Texas Oil Emissions: New Data Exposes Massive Pollution, Debunking “Cleaner US Industry” Claims

Recent data analysis challenges the narrative that America’s oil industry operates with superior environmental standards, revealing a staggering volume of emissions from Texas oil wells. Despite claims from figures like former President Donald Trump, who asserted that U.S. drilling is cleaner than in other nations, a deep dive into regulatory permits in the Lone Star State paints a starkly different picture.

Residents Endure Constant Emissions and Health Fears

For residents of small communities like Catarina in South Texas, the environmental impact of the oil and gas boom is a daily reality. Hakim Dermish, who moved to Catarina for a peaceful, rural life in 2002, initially welcomed the industry’s economic opportunities. However, the proliferation of gas flares—flames burning off excess natural gas—soon ignited concerns about the health of his community’s 75 residents.

Dermish began filing complaints with state authorities in 2023, urging action against uncontrolled emissions. Despite investigations by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) finding limited violations, the smell of gas and the sight of constant flares persisted. His neighbor, Lupe Campos, a veteran oil field worker living three blocks from a flare, describes the air as smelling of “burnt rotten eggs” due to toxic hydrogen sulfide, calling it “hard to bear.”

Regulatory System Approves Vast Emissions

While the Trump administration previously championed increased U.S. natural gas exports as “sharing cleaner energy with allies,” the regulatory landscape in Texas appears to facilitate widespread emissions. A groundbreaking analysis of permit applications submitted to the Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC), the state’s primary oil and gas regulator, reveals a system described as a “rubber stamp.”

• Near-Universal Approval: From May 2021 to September 2024, oil companies filed over 12,000 requests to flare or vent natural gas. The RRC rejected a mere 53 of these, an astonishing 99.6% approval rate.
• Massive Scale: These approved permits authorized the release of more than 195 billion cubic feet of natural gas annually. This volume is enough to power over 3 million homes and could generate millions in tax revenue if captured and sold.
• Climate Impact: Even with flaring (burning methane into less potent carbon dioxide), these emissions carry a climate-warming impact equivalent to 27 gas-fired power plants operating year-round. Venting, which releases uncombusted methane directly, is far worse.
• Lost Revenue & Toxic Risks: The state misses out on significant tax income. Furthermore, hundreds of these permitted wells, particularly in Dimmit County around Catarina, release toxic gases like hydrogen sulfide close to residential areas.

Jack McDonald, a senior analyst with the environmental group Oilfield Witness, which gathered and analyzed the RRC data, characterized the approved emissions as “gargantuan.” He emphasized the substantial climate impact due to incomplete combustion or direct venting of methane.

RRC spokesperson R.J. DeSilva, while acknowledging “significant progress” in addressing methane emissions, stated that the agency follows all rules and requires companies to justify flaring. However, critics argue the system’s leniency undermines these claims.

Pipeline Rupture Highlights Immediate Dangers

The dangers associated with these emissions became terrifyingly real for Catarina residents on March 27 when a 30-inch steel pipeline ruptured just half a mile from the town. The incident released over 23 million cubic feet of gas—an amount equivalent to the annual usage of 365 homes—into the atmosphere.

Hakim Dermish filmed the chaos, his home shaking from the roaring gas. Fearing for their safety, he and his wife evacuated. Upon returning, Dermish noted new, towering flares, presumably ignited to relieve pressure in the pipeline network. He likened the sight to “the Fire of Mordor” from ‘Lord of the Rings’. Despite the severity, the RRC attributed the failure to technician errors and imposed no violation or fine on Energy Transfer, the pipeline owner.

Regulatory Weaknesses and Misleading Progress Claims

Texas’ Rule 32 prohibits flaring and venting except under specific conditions, primarily for drilling, initial completion, or safety. Yet, drillers routinely seek and receive exceptions. Oilfield Witness’s data exposed multiple regulatory deficiencies:

• Insufficient Justification: Many companies requested indefinite flaring or left justification sections blank, yet permits were approved.
• Financial Excuses Accepted: Companies frequently cited financial reasons (cost of capturing gas exceeding its value) for flaring, and these were almost always approved, despite RRC guidelines stating such reasons are insufficient.
• Backdated Permits: Nearly 90% of approved permits were backdated, granting retroactive permission for flares already in operation.
• Proximity to Residences: Over 7,000 flares were approved in areas known for high hydrogen sulfide content, with 600 of these within a mile of a residence.

Gunnar Schade, an associate professor of atmospheric sciences at Texas A&M University, suggests that minimizing flaring is “not a priority” for the RRC, with revenue from oil production taking precedence.

Both the RRC and the Texas oil industry often highlight dramatic reductions in flaring rates since 2019. However, experts like David DiCarlo, an associate professor at the University of Texas at Austin’s petroleum engineering school, argue this baseline is misleading. Methane emissions were exceptionally high in 2019 due to a production boom and inadequate pipeline infrastructure. Taking a longer view, the median flaring/venting rate at Texas oil wells has remained relatively constant at around 2.2% over the last decade.

“They can’t get it below 2% because they keep drilling,” DiCarlo explained, noting that emissions are highest during drilling, ensuring a continuous high overall emission rate as long as new wells are active.

Industry Leaders Face Scrutiny

Among the top beneficiaries of Texas’s lax permitting system is Endeavor Energy Resources, which received over half of all approved permanent flaring exemptions, including one for an astounding 17 years. The company recently merged with Diamondback Energy, a $40 billion entity.

Steven Pruett, president and CEO of Elevation Resources and former chair of the Independent Petroleum Association of America, also drew attention. While his company saw a significant increase in flaring in 2023, which he blamed on inadequate infrastructure, Pruett simultaneously led lawsuits against the EPA over methane regulations. This highlights a persistent industry paradox: acknowledging infrastructure deficits while actively opposing stricter oversight.

A “Constant Roar” and Uphill Battles

Challenging flaring permits in Texas is an arduous task. Former Fisher County Sheriff Tom Pohlman experienced this firsthand when he and his neighbors objected to Patton Exploration’s request for an 18-month extension to flare gas next to their homes. They described the flare as a “constant roar” and a source of perpetual disruption.

Despite Pohlman’s impassioned plea for “liveability” before an RRC administrative law judge, the three elected RRC commissioners unanimously approved the permit, allowing flaring for another 12 months. This decision underscores the powerful sway of the oil and gas industry in Texas, where public policy prioritizes resource recovery, often at the expense of environmental protection and local quality of life.