Here, among the northern reaches of the Columbia Basin, humanity’s knack for the extraction of Earth’s resources was on full display. The sound of the explosion quickly reached the onlookers ...

Depleted and abandoned oil wells in West Texas are causing environmental issues such as sinkholes and blowouts, leading to significant financial costs for cleanup. The Texas Railroad Commission ...

The rapidly-growing sinkhole in Upton County is the latest of many problems caused by old wells in the Permian Basin. A sinkhole in Upton County formed around an oil well that was plugged in the ...

This story was produced in partnership with the Pulitzer Center. It is part three in a four-part series. Read part one here and part two here. ODESSA, Texas — For retired pastor Columbus Cooper ...