Railroad

According to the Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC), the state’s preliminary April crude oil production averaged 1.6 million b/d, up from nearly 1.2 million b/d in April 2012. The preliminary production figure for April is 48.2 million bbl, up from 35.9 million bbl in April 2012.

Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) Chairman Barry Smitherman plans to run for Texas attorney general (AG) next year, but only if current AG and fellow conservative Greg Abbott does not seek re-election.

Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) Chairman Barry Smitherman plans to run for Texas attorney general (AG) next year, but only if current AG and fellow conservative Greg Abbott does not seek re-election. An AG’s office headed by Smitherman would be pro-drilling and a staunch opponent of federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulation.

Production of oil, natural gas and condensate continues trending upward in the Eagle Ford Shale, according to Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) data. During the first four months of this year, daily oil production surpassed that seen in 2012 and daily production of natural gas nearly met the 2012 level.

As another sign that the railroad sector is a growing potential transportation market for natural gas, Canadian National Railway (CN) has ordered four liquefied natural gas (LNG) tenders from Vancouver, BC-based Westport Innovations Inc., the first of which are to be delivered later this year. A tender is a car behind the locomotive that carries the fuel.

Changing the name of the Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) to more accurately reflect its duties as lead regulator over the state’s oil and natural gas industry and to provide more oversight over the elected members proved more difficult than some had thought, and the legislation died Tuesday in a state House committee.

Bills to change the name of and make reforms to the Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) were moving through the state legislature Friday, as was legislation to expand the use of pipelines to carry drilling waste rather than trucking it to injection wells.

Bills to change the name of and make reforms to the Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) were moving through the state legislature Friday, as was legislation to expand the use of pipelines to carry drilling waste rather than trucking it to injection wells.

With about a month to go in the regular legislative session, Texas lawmakers are again inching their way toward changing up the Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC), including its name, or maybe not.