event, making it evident that the RRC is not doing the legwork to engage community members and promote public hearings. There is more work to do to spread awareness about CCUS projects coming to Texas. 

 

Commission Shift submitted comments on the July 31st deadline. 32 organizations and individuals signed on to our comments on the RRC's rules concerning CCUS. Thank you everyone who submitted comments or signed on to our letter!

Read more on Commission Shift’s concerns with risky CCUS technology and potential Railroad Commission oversight. You can also watch others’ testimonies against harmful CCUS legislation here.

What is the Monitoring and Enforcement Plan? Commission Shift’s Field Organizer Alyssa Wallace dissects the RRC’s plan and offers suggestions for improvements for next year. Learn why it’s important to engage with the RRC’s Monitoring and Enforcement plan and other rulemakings! Review the highlights here.

Jul. 7: Independent Cattlemen’s Association Convention and Tradeshow

Commission Shift’s Policy Manager AJ Prebensen and Field Organizer Alyssa Wallace had the pleasure of attending the Independent Cattlemen’s Association Convention earlier this month. Many ranchers and cattlemen run into problems with orphaned and zombie wells that can contaminate water supply and poison livestock. 

Image: Commission Shift's  Alyssa Wallace and  AJ Prebensen make friends.

Jul. 17 Energy Democracy Workshop

Dr. Maria Reyes, Deputy Director at Commission Shift, partnered with RGISC to meet with community members as part of a series of workshops exploring the topics of energy and community. 

 

In this workshop, participants were invited to reflect on labor practices, community culture, and work opportunities in Laredo. These conversations revealed the facing challenges – and pathways – for the emergence of a regenerative energy economy.

“Orphaned by Design”

Last month we featured part one of our five part Orphaned Wells series, today we are back with part two: “Orphaned by Design.”

 

This is a timely reminder that orphaned wells aren’t solely a legacy of our past and the unfortunate byproduct of over-eager wildcatters. Rather, orphaned wells continue to be created to this day due to the policy and oversight conditions set by the Railroad Commision. Take a look at the video explaining it all!

Jul. 31 - Aug 2: RRC Regulatory Conference
Aug. 3: South Texas Justice 40 Symposium
Aug. 22: RRC Open Meeting 
Aug. 31: Texas Groundwater Summit

Write a letter to the editor

The legislative session is over, but you can still reach your reps! Summer is a great season to write a letter to the editor for your local newspaper. We know that legislators pay attention to local papers when they’re home for the summer.

 

Concerned about grid resiliency? Carbon capture projects? Zombie wells? Get your voice in a local paper now.

Want some tips and refreshers for where to start? We have you covered! Check out Commission Shift’s illustrated guide to writing letters to the editor, as a free digital download.

Subscribe to our Spanish Newsletter!

We are excited to announce Commission Shift is now offering a free, Spanish version of our monthly newsletter to ensure that our important updates and news are accessible to all. We believe that language should never be a barrier to receiving vital information, and we are committed to making sure that our organization is inclusive and welcoming to all members of our community.

 

We hope that this new addition will help us to better serve and connect with our Spanish-speaking audience. If you or anyone you know would prefer to read our newsletter in Spanish, please use this link to sign up. Thank you for your continued support of our mission!

South Texas Justice 40 Symposium

Thursday, August 3rd. RSVP.

 

This event will take place from 8:30 to 4 :00 PM at the TAMIU Academic Innovation Center. This Justice40 Symposium, organized by the Rio Grande International Study Center (RGISC), and GreenLatinos, is an opportunity to understand the magnitude of the Biden Administration’s Justice40 (J40) initiative that is making hundreds of billions of dollars available to economically disadvantaged regions like ours so that we can better adapt to the impacts of climate change.

RRC Open Meeting - Austin, virtual

Tuesday, Aug.22

RSVP

 

During the June 13th RRC Open Meeting, the state oil and gas agency ruled on a waste pit company applying for a permit in a sensitive watershed area, the Mayor of Midland asked for standing in permit application proceedings for several disposal wells proposed within city limits, and Ashley Watt gave public input urging the state oil and gas agency to step up on enforcing cleanup for the leaking Chevron wells on her ranch.

 

“If you live in an oil field,  [do you] have to live in a super fund site?” She asked.

 

Listen in on our twitter space discussing the open meeting with Commission Shift’s Virginia Palacios and AJ Prebensen.

The next open meeting is in August. RSVP today!

We're Hiring: Development Director

 

Commission Shift is hiring a Development Director to build and diversify our fundraising capacities. If you're passionate about better oil and gas oversight in Texas, we're the team for you! 

 

• In addition to the three parts of the Houston Chronicle’s comprehensive  “Zombie Wells” series (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3), they also released 5 takeaways and a map.

• According to an E&E News investigation, evidence shows there has been virtually no enforcement of oil and gas operator weatherization rules this year by the Railroad Commission.

• Texas Representatives Doggett and Castro released a letter to the EPA urging them to reject the Railroad Commission’s bid for CCUS permitting primacy. “The Commission has a history of waiving its own rules and regulations to favor oil and gas companies over health and environmental protection standards.” Read more here and here.
   
• The heatwave we’ve been experiencing these past weeks is causing oil and gas operators to flare hundreds of tons of excess gas emissions, including methane and cancer-causing chemicals like benzene, xylene and ethylbenzene. Virginia Palacios, Commission Shift’s Executive Director weighs in on the Railroad Commission’s role in oversight.

P.S. Be sure to follow Commission Shift on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn

 

Commission Shift
212 Flores Avenue
Laredo, TX 78040
United States

 

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