Oil & Gas

Regulating the exploration, production, & transportation of oil and natural gas in Texas

Oil & Gas ANNOUNCEMENTS

NTO - Form H-15, Test on an Inactive Well More than 25 Years Old, Filing Requirements


November 18, 2024

The Form H-15, Test on an Inactive Well More than 25 Years Old, must be filed with the Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) within 30 days after a Fluid Level (FL) or Mechanical Integrity (MIT) test is conducted. Please be reminded that operators are required to contact the appropriate RRC Oil and Gas district office at least 72 hours prior to testing to receive testing approval.  Notification IDs will be obtained at that time and must be included on the form.

The online Form H-15 will accept both tests. When filing the form online, an operator can also submit any attachments and is not required to file duplicates of the report and attachments with the appropriate RRC Oil and Gas district office. Once the form is submitted online, the RRC Online System will generate a print-friendly PDF. All reports will be available to view in the system after being reviewed by the RRC.

To access the Form H-15 in the RRC Online System, the organization’s designated Security Administrator must add the External H15 Filer filing right to each user’s RRC Online System account. If your company needs to set up security administrator rights to file online, view the instructions on RRC website at https://www.rrc.texas.gov/forms/online-filing-at-rrc/.

While the RRC continues to accept hard copy filings of the Form H-15, operators are strongly encouraged to file online for efficient and timely filing. If an operator files a hard copy of the report, they must mail the original report and attachments to the RRC. The original report and attachments regarding FL tests must be mailed to the RRC’s Oil and Gas Division in Austin. The original report and attachments regarding MIT tests must be mailed to the appropriate oil and gas district office. The form is available for download from the RRC website at https://www.rrc.texas.gov/oil-and-gas/oil-and-gas-forms/.

For more information on the online Form H-15, view an instructional video on the RRC’s YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/YOR0d-dLK3w or reference the user guide, H-15 Older Inactive Well Test Reports, available on the RRC website at https://www.rrc.texas.gov/media/1xjgcyly/h-15-user-guide-external.pdf.

If you have questions regarding this notice, contact the RRC Oil and Gas district office that serves the county where the well is located, or the Field Operations department of the Oil and Gas Division at OG_FOPS@rrc.texas.gov, or 512-463-6838. For district office contact information, visit the RRC website at https://www.rrc.texas.gov/about-us/locations/oil-gas-counties-districts/.

To view the full notice, visit the RRC website at https://www.rrc.texas.gov/media/iheaadh3/2024-nto-form-h-15-online.pdf

 

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What we do

The Railroad Commission, through its Oil and Gas Division, regulates the exploration, production, and transportation of oil and natural gas in Texas. Its statutory role is to:

  1. prevent waste of the state's natural resources,
  2. to protect the correlative rights of different interest owners,
  3. to prevent pollution, and
  4. to provide safety in matters such as hydrogen sulfide.

The division accomplishes these goals by permitting and reporting requirements; by field inspections, testing programs and monitoring industry activities in the field; and through programs to remediate abandoned wells and sites through the use of fees and taxes paid by industry.
The Oil and Gas Division is headquartered in Austin, Texas with nine district offices spread over the state.

Drilling Permit Processing Time
as of October 28th, 2024

Expedited Permits: approximately 2
Business days
Standard Permits: approximately   4
Business days

Tips on submitting a problem-free drilling permit.



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