Texas oil and gas companies have been ordered to pay fines of over $1.8 million for various rules violations and compliance issues.
Related: RRC Assesses $8,651,857 in Fines for 2016
At the Commissioner's Conference on November 7th, the Texas Railroad Commission (RRC) reported details on its most recent enforcement actions. The agency, which regulates oil and gas exploration and production in the state, assessed a combined $1,813,858 in penalties. $236,750 were specifically assessed for pipeline violations and $21,000 for a failure to appear. The following companies were ordered to come into compliance.
- Togs Energy Inc: $783,000
- M-C Production & Drilling Co, Inc: $364,000
- Acirema Corporation: $250,000
- Dilligaf Oil, Inc: $57,000
- Cobalt Operating LLC: $39,550
- Tamarron Resources: $36,808
For 2016, the Commission performed 124,299 inspections, found 41,867 violations and assessed a total of $8,651,857 in fines. The penalties assessed for 2017 year-to-date totals $5,048,940.
The Texas Railroad Commission regulates oil and gas exploration and production, pipeline safety, surface mining, natural gas utilities and alternative fuels.