Texas Oilfield Accident Lawyers
In a rare move that underscores growing environmental and safety concerns, Texas regulators are warning that fracking wastewater from Permian Basin oilfields—the most productive in the United States—is causing widespread underground pressure buildup. That pressure, they say, is now strong enough to rupture the ground, damage wells, and potentially contaminate drinking water.
The Texas Railroad Commission (RRC), the state’s top oil and gas regulatory agency, has begun issuing new restrictions aimed at curbing these hazards. According to a new report published by Bloomberg Green, the commission’s recent advisories, sent to major oil companies like Chevron, BP, and Coterra Energy, suggest that the very method producers rely on to dispose of toxic wastewater is now even endangering the long-term viability of oil operations in the region.
What’s Happening Under the Permian Basin
Hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” is the process of blasting a mixture of water, sand, and chemicals deep underground to release oil and gas from shale rock. But for every barrel of oil produced, three to five barrels of chemical-laced wastewater—known as produced water—come to the surface. This wastewater is so salty and contaminated that it’s typically injected back into the earth for disposal.
That’s where the problem starts.
For years, producers pumped wastewater deep below the surface. But after studies linked that practice to a dramatic increase in earthquakes, many companies switched to injecting wastewater into shallower rock layers. Those zones, known as the Delaware Mountain Group formations, lie closer to drinking water aquifers and are riddled with old oil wells—many of them abandoned decades ago, and poorly sealed.
Now, according to the RRC, the sheer volume of water being injected is pushing pressure up through those old wells, cracking the ground, and in some cases, spewing toxic fluids to the surface.
Permian Basin Oilfields Put on Notice
Among the companies notified by regulators are oil heavyweights Chevron, BP, and Coterra Energy, as well as water disposal firms like Waterbridge Operating and NGL Energy Partners. Public records reviewed by Bloomberg show that the Railroad Commission is tightening permitting rules and placing new limits on water injection pressures, effective this month.
According to Bloomberg, the new RRC guidance states that wastewater injection into the Delaware Mountain Group “has resulted in widespread increases in reservoir pressure that may not be in the public interest and may harm mineral and freshwater resources in Texas.” The commission cited risks including drilling hazards, ground deformation, uncontrolled fluid flows, and even production losses.
From now on, companies will be required to assess old or unplugged wells within half a mile of any proposed disposal site—doubling the previous distance requirement. The agency also plans to cap allowable injection pressures to reflect the limitations of these already-stressed formations.
If shallow injection zones are restricted, operators may be forced to truck wastewater to distant sites, recycle it, or treat it—each option significantly more expensive than injecting it nearby. That cost increase could hit oil producers already squeezed by falling oil prices and fewer prime drilling locations.
Chevron, one of the largest operators in the region, says it supports the new rules and is investing in recycling systems to treat and reuse wastewater. In a statement, spokeswoman Paula Beasley said the company uses only recycled or brackish water for its fracking operations and is exploring more advanced reuse technologies.
BP, which declined to comment for the Bloomberg report, recently signed a 10-year deal with WaterBridge to transport wastewater away from its primary production zones in Reeves County, Texas.
Toxic Leaks and “Zombie Wells”
The risks aren’t just theoretical. In recent years, multiple well blowouts have caused toxic fluids to erupt from old wells, some of which blasted wastewater onto the surrounding land for days. One such incident near Imperial, Texas, in 2022, sent wastewater shooting skyward for two weeks before it was finally cemented shut.
Research from Southern Methodist University later revealed that the ground in the area had been slowly bulging for years. Using satellite data, scientists found the ground had risen 16 inches before rupturing, directly correlating the movement with injection volumes several miles away.
Analytics firm SkyGeo, which uses radar technology to track ground shifts, confirmed the findings. “The injection of saltwater causes this unnaturally high pressure,” said CEO Pieter Bas Leezenberg. “Then it’s going to find weak spots to come out.”
What’s Next for the Permian Basin?
While the Railroad Commission is only now taking action, some have been sounding the alarm for years. Sarah Stogner, a former energy lawyer and now district attorney for three West Texas counties, says she began raising concerns in 2021 after a landowner noticed oil and gas leaking from an old well on their property.
“These were old fields that suffered from a lack of pressure for decades,” Stogner told Bloomberg.“ Suddenly we were seeing pressure where it shouldn’t be. It was clear even back then there was a field-wide problem.”
The Railroad Commission insists its new permitting requirements will “ensure injected fluids remain confined to the disposal formations to safeguard ground and surface fresh water.” It held a two-hour webinar in May to explain the changes to industry stakeholders.
Coterra, which had to halt some production after toxic fluids leaked into its wells in Culberson County, stated that the issue is isolated and is being addressed. But even company executives admit they were caught off guard.
“We thought we were well calibrated,” Blake Sirgo, Coterra’s senior vice president of operations, told Bloomberg. “Sometimes the oil field still surprises us.”
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