MRT (free): Task Force Created to Fight Oil Field Theft // Biden Visits Historic Church in Galveston // THC Ban Veto Decision Due Today // Comptroller Office Now in Spotlight
Here's What You Need to Know in Texas Today.
MustReadTexas.com – @MustReadTexas
BY: @MattMackowiak
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TOP NEWS
“Texas creating task forces to target Permian Basin oil field thefts,” Texas Tribune's Carlos Nogueras Lopez – “At least three times a week, Darin Mitchell gets the call.
Oil drums have been stolen. Copper wires were yanked. Other field equipment at an oil and gas facility was pilfered.
The Winkler County Sheriff dispatches his officers to investigate, but they rarely catch the crime in the act or find the stolen product, worth tens of thousands of dollars.
The West Texas county’s ten deputies are overextended, policing 841 square miles, a combination of neighborhoods, a downtown area and the oil and gas facilities surrounding them. He doesn’t have the manpower — or the money, he said — to investigate every instance.
“I don’t have a dedicated person to just sit out there,” he said. “The county can’t afford just to hire somebody full-time to do oil field thefts.”
The Texas Legislature has stepped in, passing a suite of bills that lawmakers, the sheriff, and oil and gas industry leaders said are crucial to combat what they say is a billion-dollar loss in oil field thefts in the Permian Basin, the state’s largest oil field.
Gov. Greg Abbott signed all three this month in Midland, saying in a statement that Texas is “bringing the full weight of the law to crack down on oil theft in the Permian Basin to protect the critical role energy development plays in fueling our economy.”
Written by state Rep. Drew Darby, R-San Angelo, and Sen. Kevin Sparks, R-Midland, the bills instruct the Department of Public Safety and the Texas Railroad Commission, which regulates the state’s oil and gas industry, to create task forces that will investigate oil field robberies. The effort will cost taxpayers nearly $5 million.
House Bill 48, by Darby, establishes a DPS-created oil field theft prevention unit. The members comprising it can enforce existing laws, in addition to providing training, resources and strategies specific to deterring such thefts. The task force is also charged with conducting public awareness campaigns. Every two years, the body must report back to the legislature.
In a statement to The Texas Tribune, Darby called oil field theft “a complex, highly coordinated criminal enterprise, often with direct connections to cartels. This escalating threat poses serious risks not only to the oil and gas industry — a cornerstone of our state’s economy — but also to the safety of our communities and the survival of small, hardworking businesses.”
He said his bills are meant to “systematically take apart” criminal networks profiting from energy infrastructure.
Senate Bill 494, authored by Sparks, directs the Railroad Commission to create a second task force to prevent the theft of petroleum products. This body must consist of proxies from the oil and gas industry, an oil and gas trade association and law enforcement agencies. They will conduct ongoing studies regarding theft, review the effectiveness of laws and analyze whether local and county governments are losing money in sales taxes as a result.
Another Sparks bill, Senate Bill 1806, authorizes DPS to inspect oil field cargo tanks they suspect of being used to transport stolen oil, take samples from the vehicle and study them in a crime laboratory. The bill authorizes apprehending officers to return the product or sell it and reimburse the company from which it was stolen.
The bill also increases the penalties for oil and gas theft. Transporting petroleum products to a waste disposal location is a felony with a penalty of at least $100,000; purchasing petroleum products without authorization from railroad commission can bring a penalty of up to $100,000; storing, purchasing or trading a petroleum product without authorization from the railroad commission can result in in a penalty of up to $10,000.
Ed Longanecker, president of the Texas Independent Producers and Royalty Owners Association, a trade group, said the bills were their top priority. He said one of their largest members lost $1.1 million in crude oil and equipment theft and damages between 2023 and 2024.
“And, again, this is just one of thousands of operators in Texas that have been victims of these crimes,” Longanecker said.
A task force led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, he said, estimated that operators in the Permian Basin lose up to $300,000 a month in stolen tools, pipes and valves.
“Considering more than 2 billion barrels of oil and condensate were produced in Texas in 2024, the loss is estimated to be in the billions of dollars annually,” he said." Texas Tribune
TOP NEWS
“Galveston church marks 160 years of emancipation with visit from Biden” Galveston Daily News
“Expect major closures at Loop 1604, I-10 interchange this weekend” SAEN ($)
#TXLEGE
“UTSA was key to Abbott’s Texas Cyber Command pitch. So why was it cut from the bill?” SAEN ($)
“Texas Longhorn legend Ricky Williams urges Greg Abbott to veto THC ban” Hou Chron ($)
STATE GOVERNMENT
“This low-key agency is generating one of Texas' hottest GOP primary fights” Hou Chron ($)
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
“San Antonio cannot fund trips for abortion, court rules” Texas Tribune
“DART failed to protect passengers with disabilities from sexual assault, lawsuits allege” DMN ($)
“What did Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo do during her trade mission to Paris?” Hou Chron ($)
“Mayor John Whitmire may be required to report on nixed projects under council member-proposed policy” Hou Chron ($)
BUSINESS NEWS
“Days before rollout, lawmakers ask Tesla to delay Austin robotaxi launch” AAS ($)
NEWS FROM AROUND THE STATE
> THE TEXAN: "Texas Sen. Kelly Hancock Launches Campaign for Comptroller After Joining Agency as Employee" THE TEXAN
> COMMUNITY IMPACT: "Humble ISD board finalizes trustee appointment after election disqualification" COMMUNITY IMPACT
> THE TEXAN: "Interview: Kelly Hancock on His Bid for Texas Comptroller" THE TEXAN
> THE TEXAN: "Paxton Warns City of Austin Over Contract with WEX Bank, Citing Gun Industry Discrimination" THE TEXAN
> THE TEXAN: "Texas Joins 27-State Coalition Suing 23andMe to Block Sale of Private Genetic Information" THE TEXAN
> AAS: "Now-former state Sen. Hancock will lead comptroller's office after Glenn Hegar becomes A&M chancellor" AAS
> HOU CHRON: "Inside Joe Biden's visit to Galveston's historic chapel to celebrate Juneteenth" HOU CHRON
> HOU CHRON: "Texas A&M Chancellor John Sharp awarded high civilian honors" HOU CHRON
> THE TEXAN: "Texas Democrats Request 'Detailed Information' Ahead of Tesla Robotaxi Launch in Austin" THE TEXAN
> AAS: "More Texans, first-gen students are applying to college. Here’s why." AAS
> DMN: "From soap to Topgolf to leading the LPGA, Dallas’ Craig Kessler tees up for the challenge" DMN
> COMMUNITY IMPACT: "Community drives Family Promise of Greater New Braunfels' mission in preventing homelessness" COMMUNITY IMPACT
> TX TRIB: "Texas creating task forces to target Permian Basin oil field thefts" TX TRIB
> COMMUNITY IMPACT: "Food drive to benefit Bastrop County Emergency Food Pantry" COMMUNITY IMPACT
> EP TIMES: "Nuclear waste in Texas? What to know about Supreme Court ruling" EP TIMES
> SA REPORT: "San Antonio’s STAAR scores for grades 3-8 are out: Here’s how your school district did" SA REPORT
> SAEN: "Arrest made in mass shooting threat against S.A. Jewish center" SAEN
> DMN: "Hiawatha Williams on his franchising success: ‘God blessed me with good people in my life’" DMN
> WACO TRIB: "Rapoport, University, Mexia among Centex teams set for TABC Showcase" WACO TRIB
> SAEN: "Starship explodes in giant fireball during testing at SpaceX base in Texas" SAEN
> DMN: "Major haircare company moving headquarters from California to Dallas-Fort Worth" DMN
EXTRA POINTS
Recent Texas sports schedule:
Thurs
> MLB: Kansas City 4, Texas 1
> MLB: Oakland 6, Houston 4
Fri
> MLB: Texas 6, Kansas City 2
> WNBA: Dallas 86, Connecticut 83
> MLB: Houston 3, Oakland 2
Sat
> MLB: Texas 3, Pittsburgh 2
> MLB: Los Angeles (Angels) 9, Houston 1
Today's Texas sports schedule:
> 12:35pm: MLB: Texas at Pittsburgh
> 2pm: WNBA: Dallas at Washington (ESPN)
> 3:07pm: MLB: Houston at Los Angeles (Angels)
HOUSTON ASTROS: “Soriano, O’Hoppe lead Angels to 9-1 win over Astros" AP
HOUSTON ASTROS: “Kurtz does it again with homer off Hader in 10th to lift Athletics over Astros" AP
TEXAS RANGERS: "Texas Rangers have plenty of burning questions as MLB trade deadline inches closer" DMN ($)
TEXAS A&M ATHLETICS: "Texas A&M donors' lawsuit against 12th Man Foundation over Kyle Field seats and parking to proceed" Hou Chron ($)
TEXAS BASEBALL: "Texas baseball: Pitcher Cal Higgins transfers from Western Kentucky" AAS ($)
DALLAS STARS: "Dallas Stars re-sign Mavrik Bourque and Nils Lundkvist, young players still searching for roles" AP