Earlier this year, Hawk Dunlap walked up to an oil well he had dug up to check if it was properly plugged — it wasn’t.
When they excavated, they found large holes in the casing and crude oil in the surface pipe. Dunlap, a well control specialist, addressed a small crowd of officials from the Railroad Commission of Texas, the state’s oil and gas regulator, along with attorneys representing oil companies that own wells on the Antina Ranch in Crane County.
Over the past three years, Dunlap and his group have excavated about 90 oil and gas wells on the ranch. This process has left craters across Antina, exposing leaking gases and fluids. There are concerns about more wells underground causing pollution.
Apart from this project, Dunlap is a libertarian candidate for Railroad Commissioner and believes that some wells are leaking because companies didn’t plug them properly or at all. He accused companies of cheating by not following proper procedures and covering up the issues.
When oil and gas wells are no longer in use, owners are required to plug them with cement to prevent harmful substances from being released. However, if an operator goes out of business or abandons a well, the responsibility falls on the state to plug it.
There are thousands of decommissioned wells across Texas that are plugged and buried, often forgotten. The group touring Antina Ranch observed signs of contamination on the 22,000-acre property. Dunlap pointed out not only leaking wells but also those with high pressure ready to burst.
Moreover, the cement used to cap the wells is decaying, leading to breakdowns. Dunlap emphasized the importance of paying attention to plugged wells to prevent environmental damage.
Dwayne Purvis, a petroleum engineer, highlighted the significance of the issues at Antina Ranch and the lack of information on how long cement plugs last. There is a need for better monitoring and maintenance of these wells to avoid leaks and pollution.
Antina Ranch’s owner is taking legal action against companies for leaking and improperly plugged wells, particularly targeting Chevron. The attorney leading the case against Chevron aims to make the company replug leaking wells, clean up pollution, and assess all retired wells on the property.
The lawsuit against Chevron could set a precedent for holding oil and gas companies accountable for environmental damage. Watt, the owner of Antina Ranch, expressed emotional distress over the situation, emphasizing the need for companies to clean up after themselves.
She questioned whether society has allowed land to be exploited by oil and gas companies without consequences and emphasized the importance of protecting property and holding companies accountable.
If successful, the lawsuit against Chevron could have implications for other landowners facing similar issues and promote environmental responsibility in the industry.