Railroad Commission of Texas Streamlines Oil and Gas Well Reporting

Process Makes Well Log Information More Accessible to Public

AUSTIN – As part of the Railroad Commission of Texas’ commitment to increasing efficiency and transparency through the modernization of its Information Technology systems, oil and gas producers can now file well log data electronically. Because the Commission now has the technology to accept well log information electronically, operators will no longer be required to print this information and submit paper logs.

This new electronic filing system will save operators about $362,000 annually and reduce the time and resources necessary for them to comply with reporting requirements, as well as make the information they submit more quickly and easily accessible to the public. Likewise, the Commission will save $105,000 and nearly 4,000 hours of staff time by eliminating the need for staff to receive the paper copies of these well logs and convert them to electronic files.

“Technology updates such as these help close the gap in day-to-day business operations between government agencies and private business,” Chairman Christi Craddick said.

“We are bringing more data online to allow for a more efficient solution that saves both the state and industry significant time and money. In turn, that means the generation of further business activity, the creation of more jobs and a stronger Texas economy overall. We at the Commission will continue to do everything we can to drive these pro-business policies forward throughout every aspect of our processes,” Craddick said.

Commissioner Ryan Sitton said, “Affordable IT solutions that enhance the Commission’s accessibility and modernize the agency are a priority for the Commissioners. It made no sense to require operators to provide us information in paper form that they already had in electronic form, so I’m glad we identified this issue and saved both operators and the agency time and money.”

Commissioner Wayne Christian said, “Reducing the regulatory burden on energy operators in Texas, while making sure we continue to protect the people and environment across our state makes good economic sense for our state.  Smart regulation like this keeps operators in the field, Texans on the job and gives the Commission the tools we need to make sure energy production in Texas is done safely and responsibly.”

Operators must submit well logs in both .TIFF and .LAS formats. To access the L-1 Electric Log Status Report form on the Commission’s website, click here.