Obtaining a drilling permit from the Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) is one of the first steps oil and gas operators must take when drilling a well and for the second year in a row the RRC processed new drilling permits at a record pace.  The RRC has been taking an average of two days to process standard drilling permits, one less than the legislative requirement, and because of their thorough and quick review of each application, in 2019 they were able to process a total of 11,654 new drilling permits.

“Texas will continue to be the nation’s leader in energy production,” RRC executive director Wei Wang said. “The Railroad Commission’s efficient, timely permit review processes are essential to the continued development of the state’s energy resources and ultimately support Texas’ economic prosperity.”

The Permian Basin in West Texas ranks as the nation’s top energy production region and Texas currently leads the nation in oil and gas production. In the last 12 months Texas operators reported 1.438 billion barrels of oil produced and almost 10 trillion cubic feet of total gas. The US Geological Survey estimates that the Permian basin contains 66 billion b/o, nearly 300 tcf of natural gas, and 21 billion bbl of natural gas liquids in the Midland and Delaware basins.

The RRC’s technological advancements have enabled operators to apply for and receive drilling permits quickly and easily.  Click here to find out more!