South Side neighborhood concerned about gas fumes from oil well leak

South Side neighborhood concerned about gas fumes from oil well leak by Joseph DeCarlo Thu, November 5, 2026 at 8:21 PM Updated Fri, November 6, 2026 at 8:38 AM 15 VIEW ALL PHOTOS At the Preserve at Medina subdivision off of Highway 16 on the far southwest side of San Antonio, an old oil well is leaking methane and hydrogen sulfide. And the smell of gas in the air is thick. Comment on this story 0 Comment Share story Share topics: San Antonio Oil rig Methane Hydrogen sulfide Gas leak Texas Railroad Commission Residents Health effects SAN ANTONIO - At the Preserve at Medina subdivision off of Highway 16 on the far southwest side of San Antonio, an old oil well is leaking methane and hydrogen sulfide. And the smell of gas in the air is thick. "You're just breathing it in sometimes. The smell goes in the house too, like through the cracks and stuff," says Crystal Morales. Her sister lives down the street from this old oil well that was first plugged in 2006. However, it keeps leaking after multiple plugging attempts by the Texas Railroad Commission. Today, we saw Bexar County Public Works taking pictures of the oil on the street and sidewalks. Residents say they were unaware of this before moving into the neighborhood. "The front office has never notified us or told us about anything," says William Helsel. "This could be potentially bad for our health, but yeah, nothing's being done about it," says Morales. Helsel has a son and a newborn baby. He says he cannot spend time in his yard. "I'll take a big breath and I can definitely tell that was a lot of fumes that I breathed in, so I'll try to not be around here, which is in front of my house, so it's like I can't do anything out in the front yard," says Halsel. Medical experts say the gas exposure can be dangerous. "Hydrogen sulfide is highly toxic and it all depends on the concentration," says Dr. Alan Siqueiros, Director of Medical ICU at Christus Westover Hills. Low concentration can cause effects such as irritation, cough, dizziness, nausea and headaches. Long term effects could be more severe. "With time, you may get more significant effects. There's a series of neurological effects for documented on patients that had higher exposures. That includes like memory loss, inability to concentrate, mood changes, and those are long-term effect," says Dr. Siqueiros. Williams says that him and his family are considering moving out of the neighborhood but are worried this leak could make it extremely hard to sell his home. We reached out to the Railroad Commission, who is responsible for the well. State and environmental regulators tell us there is currently no immediate threat to health or safety. The state's plugging team has made four attempts to re-plug the well and is monitoring the gas in the area. They plan to send more teams to investigate. Trending Dozens of undelivered ballots found in dumpster at Seattle park The ballots have already been reissued to the affected voters. Eastland family loses control of Camp Mystic A federal bankruptcy judge has stripped the Eastland family of control of Camp Mystic, installing two independent overseers as the camp faces a criminal probe and wrongful-death suits tied to the July 2025 flood. Night out turns violent as gunfire erupts outside La Cantera-area business Night out turns violent as gunfire erupts outside La Cantera-area business 1 dead, 1 in grave condition after shootout with police at Alamo Ranch San Antonio police are investigating an officer-involved shooting on the far West Side near Lone Star Parkway and Alamo Ranch Parkway. One person is dead, another is hospitalized in critical condition. No officers hurt. Nearly 32 kilos of suspected cocaine seized in traffic stop; suspect taken into custody A traffic stop along Interstate 10 in Guadalupe County led to the seizure of nearly 32 kilograms of suspected cocaine and the arrest of a Laredo man, according to the Guadalupe County Sheriff’s Office.The sheriff’s NEWS IN PHOTOS: " Local " 3 NEW San Antonio takes on Portland following Wembanyama's 52-point game against Sacramento 13 NEW Porch Fest brings live music, community to the Beacon Hill and Alta Vista neighborhoods! 3 NEW San Antonio City Council members seek limits on SAPD cooperation with ICE 5 NEW Arch Manning throws 3 TDs as No. 10 Texas rallies past No. 19 Missouri 34-20