Bryson Dillon - ConocoPhillips
INCIDENT
On Feb. 2026, a SCADA shutdown command was issued to multiple well groups, including the Eagle Pass electrical submersible pump (ESP) wells. The resulting ~4MW load shed behind the Eagle Pass Recloser caused a rapid voltage increase, which cascaded into a system resonance spanning multiple miles of distribution line. Numerous ESP variable frequency drives (VFD) failed, causing production downtime.
No injuries resulted from this event.
RESPONSE
Instrumentation & Electrical (I&E) crews manually opened two capacitor banks on the powerline to clear the system resonance. Field operations and I&E crews verified the integrity of the electrical system while initial fact-finding identified the sequence of events. Only surface equipment was damaged. Downhole equipment remained intact.
IMPACT
The surge in voltage and harmonic resonance led to the damage of 15 VFDs at the Eagle Pass wells and facility and subsequent production downtime and curtailment.