Gov. Abbott visits Midland to sign new legislation to combat oilfield theft

Governor Greg Abbott was in Midland recently to sign new legislation for oilfield theft protection in the Permian Basin.  At Permian Basin Petroleum Museum, Abbott signed several bills that he said will bring “the full weight of the law to crack down on oil theft in the Permian Basin to protect the critical role energy development plays in fueling our economy.”  The governor’s office said, “Organized criminals and cartels have increasingly targeted oil pipelines and storage tanks, stealing millions of dollars from communities in the Permian Basin.”

Abbott was joined by Commissioner Christi Craddick (R-Midland) of Railroad Commission of Texas, Sen. Kevin Sparks (R-Midland), Rep. Tom Craddick (R-Midland), Rep. Brooks Landgraf (R-Odessa) and Midland Mayor Lori Blong.

The bills signed into law included Senate Bill 494 (sponsored by Sparks and Landgraf) to establish a petroleum product theft task force, Senate Bill 1806 (Sparks and Craddick) to provide the Texas Department of Public Safety with additional tools to combat oil and gas theft, and House Bill 48 (Sparks and Rep. Drew Darby, R-San Angelo) to create an organized oilfield theft prevention unit within DPS to protect oilfield assets.