The three members of the Railroad Commission of Texas unanimously elected Commissioner Christi Craddick to chair the agency. Craddick, who has held the position before and has served since winning statewide office in 2012, succeeds Jim Wright as chairman. Wright will remain a commissioner alongside Wayne Christian, another former chair.
The commission is Texas’ primary regulator for oil and natural gas exploration, production, and transportation. It also oversees pipeline safety, natural gas utilities, critical energy infrastructure, and surface coal and uranium mining. Craddick’s tenure has included efforts to modernize agency operations, broaden transparency, and maintain a predictable framework for responsible development, including technology investments and expanded work on orphaned wells.
Her priorities have also included upgrades to the commission’s information technology and geographic information systems, intended to improve public access to regulatory data and shorten inspection and permitting timelines. For operators, mineral owners, and investors following Texas oil and gas regulation and broader Texas energy activity, leadership at the three-member commission is important because its decisions shape permitting, compliance, infrastructure safety, and access to industry data.
Source: Rigzone
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