Business Briefs

AUSTIN—The Railroad Commission of Texas (Commission) issued a total of 960 original drilling permits in August 2019 compared 1,110 in August 2018. The August 2019 total included 865 permits to drill new oil or gas wells, eight to re-enter plugged well bores and 87 for recompletions of existing well bores. The breakdown of well types for those permits is 229 oil, 49 gas, 605 oil or gas, 50 injection, two service, and 15 other permits. In August 2019, Commission staff processed 446 oil, 103 gas, 27 injection, and two other completions compared to 601 oil, 123 gas, 56 injection, and three other completions in August 2018. Total well completions processed for 2019 year-to-date are 6,327; down from 7,297 recorded during the same time period in 2018. For the Panhandle, there were five permits to drill oil/gas holes; one new oil completion; and two gas completions. According to Baker Hughes Inc., the Texas rig count as of Sept. 6 was 438, representing about 49 percent of all active rigs in the United States. For additional drilling permit and completion statistics, visit the Commission’s website at: https://www.rrc.texas.gov/oil-gas/research-and-statistics/well-information/monthly-drillingcompletion-and-plugging-summaries/.