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Oil and Gas Well Records

The Railroad Commission of Texas maintains historical information that is used by employees, other state agencies, local government, the oil and gas industry, and the general public in its Central Records and Imaging units. An estimated 132 million pages of analog and digital documents encompassing the history of each Texas oil and natural gas well from the drilling permit application to the final plugging report are preserved.

Search Oil and Gas Well Records - Oil and Gas Well Records can be searched by key fields or full text. The Oil and Gas Potential profile includes applications to drill, oil and gas completion reports, plugging reports, producer's transportation authority and miscellaneous records from 1964 to present.  The Well Log (WL) profile includes images of all well logs received since July 2004.

How to Request Well Records

When requesting copies of well records, production, inkjet plots, well data reports and geological data, whether by mail, phone, fax, Internet, or in person, please provide as much of the following information as possible:

  • County name (where property or well is located)
  • Approximate date of drilling activity
  • Lease or well name and well number
  • Original or current operator name
  • Field name and reservoir
  • Commission number (API, Drilling Permit, Oil Lease number, and/or Gas ID number)
  • Location (survey name, abstract, section, block, etc.)

Please review the Document Price List for the costs associated with records research and copies.

There are several ways to request information from the Information Services’ Central Records Section:

Fillable Adobe Acrobat Form

  • If you are viewing the form using the Adobe Reader, print the form and and fax (512-463-7200) or mail (P. O. Box 12967, Austin, Texas 78711) the form to the Railroad Commission of Texas.
  • If you are viewing the form using the Adobe Acrobat software, save the form and attach it to an email and send to ims@rrc.texas.gov.

Word 2000

  • You can print and fax (512-463-7200) or mail (P. O. Box 12967, Austin, Texas 78711) the form to the Railroad Commission of Texas.
  • You can save the form and attach it to an email and send to ims@rrc.texas.gov.

Call, Fax, Email or Visit

Call: 512-463-6882 
Fax: 512-463-7200
Email: ims@rrc.texas.gov
Visit: 1701 North Congress Ave., Austin, TX 78701; 10th Floor, Room 10-100 
Hours: 8 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday

General Information Pertaining to Leases and Royalites

This outline is provided as an informal guide to members of the public seeking information or legal services the Railroad Commission of Texas cannot provide. Since the Texas Legislature has given the Railroad Commission of Texas limited authority to regulate the oil and gas industry in Texas, our staff cannot advise you in all oil and gas matters. Areas over which the Railroad Commission of Texas has no authority include lease and royalty matters (including leasing, payment of royalties and the right to receive royalties), the financing of or investment in oil and gas activities, property rights matters and bankruptcy.

Information Available in Central Records

Oil and Gas Well Records (1920 to Present)

Oil and gas well records for all RRC districts for the period 1964 to the present are available through the Oil and Gas Imaged Records Query, as well as through the Public GIS Viewer  and  Wellbore Query.

Oil and gas records prior to 1981 are also available on microformat (microfilm, microfiche, unit jackets).

The contents of these records are:

  • application To Drill (W-1 and location plat) NOTE: Applications to Drill submitted to the Commission after May 2005 are in electronic format only and available through the Drilling Permit (Form W-1) Application Query;
  • gas/oil completion reports (G-1/W-2 and attachments);
  • plugging reports (W-3 and attachments);
  • P-4’s (Producer’s Transportation Authority); and
  • miscellaneous (correspondence, back pressure curve, dual completion packets, directional survey, etc.)

Well Logs

In July 2004, the Railroad Commission of Texas began imaging well logs received as a result of regulatory compliance requirements. These images are available through the Oil and Gas Imaged Records Query, as well as through the Public GIS Viewer. Well logs from September 1985 to the present are also available in paper format and on microfiche; however the paper logs are stored off-site.

Oil and Gas Hearing Files (1920 to Present)

Types of hearings:

  • New Field Designation
  • Statewide Rules (SWR 38/39, SWR 10, etc.)
  • Field Rules
  • Fluid Injections
  • Miscellaneous (Administrative, Exception To Rules, etc.)

Contents (dependent on type of hearing):

  • Notice of Hearing
  • Final Order/Special Order
  • Electric logs
  • Maps (Contour, Structure, Cross Section, etc.)
  • Engineer notes/reservoir data
  • Exhibits

Oil and Gas Production

1993 to Present: Available on the Internet; click on Online Research Queries for the Production Data Query (PDQ) application: http://webapps2.rrc.texas.gov/EWA

1992 & prior: On microformat (microfilm/microfiche)

  • Reported monthly and annually
  • Lease production (oil is reported by lease and gas is reported by well)
  • Field production

Guide To Filing System in Central Records

Oil and Gas Potential Well Records

OIl and gas well records for all Railroad Commission of Texas districts for the period 1964 to the present are available through the Oil and Gas Imaged Records Query as well as through the Public GIS Viewer.

Oil and gas records prior to 1981 are also available on microformat (microfilm, microfiche, unit jackets).

  • Contains all well record information filed on completed/plugged wells.
  • Oil and Gas Potential Well Records filming cycles:
    • 1964 - 1967
    • 1968 - 1972
    • 1973 - 1980
    • 1981 - 1985 (Districts 01 through 7B only)

Wildcat by County (Dry Hole Files)

These are inn order by District, County name and Operator name. The records are filmed at the beginning of each district’s suspense filming.

  • Wildcat by County filming cycles:
    • 1968 & Prior
    • 1971 & Prior
    • 1974 & Prior
    • 1978 & Prior (Districts 01 & 02 only)
    • 1980 & Prior
    • 1985 & Prior
    • 1999 & Prior

Suspense Files (Dry Hole Files)

Suspense files house all incoming Applications To Drill (form W-1) until the well is either completed or plugged. Expired drilling permits as well as drilling permits (form W-1) and plugging reports (form W-3) for dry holes remain in the Suspense file. Suspense files are in numeric order by API number.

  • Suspense files dated 2000 through present are available through the Oil and Gas Imaged Records Query.
  • Suspense files dated 1966 through 1999 are on microfilm and can be located in the following filming cycles:
    • 1968 & prior (only 20,000 API numbers assigned by the Commission)
    • 1971 & Prior
    • 1974 & Prior
    • 1978 & Prior (Districts 01 & 02 only)
    • 1980 & Prior
    • 1985 & Prior
    • 1999 & Prior

Oil and Gas Well Records Located on Microfilm

Unit Jackets and Well Records Runs consist of Application for Permit to Drill (Form 1), Oil or Gas Completion Report (Form 2), Application to Plug and Well Record (Form 2A), Plugging Report (Form 4), plats, driller’s logs, Producer's Transportaton Authority and Certificate of Compliance (form SW-1), letters and miscellaneous forms. These records cover approximately the years between 1920 to the mid 1960s.

  • Material dated approximately 1920 through 1962 (if filed) can be located on Unit Jackets. These are in order by operator control number (assigned by Central Records staff for tracking purposes) and lease name. Each lease has its own jacket filed by the operator’s control number.
  • The J-run, also called a Major run, covers the approximate years of 1920 through 1966 for well records filed by all major operators. The records are in order by operator number and lease name.
  • The K, L and M runs cover the approximate years of 1963 to April 1966.
  • Records are in order by operator number and lease name. They are as follows:
    • J - Run: includes material dated 1920 - 1966
    • K - Run: includes material dated 1963 - 1964
    • L - Run: includes material dated 1964 - 1965
    • M - Run: includes material dated 1965 to April 1966

Oil and Gas Closed Potential Records Located on Microfilm

  • Potential records were filed approximately 1930 through 1963.
  • Closed Oil Potential records include Form 3 (Initial Potential Test for Oil), Salt Water Disposal permits, and miscellaneous plats. The records are in order by district, field, operator, lease name, and well number.
  • Closed Gas Potential records include letters, plats, miscellaneous documents, and form GWT-1 (Initial Potential Test for Gas) for District 10 only. The records are in order by district, field, and operator name.
  • Form GWT-1 for Districts 01 through 09 for this time period will be found on the GWT microfilm. The index to the microfilm is organized by district, operator, well name and number, and completion date. This information is necessary to determine the roll of film on which a specific record may be located.

Oil and Gas Potential Records Located on Microfilm

  • Oil and gas Potential files on microfilm include the time period from 1964 to 1985.
  • RRC districts 1 – 7B are on microfilm from 1964 – 1985; Districts 7C – 10 are on microfilm from 1964 – 1981.
  • Potential files include Application To Drill (form W-1 and location plat), Gas/Oil completion reports (G-1/W-2 and attachments), Plugging reports (W-3 and attachments), P-4’s (Producer’s Transportation Authority), and Miscellaneous (correspondence, backpressure curve, dual completion packets, directional survey, etc.).
  • Oil and Gas Potential Well Records filming cycles:
    • 1964 - 1967
    • 1968 - 1972
    • 1973 - 1980
    • 1981 - 1985 (Districts 01 through 7B only)


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