E-File (EDI)

The Commission does not supply any software or templates for E-File/EDI. It is up to the organization that wishes to file information electronically to develop or purchase software to put its information in a format acceptable to the Commission. The reason for this is that there are too many different computer types and operating systems for which software programs would have to be developed and then ultimately maintained.

There are, however, vendors that do supply software that creates Commission EDI files. The Commission is acting as a clearinghouse for assembling a list of those vendors. The vendor list is updated when either a vendor or a company using EDI software purchased from a vendor lets us know who they are and how to contact them. Because the Commission will accept the listing of any support provider, you must understand that the Commission makes no guarantee as to the quality of any product or service. Appearance on the listing implies no endorsement by the Commission of any product or service. Purchasing software to do EDI with the Commission may not be necessary. If you are fluent in common spreadsheet or desktop databases then you probably can easily create Commission EDI files.

Listed below are the steps you will most likely need to take to start filing reports by E-File/EDI:

1. Get the manual for the forms you want to file electronically.
2. If you plan to file by uploading files through the Internet, create an account on the E-File System
3. Send in any required documents for electronic filing (IE. MEFC, Contact Worksheet). These can be found in the E-File/EDI manual you obtain.
4. Start the approval process by creating and sending in the type of information you want to file electronically. See any of the E-File/EDI manuals for details about this testing process.
5. Once all problems are corrected in the testing process, you will be notified in writing that you are approved to file electronically.

• You can send us E-Mail at edi@rrc.texas.gov
• You can call the Commission's Help Desk at (512) 463-7229.
• Or you can write us at:

Railroad Commission of Texas
Information Technology Division
EDI Operations
Capitol Station - P.O. Box 12967
Austin, TX 78711-2967

The E-File System saves the files you send on the RRC computer. At specific times during the day the E-File/EDI program does edit checks on the files submitted. Once this process is completed the files are virus scanned and sent to a holding area for processing. 

You can assign anyone you wish to be your agent for electronic filings. The individual who is listed as an E-File/EDI agent is responsible for the information filed under his or her name. There are several legal concerns which you may need to consider before assigning an agent. See the sections covering agents in the latest edition of publication EIA001 Filing Oil and Gas Reports Using Electronic Media for details. Remember that you can have more than one agent for your organization which may help you to send in reports electronically directly from regional offices.

Even though you may send in more than one diskette or CD, or upload more than one file that applies to the same agent, you have to include both an Agent record and a Totals record, for each file, due to the way the files are processed (see above). Files on several diskettes or CDs, or files uploaded may not be processed at the same time due to the amount of information received from organizations for processing. This setup allows the electronically filed information to be processed in a way that is efficient for the Commission. The Commission's EDI system requires that there be an Agent record for the organization before any processing is done.

The MIT requires that the test be performed by an engineer and be witnessed. Their signatures are required on the H-15 forms.

Effective February 11, 2005, the P-1 and P-2 report were replaced with form PR and the requirements for reporting commingled production changed. Please consult the guide titled Online Filing of Production Reports and New EDI requirements (pdf) for additional information.

You cannot file a P-1b for a gas well electronically. Since there are very few gas wells that require this form, the form P-1b for gas wells has not been selected for EDI.

Effective February 11, 2005, the P-1 and P-2 reports were replaced with Form PR and the requirements for reporting commingled production changed. Please consult the guide titled Online Filing of Production Reports and New EDI requirements for additional information.

E-File refers to Electronic Data Interchange, or EDI. These terms refer to, sending reports to the Commission electronically by computer mediums instead of by paper. EDI reduces your cost to prepare and send the reports and also reduces the cost to the State in processing the reports.

E-File/EDI saves money by electronically sending data required on a report from your computer to our computer. There are several electronic mediums that are supported by the Commission's E-File/EDI system for certain oil and gas forms:

E-File System - File Upload

The data is sent directly from your computer, using the Internet E-File System, to our computers. This transmission is almost instantaneous, requiring nothing in a material form to be transferred.

Diskette

The data is downloaded in a specified format from your computer onto a diskette. The diskette is mailed to the Commission where the data is then uploaded to our computer for processing.

Cartridge Tape

The data is downloaded in a specified format from your computer (usually a mainframe) onto a cartridge tape. The cartridge tape is mailed to the Commission where its data is then uploaded to our computer for processing. The use of this medium is typically more restrictive since filers must have access to a cartridge tape system, normally found on mainframe computers, and have a fairly high volume of records.

Compact Disc

The data is downloaded in a specified format from your computer onto a CD. The CD is mailed to the Commission where the data is then uploaded to our computer for processing.

Currently certain Oil and Gas Division reports can be filed electronically. Other Commission division reports may be added in the future. The Oil and Gas reports that can be filed electronically are:

• H-15 - Test on an Inactive Well More Than 25 Years Old
• MD-1 - Optional Operator Market Demand Forecast
• P-1b - Producer's Monthly Supplemental Report
• T-1 - Monthly Transportation and Storage Report

The P-1 and P-2 have been replaced with the Form PR beginning February 12, 2005. Electronic filing of the Form PR, H-10 and, effective September 9, 2013, the G10/W10 is provided through the RRC Online System. 

Almost all reports filed to the Commission require a signature by the party filing the report. When these reports are filed electronically, the signature requirement is satisfied with the Master Electronic Filing Certification form for the E-File/EDI application. The Master Electronic Filing Certification form, or MEFC, is a form that is filed out once and mailed to the Commission.

The person signing the MEFC becomes the Agent for the company for reports filed electronically through E-File/EDI. You can assign anyone you wish to be your agent for electronic filings. You can also have more than one agent for your company which may help you to send in reports electronically directly from regional offices. The individual who is listed as an EDI agent is responsible for the information filed under his or her name. There are several legal concerns which you may need to consider before assigning an agent. See the sections covering agents in the latest edition of publication EIA001 Filing Oil and Gas Reports Using Electronic Media for details.

The RRC Online System provides electronic filing and processing capability for certain oil and gas forms that have been migrated from the Commission’s mainframe system to an open systems environment. Electronic filing options included within this system generally include on-line filing over the Internet using a web browser, and EDI filing by uploading data over the Internet or submitting data on a CD. Use of electronic filing options within this system require a User ID that is obtained by filing a Security Administrator Designation (SAD) form and following subsequent instructions for assigning security access. Currently only the Form PR is available to be uploaded on the RRC Online System.

Publication EIA001 on-line (Oil & Gas Division EDI publication)
Software Vendor List (list of vendors that may supply EDI software)

The agent record tells the Commission who is responsible for the information that was sent in. Your organization can assign multiple agents for reports filed electronically. Because of this, you have to include an agent record in each filing. The agent record is mandatory and must be the first record found. The totals record tells the Commission how many of what type of record should be on the file. These totals are compared to what was actually found in your file. If one or more of the counts do not match, a warning message is generated on the status report when the file is processed. A count in the totals record that is higher than the count actually found may indicate that you did not include all the information in the file that you wanted to. A count in the totals record that is lower than the count actually found may indicate that you have duplicate records in the file (duplicate records are not processed and the number of duplicate records found is given in the status listing).