Hawk Dunlap, 2026 Republican candidate for Texas Railroad Commission, pulls no punches on zombie wells, produced water injection, and why carbon capture is a taxpayer funded scam. From 27 years of international well control across 100 countries to excavating 150 leaking wells on a Texas ranch, Hawk brings the kind of boots on the ground credibility this conversation demands. The primary is March 3rd.

Click here to watch a video of this episode.

Join the conversation shaping the future of energy.
Collide is the community where oil & gas professionals connect, share insights, and solve real-world problems together. No noise. No fluff. Just the discussions that move our industry forward.
Apply today at collide.io

Click here to view the episode transcript.

0:00 - Intro and Hawk Dunlap origin story
4:46 - Well Control Management and international career
8:19 - The Container Ranch and zombie wells
13:43 - Excavating 150 wells and what they found
18:20 - Litigation, Railroad Commission, and accountability
27:18 - Produced water injection as the defining issue
28:53 - Water recycling and the orphan well fund
36:21 - Orphan well plugging program problems
45:01 - Carbon capture and why Hawk opposes it
56:28 - Railroad Commission name change
1:01:11 - AI and risk assessment for orphan wells
1:12:21 - Campaign trail and closing thoughts

https://twitter.com/collide_io

https://www.tiktok.com/@collide.io

https://www.facebook.com/collide.io

https://www.instagram.com/collide.io

https://www.youtube.com/@collide_io

https://bsky.app/profile/digitalwildcatters.bsky.social

https://www.linkedin.com/company/collide-digital-wildcatters

Texas Railroad Commission Candidate on Zombie Wells, Injection Crisis & CCS Scam | 02.23.26