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

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.ioClick here to view the episode transcript. 0:00 - Intro and Hawk Dunlap origin story4:46 - Well Control Management and international career8:19 - The Container Ranch and zombie wells13:43 - Excavating 150 wells and what they found18:20 - Litigation, Railroad Commission, and accountability27:18 - Produced water injection as the defining issue28:53 - Water recycling and the orphan well fund36:21 - Orphan well plugging program problems45:01 - Carbon capture and why Hawk opposes it56:28 - Railroad Commission name change1:01:11 - AI and risk assessment for orphan wells1:12:21 - Campaign trail and closing thoughtshttps://twitter.com/collide_iohttps://www.tiktok.com/@collide.iohttps://www.facebook.com/collide.iohttps://www.instagram.com/collide.iohttps://www.youtube.com/@collide_iohttps://bsky.app/profile/digitalwildcatters.bsky.socialhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/collide-digital-wildcatters