Schaper Energy Consulting

Texas Inactive Well Monitor

September 2026 Edition · data as of 9/10/2026 Change vs August 2026 (8/10)

A monthly read on Texas inactive-well liability and Senate Bill 1150 exposure, built from the Railroad Commission's Inactive Well Aging Report (IWAR). Figures below show the current month with month-over-month change. Click a district on the map to drill in; search or sort the operator table. Note: the RRC revised its per-well plugging-cost estimate schedule for this report (the 9/10/2026 IWAR) — so the lower aggregate liability reflects that revision, not wells leaving the inventory.

Movers since the last report — organic (operatorship transfers excluded)

Wells that truly entered or left the inactive list under each operator — not counting wells that merely changed hands.

Operatorship transfers

Wells that changed operator since the last report (same well, new operator). These net to zero statewide and are excluded from the organic figures above.

From operator	To operator	Wells transferred

Where the exposure sits

Texas RRC districts (shaded) with inactive-well bubbles — bubble size = inactive wells, color depth = share exposed to SB 1150. Bubble positions are approximate. Click a district to filter.

Statewide age distribution

Burgundy bars (15+ years inactive) are exposed to the SB 1150 15-year cap; enforcement begins September 2027.

Operators

Operator	District	Inactive	SB 1150	Denied	Past Due	Avg Yr	Est. Liability