Archive · 26 Dec 2025
Texas Oil Field Faces Pressure Issues
In 2022, a big oil field in Texas had a problem.
A tall column of saltwater shot up from an old well.
The company Chevron fixed it by plugging the well.
But almost two years later, water started coming out of a different well nearby.
Scientists think that fixing the first well made the pressure build up underground, causing the new problem.
It's like when you put a lid on a pot of boiling water, and it starts to leak from another spot.
A 100-foot column of saltwater erupted from an abandoned well in Texas' Crane County in 2022.
Chevron plugged the well, but nearly two years later, water started oozing from a different well nearby.
Scientists believe the repressurization of the subsurface triggered the new outburst.
The initial eruption occurred near the unincorporated community of Tubbs Corner.
The situation highlights the challenges of managing pressure in oil fields.
- Who
- Chevron, scientists
- What
- Saltwater eruption and subsequent pressure issues in an oil field
- When
- 2022, nearly two years later
- Where
- Crane County, Texas, near Tubbs Corner
- Why
- Repressurization of the subsurface after plugging the initial well
- Location
- Crane County, Texas
- Company Involved
- Chevron
- Year of Incident
- 2022
- Type of Eruption
- Saltwater
- Height of Eruption
- 100 feet
- Current Status
- Water oozing from a different well