Supply chain disruptions and policy decisions can significantly change these costs for oil companies — and consumers.
Carlos Nogueras Ramos
Carlos Nogueras Ramos is a regional reporter based in Odessa. Carlos joined The Texas Tribune in 2023 as a corps member with Report for America. Carlos tells the stories of Texas from the vast energy-rich Permian Basin region. Before the Tribune, Carlos spent time in Philadelphia writing about local politics, including the city’s 100th mayoral election. A Spanish speaker, Carlos was one of the few Latino reporters on the campaign trail, covering the most expensive primary election to date in Philly. He is a proud Puerto Rico native, born and raised in Cayey. He studied at Berklee College of Music in Boston and the University of Puerto Rico.
Posted in
Energy
Texas energy company wins first-of-its-kind permit to suck carbon out of air, store underground
Environmental groups worry direct carbon capture is not the silver bullet to curb climate change many energy companies purport it to be.
Posted in
Texas Legislature 2025
Renewable energy companies face little regulation in Texas. A state lawmaker wants to change that.
The legislation would put new requirements on wind and solar companies that oil and gas companies in Texas do not face.
Posted in
Texas Legislature 2025
West Texas lawmakers push bills to divert some oil and gas taxes to help oil-producing counties with roads, other needs
Reps. Tom Craddick and Brooks Landgraf want to divert 10% of taxes collected on oil and gas production to help budget-strapped counties keep up with growth.
Posted in
Texas Legislature 2025
A Republican effort to set deadlines to plug orphan wells in Texas hits resistance
The bill would have set deadlines for the oil and gas industry to plug inactive wells, which can pose a danger to the environment.
Posted in
Texas measles outbreak
West Texans, Mennonites at center of measles outbreak choose medical freedom over vaccine mandates
In rural West Texas, measles has sickened nearly 150 people, most of them unvaccinated. A school-age child has died. The virus is spreading among Gaines County’s Mennonite community, where government mandates are not trusted.
Posted in
Economy
In Odessa, multiple efforts are underway to help immigrants stay and work
A naturalized citizen, along with other business leaders, are working to create new resources for undocumented people living in the Permian Basin.
Posted in
Energy
Why oil and gas companies want state oversight for carbon dioxide injection
Environmentalists are worried the state — known for a lax approach to regulation — is not prepared for the added responsibility of regulating certain carbon capture projects.
Posted in
Energy
Oil companies leaked less methane in West Texas, a new report says. Environmentalists are skeptical.
Methane is a greenhouse gas that traps heat in the atmosphere and is 80 times the potency of carbon dioxide.
Posted in
Politics
Some Texas business leaders are apprehensive about Trump’s pledged deportations
“We wouldn’t survive” without undocumented workers, one South Texas produce business owner said. By one estimate, 8% of Texas’ workforce lacks legal status.
