SECOND NOTIFICATION TO SWD OPERATORS

IMMEDIATE RESPONSE REQUESTED

Given the current extreme severe weather across the State, the oil and gas industry has worked to maintain production to provide sources of energy for power generation. The extreme cold has also caused some of the State’s salt water disposal (SWD) wells to shut down or have limited functionality. These SWD wells are essential to the continued operation of oil and gas wells as they provide for the disposal of waste associated with oil and gas production, including produced water. The shutdown of SWD wells results in an overall reduction of disposal capacity at a time when demand for that disposal capacity remains high. In the absence of adequate disposal capacity, operators may be forced to curtail production of oil and gas.

Therefore, the Railroad Commission of Texas requests the continued assistance of SWD well operators to assess the current state of SWD capabilities in Texas. Please respond to the online survey on the Survey Gizmo website at https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/6207212/SECOND-EMERGENCY-NOTIFICATION-TO-SWD-OPERATORS-copy, preferably by 5 p.m. on Friday, February 19, 2021. The survey will remain active until 5 p.m. on Monday, February 22, 2021. 

Commission staff will use this information to identify opportunities to assist industry in our recovery from this severe weather emergency.