Texas Commission Appoints New Oil and Gas Division Chief
Based in Austin, the Oil and Gas Division regulates the exploration, production, and transportation of oil and natural gas in Texas.
The Railroad Commission of Texas announced Jan. 8 that Lori Wrotenbery has been appointed director of the commission's Oil and Gas Division. She previously was director of administration for the Oklahoma Corporation Commission (OCC), director of OCC's Oil and Gas Conservation Division, and a deputy director and assistant director for environmental services in the Oil and Gas Division of the Railroad Commission of Texas.
Wrotenbery has served as president and a member of the Ground Water Protection Council and was a founding member of STRONGER (State Review of Oil and Natural Gas Environmental Regulations, Inc.), according to the Texas commission's news release, which said she has a bachelor's degree in geology from the University of Texas and a law degree from Harvard University.
"I am pleased to welcome Lori back to the Railroad Commission to lead our Oil and Gas Division at this exciting and critical time in our state's energy history, and future," said Railroad Commission Chairman Christi Craddick. "Her knowledge and many years of experience will ensure that the commission continues to protect the people and natural resources of our state, while maintaining a regulatory environment that fosters economic growth and prosperity for all Texans."
Based in Austin, the Oil and Gas Division regulates the exploration, production, and transportation of oil and natural gas in Texas. The commission's statutory role is to 1) prevent waste of the state's natural resources, 2) protect the correlative rights of different mineral interest owners, 3) prevent pollution, and 4) provide safety in matters such as hydrogen sulfide. It is responsible for field inspections, testing programs, monitoring industry activities in the field, and programs to plug abandoned wells and remediate abandoned oilfield sites through the use of fees paid by industry.