Texas Tech University and the Railroad Commission of Texas have partnered on a new initiative to enhance the professional development of the commission’s oil and gas inspectors.
The Railroad Commission Field Inspector Training Program is a partnership between the commission and Texas Tech’s Bob L. Herd Department of Petroleum Engineering. The first group of inspectors recently attended the four-day course at Tech’s Oilfield Technology Center in Lubbock.
“This training program further strengthens our field inspectors by providing them with the skills and knowledge needed to perform their jobs at the highest level,” said Wei Wang, executive director of the RRC. “Partnerships among Texas institutions are critical to advancing the work we do and serving the people of our state. We are proud to partner with Texas Tech to enhance inspector training and help ensure the continued protection of Texas’ natural resources and communities. I thank Texas Tech for their commitment to this important effort.”
During the inaugural course, commission leaders traveled from Austin to observe the training and hear from Marshall Watson, chair of the Bob L. Herd Department of Petroleum Engineering.
“This partnership represents a meaningful step forward in how we connect education, industry and regulation,” Watson said in a statement. “By providing hands-on training in a realistic environment, we’re helping inspectors build the skills they need to ensure safe and efficient energy operations across Texas.”
Tech’s center features a dedicated classroom, a shop equipped with cutaways and models of oil and gas equipment, and an outdoor training space with production facilities, a pumping unit, gas compressors and a fully functional drilling rig. The training includes equipment demonstrations and sessions covering key stages in a well’s life cycle, including cementing, blowout prevention and well plugging.
The course is tailored specifically for oil and gas inspectors, and the commission’s training development staff is developing a similar course for inspectors in its Critical Infrastructure Division.