Well Completions Drop Dramatically in Texas

December 20, 2017 Elizabeth Alford

Texas oil and gas operators are on track to complete fewer wells this year than ever before.

For January-November 2017, the Texas Railroad Commission (RRC) issued 11795 oil and gas permits, a steep increase over the 7,104 for the same time period of 2016.

While permits have increased, completion rates dropped dramatically and 2017 may see the fewest wells completed since before 2008, the earliest record published by the agency.

For November 2017, the RRC issued 1,187 original drilling permits, compared to 673 in November 2016. The breakdown includes:

955 new oil or gas wells permits
11 to re-enter plugged well bores permits
221 for re-completions of existing wells permits
358 oil, 66 gas, 682 oil or gas, 57 injection, zero service and 24 other permits

The Midland area continues to lead development for November, with the RRC issuing 657 to the region. Next was the San Antonio region with 131 oil and gas permits issued.

The RRC also reports that there have been 27 new field discoveries since the beginning of the year; 15 oil and 12 natural gas."In November 2017, Commission staff processed 388 oil, 74 gas, 29 injection and one other completions compared to 342 oil, 151 gas, 24 injection and one other completions in November 2016. Total well completions processed for 2017 year to date are 6,291; down from 9,923 recorded during the same period in 2016."

— Texas Railroad Commission November Report

Eagle Ford Shale Rig Count Drops to 83

December 17, 2017 Elizabeth Alford

The Eagle Ford Shale rig count slipped this week to 83 rigs running across our coverage area by midday Friday.

In recent industry news, production of oil, gas, and condensate in the state of Texas is continuing to decline, according to the Texas Railroad Commission(RRC).

Oil and Gas Production Declines Across Texas

A total of 930 oil and gas rigs were running across the United States this week, one less than last week. 183 rigs were targeting natural gas (+3) and 747 were targeting oil in the U.S. (-4). The remainder were drilling service wells (e.g. disposal wells, injection wells, etc.) 457 of the rigs active in the U.S. were running in Texas.

Baker Hughes reports its own Eagle Ford Rig Count that covers the 14 core counties. The rig count published on EagleFordShale.com includes a 30 county area impacted by Eagle Ford development. A full list of the counties included can be found in the table below.

Eagle Ford Oil & Gas Rigs

8 rigs in the Eagle Ford region targeted natural gas this week with the commodity trading at $2.61/mmbtu.

75 Eagle Ford rigs were targeting oil with WTI oil prices at $57.30.

A total of 80 rigs are drilling horizontal wells, zero are drilling directional and three are vertical.

Karnes County leads activity in the region with 16 rigs in production. See the full list below in the Eagle Ford Shale Drilling by County below.

Eagle Ford Shale Drilling by County

Eagle Ford Shale Rig Count by County-December 15, 2017

Eagle Ford Shale News

Oil and Gas Production Declines Across Texas

Oil and Gas Operators Fined $11,077,280 in 2017

EPA Commends Texas for Protecting Water

Eagle Ford Groundwater Contains Harmful Bacteria

What is the Rig Count?

The Eagle Ford Shale Rig Count is an index of the total number of oil & gas drilling rigs running across a 30 county area in South Texas. The South Texas rigs referred to in this article are for ALL drilling reported by Baker Hughes and not solely wells targeting the Eagle Ford formation. All land rigs and onshore rig data shown here are based upon industry estimates provided by the Baker Hughes Rig Count.

Oil and Gas Production Declines Across Texas

December 13, 2017 Elizabeth Alford

Production of oil, gas, and condensate in the state of Texas is continuing to decline, according to the Texas Railroad Commission(RRC).

Oil and Gas Production Down Across Texas

The Texas Railroad Commission released preliminary production figures for September 2017, showing the state produced 69,238,482 barrels of crude oil and 519,180,463 mcf of total natural gas from wells across the state.

These production numbers are continuing a downward trend. Oil production for September 2017 averaged 2,307,949 barrels daily, compared to2,380,134 barrels a day in 2016. Natural gas saw similar slides averaging 17,306,015 mcf a day for September 2017 from 18,708,082 mcf daily average of September 2016.

Texas Production from Oil and Gas Wells - Texas Railroad Commission

The RRC reports that there were 179,660 oil wells and 90,530 gas wells active in the state in September.

Eagle Ford Shale Production

Webb County in the Eagle Ford continues to dominate natural gas production and has produced 578,384,980 mcf during the first nine months of 2017. For crude oil, Eagle Ford's Karnes County produced 61,567,752 bbls.

Top Eagle Ford Shale Counties for January-September 2017

Oil and Gas Operators Fined $11,077,280 in 2017

December 11, 2017 Elizabeth Alford

Texas oil and gas operators were hit hard this year as they were ordered to pay over $11 million in fines for 2017.

Texas Drilling Permits up Over 60%

The Texas Railroad Commission (RRC) released its full-year report that chronicles all of the oil and gas inspections, violations and fines the agency assessed in 2017.

For the calendar year 2017, the RRC fined operators a total of $11,077,280, a steep increase over the $8,651,857 fines of 2016.

The fines included 3,567 cases involving the state’s oil and gas industry and intrastate pipeline safety. Details include:

$337,721 in fines assessed in oil and gas protested dockets that went to hearing;
$3,980,880 in penalties for Master Default Orders;
$2,690,765 in fines for Master Agreed Orders, and;
$4,067,914 for Pipeline Damage Prevention penalties.

For the month of December, the Commission assessed $173.507 in fines involving 180 enforcement dockets against operators and support businesses.

It's been a busy year for oil and gas drilling across Texas and in the Eagle Ford Shale.For January-October, 2017, the Texas Railroad Commission (RRC) issued 4097 more (60%) oil and gas permits than last year. 1789 of those permits were granted to operators in Eagle Ford Shale counties, surpassing the total 2016 number of 1119.

The RRC issued 997 original drilling permits for the state in October, compared to 855 in October 2016. The breakdown includes:

885 new oil or gas wells permits
5 to re-enter plugged well bores permits
107 for re-completions of existing wells permits
236 oil, 46 gas, 646 oil or gas, 48 injection, zero service and 21 other permits

The Texas Railroad Commission regulates oil and gas exploration and production, pipeline safety, surface mining, natural gas utilities and alternative fuels. In April the RRC celebrated its 125th anniversary.

Rig Count Rising in Texas; Eagle Ford Gains Two

December 9, 2017 Elizabeth Alford

The rig count is on the rise in Texas as producers across the state slowly bring oil and gas drilling rigs back online.

The Eagle Ford Shale rig count gained two this week with 84 rigs running across our coverage area by midday Friday.

In recent industry news, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recognized the Texas Railroad Commission for its work to protect underground sources of drinking water.

EPA Commends Texas for Protecting Water

A total of 931 oil and gas rigs were running across the United States this week, two more than last week. 180 rigs were targeting natural gas (+0) and 751 were targeting oil in the U.S. (+2). The remainder were drilling service wells (e.g. disposal wells, injection wells, etc.) 459 of the rigs active in the U.S. were running in Texas.