Texas has struggled to keep up with soaring numbers of inactive and orphaned wells for decades.
More than 150,000 oil and gas wells remain idle and unplugged across Texas, often outlasting their financially struggling owners who abandon them after dying, going bankrupt, or shutting down their companies. A bill proposed by Republican state Sen. Mayes Middleton—a Galveston oilman—aims to change that by requiring companies to seal inactive wells while they’re still in business. Currently, operators can leave these wells open indefinitely. Middleton’s legislation would mandate that wells be plugged after 15 years of inactivity, addressing a growing number of aging wells that pose increasing risks to public health and the environment.