Railroad Commission of Texas recently said its legal enforcement investigators are increasing their outreach and collaboration to help local, state and federal law enforcement officers. The collaboration is important, the commission said, “because of a recent troubling trend in Texas: an increase in oilfield theft that is affecting oil and gas operations, especially in the Permian Basin.” The commission said it receives an increasing number of calls from industry and law enforcement agencies for help in investigating cases.
Midland Reporter Telegram reported recently “a dramatic increase in oilfield crime in the Permian Basin.” Ben Shepperd, president of Permian Basin Petroleum Association, told the Reporter Telegram, “There’s always been thefts, but what seems to be happening is on another level.” PBPA and the commission organized presentations for the industry by law enforcement to give insight into law enforcement actions and facilitate sharing of information.
“We haven’t been able to put a dollar figure to the thefts,” Shepperd added, “but it has to be in the tens of millions, hundreds of millions of dollars. That threatens our economy and also national security… We also want to raise awareness with appropriate agencies and elected officials to gain state and federal support for putting theft in the Permian Basin to an end.”
Commission investigators have assisted Texas Department of Public Safety, county sheriffs, FBI, Department of Justice and others. Megan Neal, deputy general counsel at the commission, said, “We’re able to lend our expertise and utilize the large amount of oil and gas information housed at the RRC to help law enforcement agencies.” The RRC said its investigators also have been given access to certain law enforcement databases “which can be valuable to internal work at the RRC to regulate statewide rules.”