Texas Oil Regulator Names New Oil, Gas Director

The Texas Railroad Commission (RRC) announced, in a statement posted on its website recently, that David Lindley has been named as the new director of the RRC’s Oil and Gas Division.

The division oversees Texas’ oil and natural gas exploration and production activities and enforces compliance with commission rules designed to protect public safety, conserve natural resources, and prevent waste, the RRC highlighted in its statement, pointing out that the division has 10 district offices across the state.

According to the statement, the division’s core responsibilities include meeting permitting and reporting requirements; conducting field inspections, testing programs, and monitoring industry activities in the field; and administering programs to remediate abandoned wells and sites, funded by fees and taxes paid by industry.

The RRC noted in its statement that, as Director of Oil and Gas, Lindley will “guide the division’s strategic direction and work closely with staff to strengthen operations, support employees and advance the agency’s mission”.

“His knowledge of the division, combined with his extensive background in regulatory compliance, leading field operations and overseeing complex projects, will be invaluable to the commission in the new role,” the RRC added.

“Lindley most recently served as the Assistant Director of Field Operations within the Oil and Gas Division, giving him a deep understanding of the Commission’s operations and programs, as well as the vital work RRC employees perform each day,” the RRC continued.

Lindley holds a bachelor’s degree in petroleum engineering and brings nearly three decades of experience in oil and gas production, operations, and engineering, with expertise across major U.S. oil and gas fields, the RRC pointed out in its statement.

In a statement posted on its website on August 18, the RRC announced that its commissioners unanimously elected Commissioner Christi Craddick to serve as Chairman of the three-member commission, “reaffirming her leadership of the state’s oldest regulatory agency and one of the nation’s most influential energy regulators”.

“I am deeply honored by the confidence my fellow commissioners have placed in me,” Craddick said in that statement.

“Texas is the energy capital of the world because of the hardworking men and women who produce the resources that fuel our economy, power our communities, and strengthen our national security. I look forward to continuing to work alongside my fellow commissioners to ensure the RRC remains a fair, effective, and transparent regulator while protecting public safety and the environment,” Craddick added.

Craddick, who has previously served as RRC Chairman, took over from Jim Wright, who stayed on at the RRC as commissioner. Craddick and Wright are joined by RRC Commissioner Wayne Christian, who has also served as RRC Chairman.

Latest Production Figures

According to its latest preliminary production figures, which were posted on its website earlier in August and were for May this year, the preliminary reported total volume of crude oil in Texas in May 2026 was 129.5 million barrels and the preliminary reported total volume of natural gas in the state during the same month was 1.07 trillion cubic feet.

The RRC noted in the statement that crude oil and natural gas production for May came from 156,120 oil wells and 84,661 gas wells.

In its statement, the RRC highlighted that crude oil production reported by the RRC is limited to oil produced from oil leases and does not include condensate, which the organization said is reported separately by the RRC. The RRC also pointed out in the statement that preliminary figures are based on production volumes reported by operators and said they will be updated as late and corrected production reports are received.

The RRC’s statement showed that the updated reported total volume of crude oil in Texas in May 2025 was 147.1 million barrels. The preliminary reported total volume was 127.3 million barrels, the statement highlighted. It showed that the updated reported total volume of natural gas in the state came in at 1.15 trillion cubic feet in May 2025. The preliminary reported total volume was 1.04 trillion cubic feet, the statement outlined.

According to the RRC’s statement, the county in Texas with the highest preliminary crude oil production figure in May was Martin, with 21 million barrels. The county in Texas with the highest preliminary total gas production figure in May was Webb, with 89.7 billion cubic feet, the statement revealed. The RRC outlined in the statement that its total gas ranking comprises gas well gas and casinghead figures.

The RRC’s statement also highlighted that the county in Texas with the highest preliminary total condensate production figure in May was Reeves, with 6.1 million barrels.

In a statement published on its site on August 6, the RRC revealed that it had issued a total of 693 original drilling permits in July 2026.

“The total includes 612 to drill new oil or gas wells, 11 to re-enter plugged wellbores, nine field transfer, 58 for re-completion, and three reclass,” the statement said.

“The breakdown of well types for total original drilling permits in July 2026 is: 103 oil, 54 gas, 497 oil and gas, 29 injection, and 10 other permits,” it added.

The statement went on to reveal that, in July, RRC staff processed 982 oil, 545 gas, and 249 injection completions.

The Texas RRC notes on its site that it is the state agency with primary regulatory jurisdiction over the oil and natural gas industry, pipeline transporters, natural gas and hazardous liquid pipeline industry, natural gas utilities, the LP-gas industry, critical natural gas infrastructure, and coal and uranium surface mining operations.

The commission exists under provisions of the Texas Constitution and exercises its statutory responsibilities under state and federal laws for regulation and enforcement of the state’s energy industries, the site adds, noting that the commission also has regulatory and enforcement responsibilities under federal law including the Surface Coal Mining Control and Reclamation Act, Safe Drinking Water Act, Pipeline Safety Acts, Resource Conservation Recovery Act, and Clean Water Act.

To contact the author, email andreas.exarheas@rigzone.com