Abandoned San Antonio oil well leaks toxic gas after Repeated state plugging failures

Residents of the Preserve at Medina subdivision were never told about the 1950s-era well, which now leaks methane and hydrogen sulfide.

By LineZotpaper

Published21 October 2026

Updated21 October 2026

Read Time2 min

A plugged oil well in a southwest San Antonio subdivision continues to leak flammable methane and toxic hydrogen sulfide despite five attempts by Texas regulators to permanently seal it. Families at the Preserve at Medina unknowingly bought homes alongside the well, which has vexed state officials for years and is now being prepared for another plugging attempt.

The Thompson Callaway Spears #1 well was drilled in 1955 on what was then rural land outside San Antonio. After changing hands multiple times and ceasing oil flow, it was plugged in 2006. Construction began on the Preserve at Medina subdivision in 2019, at which point contractors discovered gas escaping the seal.

Since then, the Texas Railroad Commission (RRC), the state's oil and gas regulator, has attempted to plug the well five times. Earlier this year, contractors reported to the RRC that plumes of methane were moving through the soil toward homes. During plugging work in January 2022, a welder on site refused to continue working after finding a flammable leak.

Resident Krystal Solis, who lives across the street from the fenced-off well, said she and her family were never warned about the hazard. "We had no idea when we moved here," she told reporters. "No one told us anything."

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has confirmed the presence of hydrogen sulfide at levels that could cause adverse health effects including headaches and nausea. RRC spokesman Bryce Dubee said the agency is reviewing another re-plugging using a different strategy and materials, and that both the RRC and TCEQ are conducting regular monitoring of the area.

The situation highlights a national pattern. Legacy oil and gas wells have been linked to explosions and evacuations from Colorado to California to Canada. In Texas, there are no state laws requiring developers to disclose plugged wells to homebuyers. The developers of the Preserve at Medina, D.R. Horton and LGI Homes, did not respond to requests for comment.

Advocacy groups like Commission Shift and the Environmental Defense Fund have called for mandatory disclosure and setback standards."Requiring disclosure of past oil and gas activity and building setback standards from old wells may just save a family heartache," said Julie Range, policy manager for Commission Shift.

Analysis

Why This Matters

Homebuyers across active oil and gas regions may unknowingly purchase property near hazardous legacy wells with no legal requirement for sellers to disclose them.
Repeated plugging failures highlight challenges in permanently sealing aging wells in residential areas, raising risks of explosion and long-term health issues.
This case could drive state legislative action on disclosure laws and building setback standards.

Background

The Thompson Callaway Spears #1 well was drilled in 1955 and plugged in 2006. By the time subdivision construction began in 2019, the seal was already leaking. The RRC has assumed responsibility for the costs since the former operator is delinquent. The subdivision, a collection of brick-and-siding starter homes, now surrounds the well.

Key Perspectives

Residents: Families like the Solis household report being blindsided by the well's presence. They live with the smell of hydrogen sulfide and fear an explosion, saying regulators and developers failed to inform them. State Regulators (RRC and TCEQ): The RRC acknowledges the failures of previous pluggings and says a sixth effort, using a new approach, is under review. The agencies say they are conducting regular air and soil monitoring. Advocates and Experts: Commission Shift and the Environmental Defense Fund argue that Texas should require developers to disclose past oil and gas activity to homebuyers. Blake Scott of Waste Analytics warns that buyers must perform their own due diligence, as plugged wells can cause problems decades later.

What to Watch

The outcome of the RRC's sixth attempt to plug the Thompson Callaway Spears #1 well.
Whether Texas lawmakers introduce a bill mandating disclosure of legacy wells on real estate transactions.
Potential escalation if monitoring detects rising methane levels moving towards additional homes.

Sources

Texans didn’t know their neighborhood was built near an abandoned oil well spreading toxic fumes · Texas Tribune

Checked

10 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 6 supported.

Show each claim

SupportedThe well continues to leak toxic gas despite repeated state plugging failures.Texas Tribune: “The state has replugged it five times, yet gas continues to leak.”
Partly supportedResidents of the subdivision were never told about the well.Texas Tribune: ““We had no idea when we moved here,” said Krystal Solis, who lives across the street with her husband and three children. “No one told us anything.””
Sources say otherwiseThe well has been plugged five times since construction began.Texas Tribune: “Another plugging job—the sixth—was completed that November.”
SupportedThe well is now being prepared for another plugging attempt.Texas Tribune: “Railroad Commission inspectors returned to the well on Oct. 7 in preparation to plug it again.”
Partly supportedContractors discovered gas escaping the well in 2019.Texas Tribune: “The well was forgotten until 2019, as construction began on the Preserve at Medina. Developers discovered gas leaking at the site in 2019, according to a Railroad Commission document.”
SupportedIn June, contractors reported methane plumes moving through soil toward homes.Texas Tribune: “In June, contractors told the Railroad Commission, the state’s oil and gas industry overseer, that plumes of methane gas were moving through the soil toward homes in the subdivision, which could trigger an explosion.”
SupportedA welder refused to continue working after finding a flammable leak during plugging work in January 2022.Texas Tribune: “An inspector wrote that during the plugging, a welder found a flammable methane leak and refused to continue working.”
SupportedTCEQ confirmed hydrogen sulfide at levels that could cause adverse health effects including headaches and nausea.Texas Tribune: “Laura Lopez, a spokesperson for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, which regulates air pollution, said the hydrogen sulfide levels detected at the well could cause odors and trigger adverse health effects including headaches and nausea.”
SupportedBoth the RRC and TCEQ are conducting regular monitoring of the area.Texas Tribune: ““Both the RRC and TCEQ are now conducting regular monitoring of the area,” he said.”
Partly supportedCommission Shift and the Environmental Defense Fund have called for mandatory disclosure and setback standards.Texas Tribune: “Julie Range, policy manager for the Texas-based nonprofit Commission Shift, a watchdog that tracks the Railroad Commission, said disclosure of prior oil and gas activities should be required to protect home buyers.”

Correction

21 October 2026An earlier version of this story described the planned plugging operation as the sixth attempt. The sixth plugging job was completed in November 2024, and another attempt is being prepared. It also said the surrounding area remained undeveloped until 2019. Development had already encroached on the area before subdivision construction began that year. The welder's refusal to continue working occurred in January 2022, not this year.