Texas Oil Regulator Issued 666 Original Drilling Permits in January

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Texas Oil Regulator Issued 666 Original Drilling Permits in January

In a statement posted on the Texas Railroad Commission (RRC) website recently, the RRC announced that it issued a total of 666 original drilling permits in January. The total includes 607 to drill new oil or gas wells, six to re-enter plugged wellbores, and 53 for re-completions, the RRC said in the statement. “The breakdown […]

In a statement posted on the Texas Railroad Commission (RRC) website recently, the RRC announced that it issued a total of 666 original drilling permits in January.

The total includes 607 to drill new oil or gas wells, six to re-enter plugged wellbores, and 53 for re-completions, the RRC said in the statement.

“The breakdown of well types for total original drilling permits in January 2025 is – 134 oil, 26 gas, 463 oil and gas, 32 injection, five service, and six other permits,” the RRC noted in the statement.

Last month, RRC staff processed 1,340 oil, 377 gas, and 290 injection completions, the organization highlighted in the statement.

A table showing January 2025 Texas oil and gas new drilling permits and completions by RRC district, which was included in the statement and comprised 12 districts, showed that Midland had the highest number of permits to drill new oil/gas holes, at 361. The San Antonio area had the second highest figure, with 70, and the San Angelo area had the third highest, with 59, the table revealed.

In a statement posted on the RRC website last month, the RRC announced that it issued a total of 630 original drilling permits in December 2024.

That total included 580 to drill new oil or gas wells, 13 to re-enter plugged wellbores, five field transfers, and 32 for re-completions, that statement highlighted. The statement outlined that, of the total original drilling permits for December 2024, 126 were for oil wells, 44 were for gas wells, 445 were for oil and gas wells, 10 were for injections, one was a service well, and four comprised other permits.

In December 2024, RRC staff processed 1,431 oil, 248 gas, and 670 injection completions, that statement pointed out.

A table showing December 2024 Texas oil and gas new drilling permits and completions by RRC district, which was included in that statement and comprised 12 districts, also showed that Midland had the highest number of permits to drill new oil/gas holes, at 304. The San Antonio area had the second highest figure, with 68, and the Refugio area had the third highest, with 65, this table revealed.

In a statement posted on its site in February last year, the RRC announced that it issued a total of 799 original drilling permits in January 2024. That total included 748 to drill new oil or gas wells, 10 to re-enter plugged wellbores, and 39 for re-completions of existing wellbores, that statement highlighted.

“The breakdown of well types for total original drilling permits in January 2024 is – 135 oil, 36 gas, 558 oil and gas, 49 injection, and 21 other permits,” that statement said.

This statement added that, in January last year, RRC staff processed 770 oil, 216 gas, and 319 injection completions for new drills, re-entries, and re-completions.

A table showing January 2024 Texas oil and gas new drilling permits and completions by RRC district, which was included in that statement and comprised 12 districts, also showed Midland as the district with the most permits to drill new oil/gas holes, at 381. The San Angelo area had the second highest figure, at 103, and the San Antonio area had the third highest, at 95, this table revealed.

The RRC notes on its site that it is the oldest regulatory agency in the state and one of the oldest of its kind in the nation.

The organization is the state agency with primary regulatory jurisdiction over the oil and natural gas industry, pipeline transporters, natural gas and hazardous liquid pipeline industry, natural gas utilities, the LP-gas industry, critical natural gas infrastructure, and coal and uranium surface mining operations, its site states.

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Critical vulnerability in AMI MegaRAC BMC allows server takeover

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