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Application Attachments

Notice of Application

Notice of the application ensures that all affected parties are informed and have opportunity to protest the permitting of the proposed injection well.
Mail or deliver a copy of the application form(s), both front and back, to:
  • The owner "of record" of the surface tract on which the well is located; (Owner "of record" is the owner that is listed on deed and tax records.)
  • Each Commission-designated operator of any well or active drilling location within 1/2-mile of the proposed disposal/injection well (excluding permanently plugged wells);
  • The county clerk for the county where the well is located;
  • The city clerk if the well is located within corporate city limits.

Commericial Disposal Notice

If the application is for commercial disposal, notice must also be given in the same manner to owners "of record" of each surface tract that adjoins the proposed disposal tract. If the tract has been subdivided, then notify all surface owners of record within a 1/2-mile radius of the wellbore. Although not required, we recommend that you include a cover letter to briefly explain the nature of the application.

Notice Map

A map is required, showing all wells of public record active drilling permit location within a 1/2-mile of the proposed injection/disposal well. Each well or drilling permit should be clearly labeled with the Commission-designated operator. The only wells that may be excluded from notice are wells that have been permanently plugged and abandoned.

  • Clearly show the location of all wells of public record within one-half mile radius of the proposed injection/disposal well.
  • Identify the commission designated operators of wells within one-half mile of the proposed injection/disposal well.
  • For a commercial disposal well application, show the owners of record of the surface tracts that adjoin the proposed disposal well tract.

If the application is for commercial disposal, notice must also be given in the same manner to owners "of record" of each surface tract that adjoins the proposed disposal tract. If the tract has been subdivided, then notify all surface owners of record within a 1/2-mile radius of the wellbore. Although not required, we recommend that you include a cover letter to briefly explain the nature of the application.

Signed Statement of Notice

Provide a signed statement listing name, address, and relation to the application (i.e. offset operator, surface owner, etc.) and the date that a copy of the application, front & back, was mailed or delivered to each of the required recipients. If there are no active operators within 1/2-mile of the well indicate that on the signed statement.

Published Notice

Notice of the application must be published once by the applicant in a form approved by the Commission in a newspaper of general circulation in the county where the well is located. Notice instructions and forms may be obtained from the Commission's Austin office, district offices, or downloaded from this website. The following information must be submitted with the application:

  • Affidavit of publication: The affidavit must be notarized and must state that the newspaper has general circulation in the county where the well is located, and
  • A newspaper clipping.

Guidelines

  • Indicate that the formation is productive or non-productive of oil and gas.
  • Include Formation Name(s).
  • Include the Field and Lease Name(s).
  • Include the Well Number(s).
  • The direction/miles from the nearest town must be consistent with the information in the application.
  • The injection interval/disposal zone must be consistent with the information in the application.
  • For H-1 applications where several wells are involved, use the top of the shallowest and the bottom of the deepest interval for the subsurface depth interval.
  • Notice must be published (once for injection or disposal under Rules 9 or 46 and once a week for three consecutive weeks for storage of gas in reservoirs under Statewide Rule 96) at your expense on or before the day the application is filed.
  • The newspaper need not be in the same county as the well, but must have general circulation in that county.
  • The legal authority paragraph must be included in the publication.
  • The notice must contain instructions for persons who wish to protest the application or who wish to request further information concerning the application.
  • The published notice for injection wells to inject H2S must state that they will inject H2S. For example: "Notice of Application for H2S Oil & Gas Waste Disposal Well Permit".
  • The published notice for commercial disposal wells shall include the language "Application for Commercial Oil and Gas Waste Disposal Well."
  • The published notice for an area permit shall include the language "Area Permit Application.
  • For commercial applications, submit a plat showing the legal tract of land on which the well is located and clearly label the adjoining offset landowners.

Well Log

The well log is needed to identify the top and bottom of the proposed injection zone and overlying formations.

  1. A complete electric log or similar well log of the proposed injection/disposal well is required.
    • The log must include a header and show the proposed disposal/injection zone. Submit the log by using the RRC online system and include the submission tracking number in the application. The info filled out on the online submission must reflect what is on the header of the log.
    • Driller's logs, caliper logs and collar logs are not adequate. If a well log is not available for the proposed injection/disposal well, the applicant may submit a log of a nearby well and identify the logged well on one of the plats submitted with the application.
  2. If a well log is not available for the proposed injection/disposal well, the applicant may submit a log of a nearby well and identify the logged well on one of the plats submitted with the application. If no logs are available in the project area or the log submitted does not show the entire permitted interval then the operator must provide an electric log of the subject well  once the well is completed.
  3. If multiple wells are covered by one Form H-1 within the same application, only one well log is required if the log is representative of all the wells in the application.

Groundwater Protection Determination (Form GW-2)

The Form GW-2 is required to show the depths at which groundwater need to be protected near the proposed injection well.

  1. With Forms H-1/H-1A, a Form GW-2 is required stating the depth to which usable-quality groundwater must be protected. This form is commonly referred to as a "surface casing letter" or "water board letter." Instructions for how to obtain a Form GW-2 can be found on the Groundwater Advisory Unit webpage.
  2. With Forms H-1/H-1A for the purpose of disposal, the Form GW-2 must state the depth of the Base of Usable Quality Water (BUQW) and Underground Source of Drinking Water (USDW). This can be acquired by filing the Groundwater Protection Determination (Form GW-1) online. Note that the “Purpose of Request” should be "Injection into Producing Zone (H1)" to ensure that the GAU Geologist includes the USDW depth(s).
  3. With Form W-14, a letter ("No Harm Letter") stating that the proposed injection will not endanger freshwater is required. Instructions for how to obtain a No Harm Letter can be found on the GAU Oil & Gas Waste Disposal Well Letter
    webpage.

Area of Review (AOR)

The Area of Review is required to identify any wells near the proposed injection well which may provide a pathway for migration of injected fluids out of the proposed disposal/injection zone.

AOR Map

A map of all wells of public record within a 1/4-mile radius of the proposed injection/disposal well showing the total depth of each well is required. Click here for an example. 

Guidelines

  • Use a current map.
  • Use a legible map clearly showing operator names, lease names, and well numbers.
  • Draw 1/4-mile radius around the well, wells (multi-well applications), or lease (area permit applications).
  • Always show map scale and north arrow.
  • Be able to distinguish wells with the same numbers. You may need to use a numbering system to show which wells are the same in your AOR wells table.

RRC Public GIS Map Viewer

RRC staff will use the RRC Public GIS Map Viewer to verify that all wells within a 1/4-mile have been examined. The interface allows you to locate the well by API number, Lease ID number, Survey or GPS coordinates. You may also navigate by zooming in using landmarks such as cities and highways. You can use GIS tools to navigate, identify wells, surveys and draw a 1/4 or 1/2 mile circle around the subject well.

AOR Wells Table

A table is required that lists all wells within 1/4-mile around the well(s) that penetrate the top of the proposed injection zone. Click here for an example.

Guidelines

    • For each well, show the lease names, well numbers, API numbers and Total Depth (TD).
    • For each well, show date drilled, current status, and date plugged (if applicable).
    • Include a copy of the plugging report for any wells plugged prior to January 1, 1967. Provide copies of the plugging records for all (plugged, dry hole or unknown status wells) within ¼-mile for the proposed injection well or drilling logs to show the wells TDs do not penetrate the subject well permitted interval.
    • If space allows, the Map and Table of wells within the 1/4-mile radius can be combined.

Historical Seismic Events

Any application for a new disposal well permit or an amendment of an existing disposal well permit for pressure, injection rate, or interval must include a survey of historical seismic events.

A survey of historical seismic events is a printed copy or screenshot showing the input parameters and results of a survey of information from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) regarding the locations of any historical events within a circular area of 100 square miles (a circle with a radius of 9.08 kilometers) centered around the disposal well location. The USGS Earth Archive Search may be found at the following link: (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/search/).

To use the USGS Earth Archive Search, enter the following parameters:

  • DATE & TIME: Start (UTC); 1973-01-01 00:00:00
  • MINIMUM MAGNITUDE: 2
  • CIRCLE: Center Latitude and Center Longitude; Enter the location of the proposed Disposal Well using a WGS84 or NAD83 datum
  • CIRCLE: Inside Radius; Leave blank or enter 0
  • CIRCLE: Outside Radius; Enter 9.08
  • The in-put and the out-put (results) search shall be included with the application.

Fresh Water Injection

The injection of fresh water as a make-up fluid is restricted to cases where there is no technically or economically viable alternative. This part of the permit review verifies that all alternatives have been investigated.

  1. Fresh water questionnaire to justify use of fresh water.
  2. Form H-7 (Fresh Water Data Form) and attachments:
    • Chemical analysis of fresh water to be injected.
    • Plat outlining fresh water rights.
    • If fresh water is purchased, only the fresh water questionnaire and a purchase agreement are required.
    • The Commission is required by statute to forward a copy of an application involving injection of fresh water to the RRC Groundwater Advisory Unit for comment.  The GAU has up to 30 days to respond

Requests for Exception

Requests to construct and operate a well in a manner other than that specified in the rules requires an exception to the specific requirement. The request must be in writing, show proof of good cause for the exception, and include the $375 filing fee.

Types of exceptions:

  • Tubing and packer: to inject down casing without tubing and packer.
  • Packer setting depth: to allow the packer to be set higher than allowed by rule.
  • Pressure observation valves: to waive the requirement for wellhead pressure valves on the tubing and each annulus.
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