The Railroad Commission of Texas issued a total of 631 original drilling permits in May 2021 compared to 251 in May 2020. The May 2021 total includes 551 permits to drill new oil or gas wells, three to re-enter plugged well bores, and 75 for re-completions of existing well bores.
The breakdown of well types for original drilling permits in May 2021 is 157 oil, 67 gas, 378 oil or gas, 21 injection, and eight other permits.
In May 2021, Commission staff processed 457 oil, 141 gas and 134 injection completions for new drills, re-entries and re-completions, compared to 919 oil, 300 gas, and 117 injection completions in May 2020.
Total well completions processed for 2021 year-to-date for new drills, re-entries and re-completions are 3,595 compared to 6,589 recorded during the same period in 2020.
Detailed data on drilling permits and well completions for the month can be found at this link:
TABLE 1 – MAY 2021
| DISTRICT | PERMITS TO DRILL NEW OIL/GAS HOLES | NEW OIL COMPLETIONS | NEW GAS COMPLETIONS |
|---|---|---|---|
| (1) SAN ANTONIO AREA | 87 | 11 | 10 |
| (2) REFUGIO AREA | 22 | 39 | 13 |
| (3) SOUTHEAST TEXAS | 29 | 11 | 6 |
| (4) DEEP SOUTH TEXAS | 5 | 0 | 9 |
| (5) EAST CENTRAL TX | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| (6) EAST TEXAS | 15 | 1 | 20 |
| (7B) WEST CENTRAL TX | 15 | 13 | 1 |
| (7C) SAN ANGELO AREA | 44 | 30 | 1 |
| (8) MIDLAND | 287 | 268 | 41 |
| (8A) LUBBOCK AREA | 18 | 7 | 0 |
| (9) NORTH TEXAS | 20 | 13 | 2 |
| (10) PANHANDLE | 8 | 2 | 2 |
| TOTAL | 551 | 397 | 106 |
Source: www.rrc.state.tx.us
