Texas Voluntary Marginal Conventional Well Plugging Program (TxMCW)

Texas Voluntary Marginal Conventional Well Plugging Program (TxMCW) is sponsored by Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). Offers grant funding to cover costs of measuring methane emissions and plugging marginal conventional wells in Texas to reduce methane emissions from the oil and gas sector.

Texas Voluntary Marginal Conventional Well Plugging Program (TxMCW) - Texas Commission on Environmental Quality - www. tceq. texas.

gov Owners and operators of marginal conventional wells in Texas may be eligible for assistance to voluntarily plug and abandon select wells. Marginal conventional wells are those that produce a low volume of oil or TxMCW is currently under development. Notice of Intent to Procure has been posted to the Electronic State Business Daily (ESBD).

Please check back for future opportunities to get involved. New guidance and updates will be posted here. Be the first to know by About the Texas Voluntary Marginal Conventional Well Plugging Program There are no upcoming events at this time.

Check back later for new opportunities to get involved. 2026 TCEQ Environmental Trade Fair and Conference Texas Voluntary Marginal Conventional Well Plugging And visit TxMCW at the main TCEQ Booth for the duration of the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center TxMCW has two published plans which guide the program and its implementation.

Click on the titles to expand each section.

TCEQ’s Well Prioritization Plan describes how TxMCW will select View Well Prioritization Plan (PDF) Prioritization criteria include but are not limited to: Existing emissions data or initial screening data The number of wells operated by an owner Potential human health and environmental impacts, among others Weighted criteria will be used to generate a ranked list of wells that are recommended candidates for plugging.

TCEQ's Methane Measurement Plan describes how the detection and measurement of methane emissions before and after well plugging activities will be conducted at participating MCWs. Methane detection is required for all MCWs selected for funding under the program.

This plan is based on DOE's Methane Measurement Guidelines for MCWs View Methane Measurement Plan (PDF) There are two approaches to measure emissions, and different types of measurement technology associated with each: Must use an established survey Example: optical gas imaging (OGI) Must have a minimum detection limit of less than 100 grams/hour, as required by grant guidelines Only required if qualitative surveys show evidence of A qualifying well must be a marginal conventional well (MCW), which is defined as an onshore conventional well producing less than or equal to one of the following over a calendar year: 15 barrels of oil equivalent per day (BOED); or 90 thousand cubic feet (Mcf) gas per day.

Orphaned wells or wells that have been previously plugged are not eligible Types of oil and gas wells and their eligibility status for TxMCW. Marginal Conventional Well Has known owner or operator Produces less than or equal to one of the following over a 15 barrels of oil equivalent per day (BOED); or 90 thousand cubic feet (Mcf) gas per day. Also known as a stripper well Yes, if it is onshore and has not been previously plugged.

Typically vertical or moderately deviated Produces oil or gas from a conventional formation Also known as a traditional well Maybe; depends on production output and other qualifying factors.

Produces oil or gas from an unconventional formation, such as Often require horizontal drilling and hydraulic Not currently producing oil or gas Has the potential to start producing again in the future Also known as a suspended or idle well Maybe; depends on production output and other qualifying factors.

No known owner or operator Also known as an abandoned well No, but may qualify under the Railroad Commission's State Managed Well Plugging or Federally Funded Well Plugging Supports oil and gas production Drilled in an existing field Do not have oil or gas reserves attributed to them, but are Oil or gas drilling site located in a body of salt or fresh Wellbore drilled below the seabed Typically exist along continental margins TxMCW aims to reduce a variety of common harmful emissions, each with distinct associated attributes and adverse effects.

Click on the titles to Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs) Most HAPs fall in the VOC category, but not all Specifically regulated because they are known or suspected to cause serious health impacts such as: Adverse environmental effects Examples of HAPs include: Comprised of one carbon atom and four hydrogen atoms A greenhouse gas that traps heat in the atmosphere Contributes to the creation of ground-level ozone Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) Chemicals with high vapor pressure and low water solubility Key precursors in the creation of ground-level ozone Can contaminate groundwater Can cause short- and long-term effects in humans and animals The oil and gas well landscape in Texas is vast and unique.

The Railroad There are 432,634 oil and gas wells in Texas. Of those, 277,016 are active, and 155,618 are inactive. Of the 277,016 active oil and gas wells in Texas, 156,120 produce oil, 84,661 produce gas, and 36,235 are service wells.

It’s important to note that not all of these are marginal wells, but this data does help us get an idea of what we’re working with as we strategize our initiatives moving forward. The above data is sourced from the Texas Railroad Commission and current as of May 31, 2026. TCEQ was awarded $134.

1 million under the Inflation Reduction Act’s Methane Emissions Reduction Program (MERP). With this funding, TCEQ has Marginal or low-producing oil and gas wells, and the supporting production equipment, are a significant source of methane emissions and other air Permanently plugging and abandoning low-producing oil and gas wells can prevent harmful emissions from leaking into the atmosphere.

In addition to reducing methane emissions, well plugging activities may: Reduce local air pollution: Reduces emissions of volatile organic compounds and hazardous air pollutants such as benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene, and, in some cases, hydrogen sulfide.

Reduce hazards to groundwater: Reduces chance of wells leaking liquids underground where oil, salt, and toxic minerals could migrate into aquifers that supply water to cities, farms, and ranches. Reduce fire hazards: Reduces emissions of explosive gases, therefore reducing the risk of fires and explosions.