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 gas.

Program Status

TxMCW is currently under development.

A Request for Information (RFI) is currently posted to solicit feedback to enhance our understanding of the technologies, practices, pricing structures and challenges associated with methane measurement and the plugging and abandonment of marginal conventional oil and gas wells.

Access to the full RFI document can be found on the Smart Buy webpage . Responses are due by Aug. 29, 2025, at 2 p.m. CST. Additional submission requirements and guidelines may be found in the posted RFI.

Additional program guidance and opportunities are coming soon. Be the first to know by signing up for updates.

About the Texas Voluntary Marginal Conventional Well Plugging Program (TxMCW) (0:39)

Upcoming Events

TxMCW will present at the 2025 University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) Oil & Gas Conference.

Event Date Location
2025 UTA Oil & Gas Conference December 2-3, 2025 Hilton Americas

1600 Lamar St
Houston, TX 77010

Published Plans

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 wells for plugging.

View Well Prioritization Plan (PDF)

Prioritization criteria include but are not limited to:

  • Existing emissions data or initial screening data
  • Production rates
  • 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.

If additional rounds of applications are launched, the criteria may be updated before the next submission period.

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:

  • Qualitative
    • Must use an established survey
    • Example: optical gas imaging (OGI)
  • Quantitative
    • 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 methane emissions
    • Examples:
      • High flow sampling
      • Flux Chambers
      • Bag Sampling

Qualifying Wells

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.

Note: 1 BOE = 6 Mcf.

Orphaned wells or wells that have been previously plugged are not eligible under TxMCW.

Types of Oil & Gas Wells

Types of oil and gas wells and their eligibility status for award funding.

Type of Well Attributes TxMCW Fund Eligibility
Marginal Conventional Well
  • Has known owner or operator
  • Can be producing or idle
  • Produces 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.
    • Note: 1 BOE = 6 Mcf.
  • Also known as a stripper well
 Yes, if it is onshore and has not been previously plugged.
Conventional Well
  • Typically vertical or moderately deviated
  • Produces oil or gas from a conventional formation
  • Most common type of well
  • Low well head pressure
  • Also known as a traditional well
 Maybe; depends on production output and other qualifying factors.
Unconventional Well
  • Produces oil or gas from an unconventional formation, such as shale
  • Often require horizontal drilling and hydraulic
  • High well head pressure
 No.
Inactive Well
  • Not currently producing oil or gas
  • Has the potential to start producing again in the future
  • Not yet abandoned
  • Also known as a suspended or idle well
 Maybe; depends on production output and other qualifying factors.
Orphan Well
  • No known owner or operator
  • Also known as an abandoned well
 No, but may qualify for funds from the Railroad Commission .
Service Well
  • Supports oil and gas production
  • Drilled in an existing field
  • Do not have oil or gas reserves attributed to them, but are essential to production
No.
Offshore Well
  • Oil or gas drilling site located in a body of salt or fresh water
  • Wellbore drilled below the seabed
  • Typically exist along continental margins
 No.

Air Pollutants

TxMCW aims to reduce a variety of common harmful emissions, each with distinct associated attributes and adverse effects. Click on the titles to expand each section.

  • Commonly called:
    • Toxic air pollutants
    • Air toxics
  • 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:
    • Cancer
    • Reproductive effects
    • Birth defects
    • Immune system damage
    • Adverse environmental effects
  • Examples of HAPs include:
    • Benzene
    • Toluene
    • Ethylbenzene
    • Xylene

  • Colorless
  • Odorless
  • Flammable
  • 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

  • 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

Well Landscape in Texas

The oil and gas well landscape in Texas is vast and unique. The Railroad Commission tracks oil and gas well data in Texas.

Pie chart breakdown of number of oil and gas wells in Texas

There are 434,960 oil and gas wells in Texas. Of those, 279,380 are active, and 155,580 are inactive.

Type of Well Number of Wells
Active Wells 279,380
Inactive Wells 155,580

Of the 279,380 active oil and gas wells in Texas, 158,328 produce oil, 84,008 produce gas, and 37,044 are service wells.

Type of Well Number of Wells
Producing Oil Wells 158,328
Producing Gas Wells 84,008
Service Wells 37,044

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 Railroad Commission and current as of July 31, 2025.

Background

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Image from Pexels

TCEQ was awarded $134.1 million under the Inflation Reduction Act’s Methane Emissions Reduction Program (MERP). With this funding, TCEQ has developed TxMCW.

Marginal or low-producing oil and gas wells, and the supporting production equipment, are a significant source of methane emissions and other air pollutants.

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.