Texas Oil Field Oversight Under Fire as Data Reveals Rubber-Stamp Emissions Approval

State approves 99.6% of industry requests to burn or vent natural gas, analysis shows.

Texas regulators approved more than 99% of oil companies' applications to burn off or release natural gas into the atmosphere over a 40-month period, according to a first-of-its-kind analysis that challenges the state's claims of strict environmental oversight in America's largest oil-producing region. The Texas Railroad Commission rejected just 53 out of more than 12,000 flaring and venting permit applications from May 2021 to September 2024, representing a 99.6% approval rate that environmental groups characterize as a "rubber-stamp system," according to data compiled by Oilfield Witness and verified by ProPublica and Inside Climate News.

The revelation comes as President Donald Trump's administration has repeatedly touted American oil and gas production as cleaner than drilling in other countries due to supposedly tighter environmental oversight. The Texas data suggests otherwise, revealing a regulatory environment that routinely permits the release of vast amounts of methane and other climate-warming gases.

Massive Environmental and Economic Impact

The approved permits authorized oil companies to flare or vent more than 195 billion cubic feet of natural gas annually — enough to power more than 3 million homes and generate millions of dollars in potential tax revenue had the gas been captured instead of released. The emissions have a climate-warming impact roughly equivalent to that of 27 gas-fired power plants operating year-round, even assuming perfect combustion efficiency.

Jack McDonald, senior analyst of energy policy and science for Oilfield Witness, described the scale as staggering. "It's a gargantuan amount of emissions," McDonald told ProPublica and Inside Climate News. "Because so much of this gas is methane and so much of it is either incompletely combusted or not combusted at all through the venting process, we see a huge climate impact".

The analysis likely overestimates actual emissions, as companies often request larger volumes than they intend to release to ensure regulatory compliance. Satellite data suggests operators in four Texas counties flared about 70% of their permitted volumes, according to recent comparative studies.

Regulatory System Shows Systemic Weaknesses

The permit analysis revealed multiple concerning patterns in Texas's regulatory approach. Nearly 90% of approved applications were backdated, retroactively authorizing flares that were already burning when companies applied for permits. Oil companies typically requested permission to flare 10 days after they had already begun burning the gas.

More troubling, nearly 900 permits were filed after the updated filing window and still received approval from the agency. The Railroad Commission also approved more than 7,000 flares in areas where gas reservoirs contained high levels of hydrogen sulfide, a toxic compound that can be deadly at high concentrations. Of those, 600 flares were approved within one mile of residential areas.

"The Railroad Commission seems very interested in devolving decision-making processes to the companies themselves." — Jack McDonald, Oilfield Witness

Railroad Commission spokesperson R.J. DeSilva defended the agency's oversight, stating that Texas has made "significant progress" in addressing methane emissions and that companies must provide evidence that flaring is necessary. "If an application lacks sufficient justification, it is returned with comments for clarification," DeSilva said.

Communities Bear Health and Safety Costs

Residents in oil-producing regions describe living with constant pollution and safety risks from nearby flaring operations. Hakim Dermish, who moved to the small South Texas town of Catarina in 2002 in search of rural tranquility, now faces daily exposure to toxic emissions from surrounding oil wells. "Starting first thing in the morning, talk about the stench. Then you call the state and nothing happens," Dermish told ProPublica. "They do absolutely nothing".

The dangers became dramatically apparent on March 27, when a 30-inch steel pipeline near Catarina failed, blasting more than 23 million cubic feet of gas into the air — equivalent to a year's supply for 365 homes. Dermish recorded the incident on his cellphone, capturing the house-shaking roar of escaping gas that forced him and his wife to evacuate.

Lupe Campos, who worked in oil fields for more than three decades and lives three blocks from a flare, described the persistent smell of "burnt rotten eggs" from hydrogen sulfide emissions. "It's hard to bear," Campos said.

Industry Claims vs. Scientific Reality

While the Texas Oil and Gas Association announced in August that Permian Basin drillers had "slashed methane emission intensity by more than half in just two years," experts question such claims. David DiCarlo, an associate professor at the University of Texas at Austin's petroleum engineering school, said using 2019 as a baseline creates a misleading impression, as emissions that year were "staggeringly high" due to inadequate pipeline capacity.

A longer-term analysis reveals that, over the past decade, a median of 2.2% of gas at Texas oil wells was flared or vented, with recent data indicating the figure has hovered just above 2% — representing a much smaller improvement than the industry claims.

"They can't get it below 2% because they keep drilling," DiCarlo explained. Since emissions peak during well drilling, overall emissions remain high as long as the industry continues developing new wells. "That's just the nature of the beast".

Permitting Process Lacks Meaningful Review

The permit data revealed that companies routinely cited financial considerations as justification for flaring, despite agency guidance stating that economic factors alone were insufficient reasons for exemptions. Many applications left the section requiring explanation for why exemptions were needed blank, yet these incomplete submissions were typically approved.

Endeavor Energy Resources received more than half of all approved permanent flaring exemptions during the study period. The company, which merged with Diamondback Energy in September 2024, applied for the most extended flaring permit on record — 6,300 days, or more than 17 years. The Railroad Commission approved the permit without reducing its duration.

Even when residents formally object to permits, they face long odds of success. Former Fisher County Sheriff Tom Pohlman challenged a flaring permit for a well next to his home, which created a "constant roar" audible day and night. Despite testimony about quality-of-life impacts on 20 residents, the three-member Railroad Commission voted unanimously in January to approve another 12 months of flaring.

Federal Policy Rollbacks Compound Problem

The Trump administration has simultaneously promoted American fossil fuels as cleaner while rolling back federal regulations on methane emissions. The Environmental Protection Agency has delayed implementing rules requiring industry monitoring for methane leaks, while Trump and congressional Republicans repealed the country's first-ever methane tax. In June, Trump revoked guidance from the Biden administration on pipeline leak reduction compliance.

Gunnar Schade, an associate professor of atmospheric sciences at Texas A&M University, suggested state priorities explain the lax oversight. "The priority is oil produced, and that means revenue for the state. Oil and gas is a priority, so who cares about the flaring?" Schade said.

Reform Challenges and Resident Exodus

Environmental groups argue the data demonstrate the need for fundamental regulatory reform, while the industry maintains it is making meaningful progress on emissions reduction. The disconnect leaves communities like Catarina caught between the economic benefits of oil development and mounting health and safety concerns.

After more than two decades in Catarina, Dermish and his wife are planning to relocate. "It's just too dangerous," he said, reflecting the difficult choices facing residents in America's oil boom regions. As Texas continues to expand production while maintaining minimal oversight of emissions, the tension between energy development and environmental protection appears likely to intensify, particularly as climate concerns grow and affected communities demand stronger regulatory protections.