With Fiscal Year 2022 in the books, the Railroad Commission continued its track record of surpassing critical goals that help protect public safety and the environment while also helping the state maximize the use of its natural resources.
The RRC – which regulates the state’s oil and gas industry; critical natural gas infrastructure; intrastate pipelines; the alternative fuels LNG, CNG and LPG; and surface mining of coal and uranium – is held to a high standard by the Texas Legislature through annual performance goals.
From plugging abandoned oil and gas wells to conducting inspections and facilitating an increase in drilling permits, RRC’s staff in Austin and district offices across the state exceeded important goals to protect communities – all during a year in which international conflict amplified the importance of the state’s energy production.
“RRC staff’s strong performance helped keep Texans’ safe, while at the same time ensuring the vital oil and gas industry continued to support national and international energy demand and boosted the Texas economy,” said Wei Wang, RRC Executive Director. “We continue to leverage cutting edge technology such as artificial intelligence and drones to improve efficiency for staff and operators, and we will use our experience to extend our success through the next year.”
Legislative goals the RRC exceeded in FY 22 include:
|
Category |
Legislative Target |
Achieved |
| Number of orphaned wells plugged with the use of state-managed funds | 1,000 | 1,068 |
| Number of abandoned pollution sites investigated, assessed or cleaned up with the use of state-managed funds | 200 | 245 |
| Number of oil and gas well and facility inspections performed | 345,000 | 359,278 |
| Number pipeline specialized program evaluations performed | 1,600 | 2,153 |
| Number of coal mining inspections performed | 400 | 405 |
| Average number of LPG/CNG/LNG safety inspections per inspector | 1,200 | 1,270 |
| Number of drilling permit applications processed | 12,300 | 13,551 |
RRC staff is already hard at work in Fiscal Year 2023. The agency’s new Critical Infrastructure Division will conduct first-of-its kind weatherization inspections, and the Oil and Gas Division will plug even more wells using federal grants.
