208-609-3511 daniel@bittickinsurance.com

Oil and gas insurance is a collection of commercial coverages designed for the distinctive liability, environmental, equipment, and workforce exposures that come with extracting, processing, and moving energy products. Standard business policies are not built for this industry's risk profile, and the gaps show up fast when something goes wrong on a wellsite or a spill triggers a regulatory response.

Bittick Insurance is an independent agency. We work with multiple carriers and place coverage for energy-sector clients across Idaho, Texas, and the other states where we're licensed: CA, CO, NV, OR, VA, and WA. Our San Antonio office serves clients across the Texas Hill Country and the I-35 corridor, where oil-field services, pipeline work, and energy-adjacent trades are a significant part of the commercial landscape.

What this coverage includes

General liability for worksites and operations

General liability insurance covers bodily injury and property damage claims that third parties bring against your business. On an oil and gas site, that includes injuries to subcontractors, damage to a landowner's property, or a fire that spreads beyond your controlled zone. If someone sues your operation over an incident at a drill pad or processing facility, general liability pays for the legal defense and any covered judgment up to your policy limits.

Environmental liability and pollution coverage

A spill, a leak, or a blowout can trigger cleanup obligations and third-party lawsuits that standard general liability policies specifically exclude under their pollution exclusions. Environmental impairment liability insurance fills that gap. It covers the costs of remediation, government-mandated cleanups, and third-party bodily injury or property damage claims arising from a pollution event, including gradual contamination that develops over time rather than a single sudden incident.

Inland marine and ocean marine for equipment in transit

Inland marine insurance protects equipment and materials while they move overland: drilling tools, pipe, pumps, and specialized gear traveling between sites on a flatbed or in a company truck. Ocean marine extends that protection to cargo shipped by sea for operations or projects outside the continental U.S. Both coverages address the reality that oil and gas equipment is expensive and often moving through locations where a standard commercial property policy offers no protection at all.

Workers' compensation for a high-hazard workforce

Oil and gas work consistently ranks among the most injury-prone industries in the country. Workers' compensation insurance pays an injured employee's medical bills and a portion of lost wages while they recover, and it shields the employer from most direct lawsuits over workplace injuries. Idaho requires workers' comp for virtually all employers with employees; Texas has different rules. Regardless of state, carrying adequate limits is a practical necessity when your crews work around heavy equipment, pressurized systems, and flammable materials.

International business coverage for global operations

If your company pursues contracts or projects outside the United States, your domestic policies typically stop at the border. International business insurance extends liability protection for employees working overseas and can include coverage for non-payment by foreign clients when disputes are difficult to resolve through local courts. It also addresses exposures like kidnap and ransom, foreign auto liability, and repatriation of injured workers that domestic programs simply do not contemplate.

Pairs well with

Commercial Auto Insurance

Oil and gas operations depend on trucks, tankers, and service vehicles. Commercial auto covers liability and physical damage for vehicles owned by your business, including loads hauled between sites.

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Commercial Umbrella Insurance

A single catastrophic incident on a wellsite can exhaust underlying liability limits quickly. A commercial umbrella policy adds a higher layer of liability protection above your general liability and auto policies.

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Cyber Liability Insurance

Energy companies are a documented target for ransomware and data theft. Cyber liability insurance covers breach response costs, regulatory penalties, and business interruption losses from a network compromise.

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Workers' Compensation Insurance

High injury frequency in oil and gas makes workers' comp one of the most critical lines in your program. It covers medical costs and wage replacement for injured employees and satisfies state employer mandates.

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Inland Marine Insurance

Expensive drilling tools and pipe sections travel constantly between sites and shops. Inland marine covers that equipment while it is in transit or temporarily stored at locations your commercial property policy does not reach.

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What this coverage protects against

Common risks and how this coverage addresses them. Tap any scenario to expand.

  • Coverage when a wellsite fire damages a neighboring property.

    The risk

    A flash fire ignites at a remote pad site and spreads to a neighboring landowner's fence line, outbuildings, and pasture. The landowner holds your company responsible for the damage and files a claim against you.

    How this coverage helps

    General liability insurance covers the property damage claim and pays for your legal defense if the landowner escalates to a lawsuit. The policy addresses third-party losses that your own property coverage would not touch.

  • Response when a fuel transfer produces a reportable spill.

    The risk

    A transfer hose fails during a routine offload, and petroleum product soaks into the soil. The state environmental agency issues a notice of violation and orders a remediation plan, which runs into six figures before the site is cleared.

    How this coverage helps

    Environmental impairment liability insurance covers the cost of the mandated cleanup and any third-party claims for contamination that migrated onto adjacent land. Without it, every dollar of remediation comes out of your operating account.

  • Protection after drilling equipment is stolen from a pad site overnight.

    The risk

    Specialized drill bits, sensors, and tooling worth tens of thousands of dollars are removed from an unsecured pad site over a weekend. The equipment was in transit from another job and had not been formally checked into a permanent facility.

    How this coverage helps

    Inland marine insurance covers the loss because the equipment was away from a fixed location covered by your commercial property policy. It pays for repair or replacement so the job can continue without a major cash disruption.

  • What happens when a subcontractor is hurt by a pressurized line failure.

    The risk

    A subcontractor working alongside your crew suffers a serious hand injury when a pressurized fitting releases unexpectedly. They are not your direct employee, so workers' comp does not automatically resolve the matter, and they retain an attorney to pursue your company.

    How this coverage helps

    General liability insurance responds to the third-party bodily injury claim and funds the legal defense. The policy is designed for exactly this kind of incident where someone other than your own employee is injured during your operations.

  • Coverage when a ransomware attack shuts down field management software.

    The risk

    Attackers encrypt the software your team uses to monitor well production, manage dispatch, and process invoices. Operations stall for several days while IT works to restore systems, and billing delays compound the revenue loss.

    How this coverage helps

    Cyber liability insurance covers business interruption losses during the recovery window, incident response costs, and any regulatory notification expenses triggered by compromised client or operational data.

  • Protecting an employee injured while working overseas on a foreign contract.

    The risk

    One of your experienced field technicians is injured at a project site in a country where your domestic workers' comp policy has no reach and local medical infrastructure is limited. Medical evacuation and repatriation alone cost more than most domestic claims.

    How this coverage helps

    International business insurance extends coverage for employees working outside the U.S., including medical evacuation, repatriation, and foreign liability exposures that your domestic program excludes by its own terms.

  • Response after a company truck is involved in an accident on the highway.

    The risk

    A driver hauling pipe sections on a rural highway rear-ends another vehicle at a construction slowdown. The other driver sustains injuries and the cargo causes additional damage when it shifts on impact. The liability exposure exceeds what a personal auto policy would ever cover.

    How this coverage helps

    Commercial auto insurance covers the bodily injury and property damage liability from the accident and pays for repairs to the company truck. Policies for oil-field haulers can also be structured to address the cargo load separately from the vehicle itself.

Frequently asked questions

Does a standard business owner's policy cover oil and gas operations?
No. A standard BOP is built for low-to-moderate-hazard commercial operations like retail shops or offices. Oil and gas work involves pollution exposures, heavy equipment, high-severity injury risks, and sometimes international operations that a BOP specifically excludes or severely limits. You need a program built from commercial lines designed for the energy sector.
Is environmental liability insurance required for oil and gas companies in Idaho?
Idaho does not impose a universal state mandate requiring environmental liability insurance for all oil and gas operators, but many contracts, lease agreements, and regulatory permits require it as a condition of doing business. Beyond compliance, the financial exposure from even a modest spill cleanup can exceed what general liability pays, so most operators carry it regardless of whether it is formally required.
How much does general liability insurance cost for an oil and gas business?
Premiums vary significantly based on your revenue, the type of work you do (exploration, production, midstream, field services), your loss history, and the limits you need. Energy operations typically carry higher premiums than general commercial accounts because the severity potential is greater. Bittick shops your account across multiple carriers to find competitive terms rather than presenting a single carrier's price.
My workers all know what they're doing. Do I still need workers' compensation?
Experience and training reduce incidents but do not eliminate them, and they do not change Idaho's legal requirements. Idaho law requires workers' compensation for nearly all employers with employees. Beyond the legal obligation, a serious injury in an oil and gas environment can produce medical costs that bankrupt a small operator without coverage in place.
What is inland marine insurance and why does an oil and gas company need it?
Inland marine insurance covers equipment and materials while they are in transit or stored away from a fixed, insured location. For oil and gas companies, that means drilling tools, pumps, sensors, and pipe that travel between job sites, shops, and staging yards. Commercial property policies protect equipment at a listed address; inland marine protects it everywhere else.
Can Bittick write oil and gas coverage for companies operating in multiple states?
Yes. Bittick is licensed in CA, CO, ID, NV, OR, TX, VA, and WA. Our Eagle, Idaho office handles the bulk of our energy-sector placements, and our San Antonio office covers Texas-based operators and field-services companies working in the Hill Country and South Texas. For multi-state operations, we coordinate the program so coverage lines up across the states where you work.

Talk to Bittick about your oil and gas coverage

We'll review your current program, identify the gaps, and shop your account across carriers to build coverage that matches what your operation actually does.

Don't like forms? Contact us at 208-609-3511 or email us.