Source: Wikimedia
As anti-energy voices demand production rollbacks, Texas and the Permian basin are proving that responsible energy growth and environmental progress go hand in hand.
In Texas, energy leadership is built on results, and the latest data from the Texas Independent Producers and Royalty Owners Association (TIPRO) makes the case better than any policy speech ever could. A sweeping new report shows that oil production across the U.S., the Permian basin, and Texas has reached record levels, while flaring intensity, a key environmental benchmark, has fallen dramatically. It is a story of industry-driven innovation outpacing regulatory mandates, and Texas is at the center of it.
The numbers speak for themselves. U.S. flaring intensity has dropped 45% since 2019, even as domestic production climbed 8% over the same period. That is not a trade-off. That is progress. And nowhere has that progress been more pronounced than in Texas and the Permian basin, where flaring intensity declined by approximately 50% and 62%, respectively. These are not incremental gains. They are structural shifts driven by investment, infrastructure, and the ingenuity of an industry that takes its responsibility seriously.
The Permian basin now produces approximately 6.3 million barrels per day of crude oil, accounting for nearly half of all U.S. oil output. That single basin, anchored in the West Texas landscape, is a pillar of American energy security. At the same time, Texas as a whole has crossed a historic threshold, exceeding 2 billion barrels of annual production for the first time ever. The Lone Star State is not just keeping pace with national energy demand. It is setting the standard for how to meet it.
Between 2023 and 2024 alone, Permian production rose 6%, while flaring intensity dropped nearly 10% and total flared volumes declined by 4%. These gains did not happen by accident. They are the direct result of expanded takeaway capacity through major infrastructure investments, including the Gulf Coast Express, Permian Highway Pipeline, and Matterhorn Express, projects that underscore the critical link between midstream development and responsible production.
This is precisely the kind of story that radical anti-energy groups and out-of-state activists refuse to acknowledge. Ideologically driven organizations that push for production bans and fossil fuel moratoriums would rather traffic in outdated narratives than reckon with the facts on the ground. The data is clear: American oil and gas producers, led by Texas, are delivering more energy with a smaller environmental footprint, year after year.
TXOGA President Todd Staples has long championed this truth: that Texas producers are committed to continuous improvement and that the industry’s record reflects a genuine dedication to responsible operations. The TIPRO findings reinforce that message with hard numbers, demonstrating that the market, not mandates, is driving meaningful environmental progress across the basin.
It is worth noting that the report acknowledges flaring intensity edged up slightly year over year in 2024, a reflection of how rapidly production growth has outpaced infrastructure build-out in certain areas. But that context matters: the solution is more infrastructure investment, not less production. Texas knows this. The pipeline projects already online prove the model works.
Once again, Texas oil and natural gas producers are doing what they’ve always done: meeting growing demand with innovation, investment, and results. The Permian basin’s record output paired with record flaring reductions is not a contradiction. It is the Texas energy story, told in data, and it is one that no amount of activist rhetoric can erase.
