Texas oil and gas regulator assesses more than $688,000 in penalties

(WO) – The Railroad Commission (RRC) of Texas this week assessed $688,162.92 in fines involving 262 enforcement dockets against operators and businesses at the Commissioners’ Conference.

One docket involved $13,650 in penalties after Wrage Energy failed to appear at Commission enforcement proceedings. The operator was ordered to pay the fine and place its Boyer, Curry & Seals “A” Lease and Well No. 2, S.S.R. (Canyon, Upper) Field in Tom Green County into compliance.

Operators were ordered to come into compliance with Commission rules and assessed $37,212.92 for oil and gas, LP-Gas or pipeline safety rule violations. Pipeline operators and excavators were assessed $637,300 for violations of the Commission’s Pipeline Damage Prevention rules.

Those orders cited ten companies and included a $10,000 penalty paid by Oneok Westex Transmission, two penalties totaling $5,000 paid by Araluen Energy and a $5,000 penalty paid by Shiloh Oil Company.

The full list of Master Agreed Orders can be found on the RRC General Counsel webpage.

The RRC has primary oversight and enforcement of the state’s oil and gas industry and intrastate pipeline safety. In the absence of timely motions for rehearing, the RRC noted, decisions are final as stated in the final orders.