AUSTIN – December has been a very busy month for inspectors in RRC’s Critical Infrastructure Division (CID). Starting in early December inspectors began weatherization inspections at hundreds of critical natural gas facilities in different regions of the state to ensure gas supply is protected for Texans this winter season.   

CID has already inspected 99% of what are known as Tier One facilities which are gas processing plants, underground gas storage facilities, pipelines that directly connect to electricity generation plants, and oil and gas leases that produce more than 5 million cubic feet of gas per day. Facilities inspected are in compliance with RRC rules and no violations have been cited so far in the inspection cycle.

In addition to the weatherization inspections, another key factor in fortifying the gas supply for the winter is the amount of natural gas stored in underground facilities. The gas storage infrastructure has grown in Texas since last year, which is a huge benefit for the state. There was approximately 482 billion cubic feet of working gas in underground storage in Texas as of the end of October, which is six percent more gas in storage than the same time last year and the highest level for same period of the last six years.

“Tier One gas facilities are major components that help ensure ample gas supply during a potential weather emergency,” said Wei Wang, Railroad Commission Executive Director. “The Commission will continue to inspect these facilities multiple times during the winter season. In total, we expect to conduct more than 5,600 inspections of critical gas facilities on the electric supply chain map. In addition, we are seeing a record amount of gas stored underground in case it’s needed during an emergency. The RRC wants to ensure Texans that we will be working diligently with operators throughout the winter to protect residents’ safety in any weather emergency.”

Weatherization methods utilized by operators at gas facilities are diverse given the geographical and climate variations in a large state like Texas. In this video, CID South Region Manager Andrea Meyer explains different weatherization techniques that inspectors have seen during their ongoing inspections https://youtu.be/kCftia5gDHU.