Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) Commissioner David Porter said Wednesday the state must work to mitigate the impact of numerous gas flares across the state as Texas develops its oil and gas reserves from shale plays.
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Articles from Railroad
Texas Fees Hiked to Pay for Regulation and Cleanup Fund
As of last Tuesday, certain fees paid by producers to the Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) have increased by 150% in order to fund the Oil and Gas Regulation and Cleanup Fund, which was created by Senate Bill 1, passed by state lawmakers last year.
Industry Brief
The Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) has about $700,000 available in grants to help public fleet operators, such as school districts, cities and counties, buy new natural gas vehicles. The grant funding, which the RRC originally received to use for propane-fueled vehicles, has now been expanded to natural gas vehicles and can be used to offset some or all of the incremental costs of a natural gas fuel system on a new or retrofitted vehicle. Matching funds for the purchase of the vehicles must come from non-federal sources. Public fleets statewide are eligible to apply for the grants, regardless of the fleet location’s air-quality classification. More information is available at the RRC website.
People
Buddy Garcia has been appointed to the Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) by Gov. Rick Perry. Garcia’s appointment fills a position vacated by Elizabeth Ames Jones in February (see Daily GPI, Feb. 15). Garcia most recently served on the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). He was appointed to TCEQ by Perry in 2007 and served as chairman from September 2007 until September 2009. Prior to his appointment to TCEQ, Garcia was Texas’ deputy secretary of state and border commerce coordinator. He also previously served as a senior adviser to Perry and state Sen. Eddie Lucio. A native of Brownsville, TX, Garcia received a bachelor’s degree in political science from Southwest Texas State University, now Texas State University.
People
Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) Commissioner Barry Smitherman was unanimously elected RRC chairman. He replaces former Chair Elizabeth Ames Jones, who left the commission to devote more time to her campaign for Texas Senate (see Daily GPI, Feb. 15). Her seat on the three-member RRC has yet to be filled. Smitherman was appointed to the RRC in July 2011. Previously he sat on the Public Utility Commission of Texas, where in 2007 he became chairman. Smitherman currently serves as Texas’ representative on the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission, as vice chair of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners’ gas committee. He is on the visiting committee of the Bureau of Economic Geology with the Jackson School of Geosciences at The University of Texas at Austin, The University of Texas School of Law Center for Global Energy, International Arbitration, and Environmental Law, and the Eanes Education Foundation advisory board.
Gas Flaring Increases as Oil Targeted
Statistics compiled by the Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) tell a tale of booming production in the liquids-rich Eagle Ford Shale, with an increased emphasis on oil and condensate in the play and significantly more flaring of gas statewide. In North Dakota, where the Bakken Shale is booming, so is flaring, but that’s expected to change as new infrastructure comes online.
Permits to Flare Texas Gas Skyrocket; Eagle Ford Booms
Statistics compiled by the Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) tell a tale of booming production in the liquids-rich Eagle Ford Shale, with an increased emphasis on oil and condensate in the play and significantly more flaring of gas statewide.
Texas Regulators Adopt Frack Fluid Disclosure Rule
The Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) has adopted a rule for the disclosure of chemicals in hydraulic fracturing (fracking) fluids used to stimulate oil and gas wells in the state. Earlier this year state lawmakers passed legislation requiring such disclosure.
Industry Brief
The chair of the Railroad Commission of Texas has directed commission staff to look into its existing rules on water recycling in the oil and gas patch. “If we need to streamline our old rules and make amendments where necessary to encourage companies to expand their recycling activities, then that is what we will do,” said Chair Elizabeth Ames Jones. “…[W]e must maintain that hydraulic fracturing can continue to benefit Texas by allowing companies to manage water use and conserve when possible as it relates to this process of energy production.”
Audit: Texas Pipeline Oversight Could Be Better
A recent audit of pipeline safety oversight by the Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) found “comprehensive and detailed” inspection procedures but also room for improvement. In response, RRC said it has already been working to address areas of concern raised by the audit.