Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is taking applications to permanently plug and abandon marginal conventional oil and gas wells in a new program with $134.1 million in federal funding. The program, known as Texas Voluntary Marginal Conventional Well Plugging Program (TxMCW), is accepting applications through Monday, Nov. 9.
Three meetings open to the public have been scheduled to explain the program. The first is Friday, Oct. 9, at Midland College (9 a.m., Carrasco Room) followed by Tuesday, Oct. 13, at SMU (1:30 p.m., Prothro Great Hall, 5901 Bishop Blvd.) in Dallas and Tuesday, Oct. 20, at Luling (1:30 p.m., Luling Oil and Gas Museum).
Eligible wells must be onshore on non-federal lands in Texas with production of no more than 15 boed or 90,000 cfd in a year. Eligible wells must be vertical with a known owner or operator and must not have been previously plugged.
TCEQ said in addition to reducing methane emissions, well plugging reduces local air pollution, reduces hazards to groundwater and reduces fire hazards. Railroad Commission of Texas said there are 432,634 oil and gas wells in Texas (277,016 active, 155,618 inactive). That includes 156,120 producing oil wells, 84,661 producing gas wells and 36,235 service wells.
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