Railroad Commission Launches Two More Interactive Statewide Data Maps

Provides Drilling Permit and Spud Data

AUSTIN– The Railroad Commission of Texas this week launches two more interactive data maps showing oil and gas drilling permit approvals and the number of wells spudded, which is when operators begin drilling a well. Information is displayed by counts, operators, county locations and on a statewide level. The data is available 24-hours a day, seven days a week beginning with Calendar Year 2018.

“With this latest interactive data on the Commission’s drilling permit approvals and wells spudded, our agency is providing more detailed insight into Texas’ energy industry,” said Wei Wang, RRC’s Executive Director. “This helps enhance our regulatory transparency and continues educating the public about one of the state’s top economic drivers.”

The Commission’s first series of interactive data on oil and gas production and plugged abandoned wells is very popular with nearly 8,000 unique page views for oil and gas production data and nearly 1,400 unique page views for the abandoned well plugging data since the information’s release in October 2019.

View the RRC Approved Drilling Permits Data Visualization Map.

The map includes:

• Total count of approved drilling permits;
• Bar chart for top 10 counties;
• Bar chart for top 10 operators;
• Selection for drilling permit filing purpose such as a new drill, recompletion of an existing well or to re-enter an existing well;
• Map showing countywide approved permit count; and
• Map for lat/long for each American Petroleum Institute (API) well number

Once approved, RRC drilling permits are valid for two years. RRC wells spudded data shows the number of wells that have begun drilling operations.  

View the Wells Spudded Data Visualization map.

The map includes:

• Count of wells spudded* in a month;
• Bar chart for top 10 counties;
• Bar chart for top 10 operators;
• Map showing countywide count of wells spudded; and
• Map for lat/long for each American Petroleum Institute (API) well number

*As one of the first steps of the well completion process, the number of wells spudded in a month may provide a snapshot of drilling in a particular area.  RRC’s Well Compliance Department uses this data to monitor and regulate well completion activity on a monthly basis.

Previously released data visualization maps can be found below:

Oil & Gas Production Data Visualization

Plugged Abandoned Wells (State Managed Well Data Visualization)