Texas regulator surpasses orphaned oil, gas well plugging targets in Fiscal Year 2023

AUSTIN - Fiscal Year 2023 has now come to an end, and the RRC has once again exceeded regulatory goals in its critical mission to protect communities and the environment, while Texas continues to be the top energy producing state in the nation.

The Texas Legislature sets annual performance measures for each state agency, and year-after-year, the Commission has maintained a high-level of meeting or exceeding those expectations in its important work regulating the oil and gas industry, intrastate pipelines, surface mining, and alternative fuels.

RRC’s Oil and Gas Division worked tirelessly to exceed the target in its award winning Well Plugging Program for the seventh year in a row. The Legislature set a target of 1,000 orphaned wells to be plugged in fiscal year 2023, and the RRC plugged a total 1,750 wells including1,020 wells with oil and gas funds and an additional 730 orphaned wells using federal grants.

The Commission’s Pipeline Safety Division far surpassed their annual target in specialized pipeline inspections, which consists of operator program evaluations, pipeline integrity management reviews, new construction inspections, as well as other safety inspections to ensure safe transportation through the state’s vast pipeline system.

“I’m proud of the work RRC staff have put in yet another successful year to ensure public safety while also helping meet the critical energy needs of Texans and the nation,” said Wei Wang, RRC Executive Director. “Texans expect results from us. They deserve it, and our staff delivers it everyday. A great example of providing that service is through exceeding the performance goals set by the Legislature. That is our bottom line.”

Examples of legislative goals the RRC met or exceeded in FY 23 include:

• Number of orphaned wells plugged
  • Legislative target: 1,000
  • Achieved: 1,750
• Number of oil and gas well and facility inspections performed
  • Legislative target: 345,000
  • Achieved: 424,952
• Number pipeline specialized program evaluations performed
  • Legislative target: 1,650
  • Achieved: 2,275
• Average number of days to process a drilling permit
  • Legislative target: 3
  • Achieved: 3