Residents near Aghorn Operating’s Oil facilities in Odessa, Texas, have continued to report hydrogen sulfide leaks years after a company safety failure killed Jacob Dean and his wife, Natalee. State inspections found leaks at several sites, but reported cases were fixed or closed without financial penalties, according to records described by The Examination and the Houston Chronicle.
Rachel Curtis noticed the gas—a toxic substance often compared to rotten eggs—during a visit to her 86-year-old grandmother, who lives about 50 yards from an Aghorn pumpjack. Curtis said her grandmother had frequent headaches, a symptom associated with hydrogen sulfide exposure, and filed a complaint with regulators. An inspector found a small leak at the nearby wellhead, along with chemicals stored outside the site’s fence. The issues were addressed by a follow-up inspection two months later.
Inspectors later found leaks from Aghorn storage tanks on the other side of the property after another neighbor complained. More recently, the Railroad Commission of Texas recorded violations at other Aghorn locations, including a hydrogen sulfide violation in September near an elementary school.
The company’s record has come under scrutiny since 2019, when Jacob Dean collapsed in a cloud of hydrogen sulfide while checking malfunctioning equipment at an Aghorn facility. Natalee died after going to look for him; their children, then 6 and 9, were in a car outside.
Federal prosecutors alleged that Aghorn had a pattern of chronic leaks and unsafe practices. The company pleaded guilty last year to negligent endangerment and willful safety violations, admitting that its failure to provide workplace protections contributed to Jacob Dean’s death and put Natalee in imminent danger. It paid a $1 million fine, while company vice president Trent Day received a five-month prison sentence.
Aghorn said in a court filing that it had since hired a full-time safety manager, introduced written safety policies, trained staff on hydrogen sulfide hazards and upgraded gas monitors and alarms at various facilities. The company and its president, Frosty Gilliam, did not respond to questions from The Examination.
Hydrogen sulfide can occur naturally in oil-producing regions and escape during production or from poorly sealed equipment. Low concentrations can irritate the eyes and respiratory system; chronic exposure has been associated with headaches, dizziness, fatigue and memory problems.
In a separate case, inspectors found hydrogen sulfide leaking from an Aghorn pumpjack near Adrianna Yanez’s home, after she reported headaches and vomiting. The leak was patched, and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality resolved the complaint without a penalty. The Railroad Commission later found leaks from storage tanks and an unlit flare nearby. It ordered repairs, but inspectors detected continued leaks on two return visits before a fourth inspection in early 2025 found no leaks and closed the investigation. Yanez said the smell returned after a few months.
The Railroad Commission said its inspectors visit facilities across Texas daily and continue inspections when violations are found until they are addressed. The TCEQ said its monitoring network detected elevated hydrogen sulfide in Odessa in 2021 and that leaks at several Aghorn sites were fixed. Neither agency answered questions about whether repeatedly resolving violations without penalties is effective.
Texas lawmakers have also tried to address the risks. Bills introduced last year to strengthen the state’s air limit for hydrogen sulfide and study its health effects stalled in committee. A provision was added to the state budget requiring the Railroad Commission to map wells with high hydrogen sulfide levels. State Sen. Judith Zaffirini said she hopes to introduce legislation again next year, while Curtis called for accountability both from Aghorn and from regulators.
Sources: Inside Climate News.