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Oil & Gas, Texas Counties

Texas’ Oil Production

372 Comments

Texas has produced great quantities of oil in the past decade with an average of some 500,000,000 barrels of oil yearly according to the Energy Information Administration of the US Department of Energy. This was a product of the crude oil production reported by the operators to the Railroad Commission of Texas annually every 15th of February.

In the last 6 years, 2014 has brought in the highest crude oil production on a month-on-month basis. For the month of January, it produced 69,903,539. For the month of February, it produced some 64,058,704 barrels. For March, it produced 71,589,704 barrels. For April, it produced, 70,506,631 barrels. For May, it produced 72,299,887 barrels. In June, it produced 70,108,403 barrels. At last measure in July, it was estimated that Texas produced 69,573,013 barrels of oil.

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In 2013, a total of 703,119 barrels were produced with a daily average of 1,926,000 barrels. It had some 179,797 wells producing these. Each of these well produced an average of 10.71 barrels a day. There was a 32.19% change in production in comparison to the 533,141,000 barrels of oil produced in 2012.

In recent history, the 2013 production of oil has been the highest recorded. The last highest yearly production was recorded in 1972 when 1,263,412 barrels of oil were produced. This was the highest production since well drilling began in Texas in 1935. of February.

Texas Field Production of Crude Oil (Thousand Barrels)
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
  1981 80,609 72,591 80,734 77,344 79,890 77,030 78,640 78,356 76,017 78,364 75,135 77,640
  1982 77,306 70,503 78,298 75,983 77,507 74,349 76,378 76,110 74,624 76,561 74,496 76,102
  1983 75,776 69,034 76,046 73,833 75,263 73,020 74,932 74,393 72,726 74,850 72,827 70,211
  1984 76,531 70,374 75,510 72,756 74,806 72,228 74,382 74,123 71,958 74,016 72,024 74,466
  1985 73,331 66,371 74,105 73,839 74,004 70,958 73,337 73,533 70,643 73,585 71,690 73,822
  1986 74,135 66,752 73,344 69,397 70,407 66,802 68,621 67,529 64,891 66,638 64,604 66,475
  1987 66,135 60,010 66,167 63,738 64,459 61,837 63,677 63,399 61,622 64,129 62,107 63,682
  1988 63,922 59,979 63,853 61,281 62,750 60,347 61,624 61,476 59,019 61,450 59,159 60,635
  1989 60,740 53,515 59,812 57,725 59,073 56,383 58,015 57,916 55,717 57,467 55,925 55,881
  1990 58,072 52,687 57,594 55,382 57,044 54,665 56,603 57,292 55,515 58,804 56,998 57,822
  1991 59,433 54,071 59,299 57,138 58,502 55,333 57,078 57,332 55,302 57,160 55,424 56,544
  1992 56,323 52,552 56,220 54,054 54,953 52,661 54,505 54,719 52,929 54,834 52,601 54,274
  1993 54,148 48,839 53,801 51,690 52,838 50,734 51,722 51,853 50,005 51,726 50,183 51,551
  1994 51,754 46,561 51,465 49,384 50,644 48,323 49,488 49,347 47,681 48,888 47,771 49,430
  1995 49,056 44,190 48,410 46,696 47,706 45,594 46,681 46,620 45,107 47,110 45,725 46,751
  1996 46,721 43,547 47,159 45,382 46,406 44,396 45,439 45,202 44,037 45,663 43,803 45,587
  1997 45,150 41,756 45,840 44,467 45,629 44,141 45,305 45,012 43,976 45,536 44,460 45,313
  1998 45,909 41,312 45,140 43,016 43,723 41,599 41,721 41,772 40,185 41,157 39,708 39,420
  1999 39,197 35,443 38,576 37,050 38,147 36,136 37,374 37,109 36,442 38,109 37,180 38,470
  2000 38,241 36,030 38,258 36,836 37,606 36,234 37,121 37,177 35,866 36,999 35,848 37,181
  2001 37,020 33,270 36,603 35,464 36,204 34,606 35,747 35,622 34,127 35,770 34,253 35,611
  2002 35,477 31,959 34,903 33,653 34,596 32,975 33,876 33,968 32,904 33,980 33,233 34,252
  2003 34,336 31,046 34,578 33,273 34,030 32,560 33,571 33,529 32,843 34,071 32,850 33,977
  2004 33,797 31,700 33,758 32,461 33,223 31,709 32,762 32,838 32,023 33,090 32,073 33,281
  2005 33,740 30,718 34,033 32,706 33,439 32,094 32,887 33,012 31,152 33,176 32,387 33,257
  2006 33,639 30,439 33,691 32,383 33,158 31,960 32,932 32,806 32,121 33,438 32,506 33,408
  2007 32,790 30,191 33,501 32,481 33,244 31,743 32,825 32,977 32,075 33,229 32,515 33,701
  2008 33,914 32,020 34,549 33,397 34,404 32,920 34,429 34,421 31,673 34,889 34,243 35,149
  2009 35,121 31,590 34,665 33,306 33,765 32,131 32,952 33,069 32,432 33,499 33,022 33,792
  2010 34,053 31,389 35,237 34,114 35,528 34,155 35,728 36,162 35,732 37,714 37,291 39,646
  2011 39,726 34,341 41,403 40,396 43,162 42,011 44,503 46,098 46,002 49,360 49,603 52,202
  2012 53,199 51,142 55,511 55,997 59,230 58,411 61,964 63,623 62,676 66,734 66,448 69,252
  2013 70,421 65,437 73,880 72,359 76,968 75,493 79,783 80,685 79,447 82,389 80,135 86,599
  2014 88,047 80,835 90,944 89,412 93,841 92,215 96,168

 

 

– = No Data Reported;  — = Not Applicable;  NA = Not Available;  W = Withheld to avoid disclosure of individual company data.
Oil & Gas

American Energy Production Shows No Signs Of Slowing Down

1,423 Comments

“Oil output will respond very slowly to a drop in oil prices,” Bjornar Tonhaugen, vice president for oil and gas markets at Rystad Energy, wrote in a report released this week. “Markets may even be oversupplied next year more than previously thought.”

The decrease in oil and gas prices may have sent oil company stocks tumbling, however oil experts have claimed that the American energy production is not slowing down.

Even after a drop of as much as 25 percent in oil prices since early summer, several government and private reports say that it would take a drop of $10 to $20 a barrel more — to as low as $60 a barrel — to slow production even modestly.

On the downside, taxes and royalties on oil will decline, potentially cutting into the finances of oil-producing states like Texas, Alaska, Oklahoma and North Dakota. And it will continue to put pressure on the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries to cut output to support prices, as well as cause economic pain to big producers like Russia, Venezuela and Iran.

Slowing American oil production is like slowing a freight train moving at high speed. The current production of 8.7 million barrels a day, the highest in nearly a quarter-century, is more than a million barrels a day higher than it was only a year ago. Most companies make their investment decisions well in advance and need months to slow exploration because of contracts with service companies. And if they do decide to cut back some drilling, they will pick the least prospective fields first as they continue developing the richest prospects.

east-texas-oil-field

The Energy Department this week reported that only 4 percent of shale production in North Dakota, Texas and other states needed an oil price above $80 a barrel for producers to break even on investments. One reason is that improved efficiencies in hydraulic fracturing and other modern production techniques have increased the output of each new well month after month in recent years.

Source: NYtimes.com

Texas Counties

General Information: Cass County

145 Comments

OilTexas 11Cass County saw a peak its approval of drilling permits in 1993 when it approved more than 35 permits. It only peaked again in 2003 when it approved some 15 permits.

At present, only two permits that were filed: one in January 24 and one in February 5, Only the earlier submitted permit was approved. The permit waiting approval was filed by the Valence Operating Company and the approved one was file by Machin & Associates, Inc.

The county achieved its record oil production in 1993 when it produced more than 694,775 barrels of oil. Production then went on a decline since then only to level off at around 2004. In 2014, however, it lists is record low of only 138,955 barrels of oil.

Top Operators in Cass County, TX
  1. Buffco Production Inc.
  2. Cass Energy LLC
  3. Chaparral Energy, L.L.C.
  4. Dominion Natural Resources LLC
  5. Gallery Petroleum LLC
  6. Katy Resources LLC
  7. Lance Oil & Gas Productions
  8. Machin & Associates, Inc.
  9. Oil Patch Operators Co., L.L.C.
  10. Pegasi Operating Inc.
  11. Robertson-Bryce Management, LLC
  12. Stetson Petroleum Corp.
  13. Stroud Petroleum, Inc.
  14. Sulphur River Exploration, Inc.
  15. Tidemark Exploration, Inc.
  16. XTO Energy Inc.

Since the time it has started producing oil, Cass County has had 315 operators enter into its territory. Currently, the top leases in the county include Allsup, V.B. Oil Lease #014825; Arklla-Blackstone Oil Lease #015277; Blair Gas Unit Gas Lease #193613; Bost-Wick Unit Gas Lease #016629; and Bryans Mil Unit PF Record Gas Lease #140269.
Oil and Gas Leases in Cass County, TX

Lease Number
Lease Name
Operator Name
06-15137 11-J CORPORATION MIMI CALSTON EXPLORATION USA INC.
06-210607 AHERN, MARY O. CASSCO OPERATING COMPANY, LLC
06-213447 AHERN, MARY O. CASSCO OPERATING COMPANY, LLC
06-033408 AHERN, MARY O. ET AL SHELL OIL COMPANY
06-167881 ALLDAY PETRO-CHEM OPERATING COMPANY,INC
06-11720 ALLDAY DIAMOND A INC.
06-05973 ALLDAY SUPPLY COMPANY STETSON PETROLEUM CORP.
06-02078 ALLDAY, R. S. LOUISIANA ENERGY CONSULTANT INC.
06-10036 ALLDAY, R. S. GRAWARD OPERATING, INC.
06-195002 ALLSUP SULPHUR RIVER EXPLORATION, INC.
06-12133 ALLSUP, V. B. SULPHUR RIVER EXPLORATION, INC.
06-14825 ALLSUP, V. B. SULPHUR RIVER EXPLORATION, INC.
06-054767 ALLSUP, V. B., UNIT SHELL WESTERN E&P INC.
06-05692 ALLSUP,V.B. SHELL OIL COMPANY
06-12076 ANDERSON, GEORGE ESTATE TXP OPERATING COMPANY
06-016623 ANGIE BELOTE SKLAR PRODUCING CO., INC.
06-13361 ARKLA STROUD PETROLEUM, INC.
06-15185 ARKLA STROUD PETROLEUM, INC.
06-15277 ARKLA-BLACKSTONE STROUD PETROLEUM, INC.
06-082333 ASHFORD-MACDONNELL GAS UNIT SULPHUR RIVER EXPLORATION, INC.
06-118941 BAKER DARENCO INC. BLOOMBURG PLANT
06-12769 BALDWIN HEIRS KATY RESOURCES LLC
06-12712 BALDWIN HEIRS NO. 2 KATY RESOURCES LLC
06-12715 BALDWIN HEIRS NO. 3 WHATLEY, O.B. OIL COMPANY, INC.
06-12713 BALDWIN, ADDIE NO. 13 WHATLEY, O.B. OIL COMPANY, INC.
06-12714 BALDWIN, ADDIE NO. 15 KATY RESOURCES LLC
06-12716 BALDWIN, ADDIE NO. 17 KATY RESOURCES LLC
06-01542 BALDWIN, ADDIE SCOTT KILLINGSWORTH OIL CO.
06-12711 BALDWIN, ADDIE SCOTT NO. 1 KATY RESOURCES LLC
06-12453 BAUER SAMEDAN OIL CORPORATION
06-01494 BAUGUS KATY RESOURCES LLC
06-107922 BEAVER GAS UNIT COMANCHE WELL SERVICE CORP.
06-118211 BEDGOOD ESTATE STROUD PETROLEUM, INC.
06-10302 BELL, WILLIAM, JR STETSON PETROLEUM CORP.
06-12499 BEMIS ESTATE EAGLE OIL MANAGEMENT, LLC
06-11159 BEMIS ESTATE SAMEDAN OIL CORPORATION
06-12628 BEMIS ESTATE “D” NO. 3 WHATLEY, O.B. OIL COMPANY, INC.
06-12625 BEMIS ESTATE “D” NO. 6 WHATLEY, O.B. OIL COMPANY, INC.
06-12623 BEMIS ESTATE “D” NO. 8 WHATLEY, O.B. OIL COMPANY, INC.
06-13082 BEMIS ESTATE NO. 12 WHATLEY, O.B. OIL COMPANY, INC.
06-12562 BEMIS ESTATE NO. 3 WHATLEY, O.B. OIL COMPANY, INC.
06-13148 BEMIS ET AL SWANSON, BETTY G.
06-128659 BEMIS ET AL SWANSON, TOM
06-101036 BEMIS HEIRS LONG OPERATING, L.L.C.
06-12709 BEMIS, J. R. KATY RESOURCES LLC
06-03044 BEMIS, J. R. WHATLEY, O.B. OIL COMPANY, INC.
06-12593 BEMIS, J. R. NO. 10 WHATLEY, O.B. OIL COMPANY, INC.
06-12624 BEMIS, J. R. NO. 12 EAGLE OIL MANAGEMENT, LLC
06-12592 BEMIS, J. R. NO. 20 WHATLEY, O.B. OIL COMPANY, INC.
06-12563 BEMIS, J. R. NO. 28 WHATLEY, O.B. OIL COMPANY, INC.
Texas Counties

General Information: Clay County

969 Comments

Clay County started strong in its first three years when it approved more than 90 permits in 1992. The county again saw a peak in the approval of permits when it approved 87 permits in 2008 alone. Now, only 10 permits have been filed and approved.

LMH Energy and Hoco, Inc. filed the most number of permits in the county. In fact, majority of the permits filed in 2014 was filed by LMH Energy. In terms of oil production by the barrel, Clay County saw its peak in 1993 when it produced more than 1,170,125 barrels of oil. However, it experienced a steady decline, until this year when it has only been able to produce a little more than 234,025 barrels of oil. Since 1993, around 1,029 operators have tried their luck in the county.

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The top leases include Bridwell River Ranch Oil Lease #001458; Catlin-Franklin Oil Lease #032387; Coyle, Laura Belle Gas Lease #115862; Deweber, Luther Gas Lease #165996; and Dym-Fulgham Oil Lease #032708.

Top 50 Oil & Gas Operators in Clay County

Operator Number
Operator Name
Location
Leases
953614 2 T PRODUCTION Bowie, TX 76230
857690 3 & 1 TRUSTS
953682 3-T EXPLORATION, INC. Wichita Falls, TX 76308 5
953760 4R OIL COMPANY
000465 A P D OIL CO
000919 ABB DRILLING COMPANY
000920 ABB DRILLING COMPANY, INC.
000921 ABB OIL CO., INC. Wichita Falls, TX 76310
003125 ABRAXAS PETROLEUM CORPORATION San Antonio, TX 78258
003312 ACADIA OIL, LLC Wichita Falls, TX 76308
003605 ACOMA OIL CORPORATION Saint Paul, MN 55102
003910 ADA OIL COMPANY
003966 ADAIR RESOURCES INC. Corsicana, TX 75151
007858 ADDAX OPERATING, LLC Wichita Falls, TX 76301 3
007937 ADKINS, R. L. CORP.
009580 AKIN, J. W.
009583 AKINS OIL COMPANY Wichita Falls, TX 76302 1
010071 ALAMO OPERATING CO., INC.
012375 ALEXANDER, TOMMY Burkburnett, TX 76354
013639 ALLEN, C. L. (DOIE) Nocona, TX 76255 5
015098 ALON USA, LP Big Spring, TX 79721
015123 ALPHA EXPLORATION CO.
016563 AMARALA PETROLEUM INC.
016600 AMAREX, INC.
016905 AMCO ENERGY CORP.
018027 AMERICAN ENERGY GROUP INC.
018023 AMERICAN EXPLORATION COMPANY
018900 AMERICAN PETROFINA CO. OF TEX.
018925 AMERICAN PETROFINA PIPE LINE CO.
020105 AMINEX CORPORATION
020535 AMV OPERATING, INC.
020591 ANCHOR PETROLEUM, INC.
020920 ANDERSON, CARL T.
025355 ANDY’S OIL COMPANY, INC.
027345 APC OPERATING PARTNERSHIP
027456 APEX ENERGY CORPORATION
027463 APEX OPERATING & EQUIP. CO.
028637 AQUILA STORAGE & TRANS., L.P.
028681 ARACCA PETROLEUM CORP.
029271 ARCH OPERATING, LLC Wichita Falls, TX 76310 4
029270 ARCH PETROLEUM INC.
028883 ARCHER REEF OIL CO. Bellevue, TX 76228
030129 ARIES OPERATING, LLC
030128 ARIES OPERATING, LP Houston, TX 77010 4
030573 ARK-LA-TEX PETROLEUM INC.
031620 ARMOUR PROPERTIES

 

Texas Counties

Permit Issuance in Texas

1,787 Comments

According to the Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC), in 2013, a total of 21,471 drilling permits were issued in the state of Texas. In the same year, 19,249 oil wells were completed.

Drilling permit issuance started in Texas in 1960. On that year, 15,601 permits were issued. 9,666 oil wells were also completed on the same year.

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The state experienced a record high in its drilling permit issuance in the early 1980s. In 1980, 39,442 permits were issued. In 1981, 47,940 were issued. In 1982, 41,224 were issued. In 1983, 45,550. In 1984, 37,507.

In 1985, the decline in permit issuance started when only 30,878 permits were given out. The following year, 1986, was even worse as only half of the previous year’s permits were given out: 15,894. The next years saw the permit issuance decline until in 1999, the state experienced its lowest record. On that year, only 8,430 permits were issued. Other low performances include 1998 with 9,385 permits and 2002 with 9,716 permits.

In recent years, 2012 alone showed a dismal performance when only 12,212 permits were issued.

OilTexas 5

 

How do I file drilling permit applications online through the RRC Online System?

Before you can file online, you need a User ID and password assigned to you by your company’s designated Security Administrator. Below are the steps that need to be followed.

  • Designate a Security Administrator(s) by filing of a Security Administrator Designation (SAD) Form with the Railroad Commission if one has not already been designated. The Commission assigns a User ID to the Security Administrator.
  • The Security Administrator must assign User IDs and filing rights for any person filing electronically. DO NOT FILE A SAD FORM FOR EACH PERSON FILING ELECTRONICALLY.
  • Log into the RRC Online System by entering the User ID and password assigned to you by your Security Administrator. (You can change your password once you have logged in.)
  • Select the Drilling Permit Applications System, and file your application online using the pages that are provided
  • If you are set up to file your PR reports online only, you still must be set up to file Drilling Permits online.

What is needed to file drilling permit applications electronically?

To submit filings through the RRC Online System, the following is required:

  • Personal Computer
  • Internet connection
  • Standard web browser, such as Microsoft Internet Explorer (version 5.5/SP2 or higher)
  • Image scanner for capturing attachments electronically (IN .TIF FORMAT ONLY).
  • A scanning resolution with a minimum of 200 dots per inch is required for recording documents that contain no type font smaller than six points. For documents with a type font smaller than 6 points, scanning resolution must be adequate to ensure that no information is lost.

    For plats, Operators are required to enter pre-scanned plat paper size and to show a scale bar on the plat. When the scanned plat is printed out from the electronic record on the same size paper as the original, the scale is the same. The bar ensures that the scale is identical.

  • Visa, Master Card, American Express, Discover, or e-check for payment of permit fees. Payment of fees may only be made through the State of Texas payment portal by credit card or e-check. Access to the payment portal is provided with the application. A 3% processing fee is added to each charge. ALL FEES ARE NON-REFUNDABLE.

 

Texas Counties

General Information: Camp County

285 Comments

Camp County saw the peak in permit approvals in 1998 when 17 permits were approved.  In 2013, all four permits that were submitted by operators were approved.  Three out of the four permits were filed by Basa Resources, Inc. and one was filed by Fairway Resources Operating, LLC.  At present, no permits have been filed.OilTexas 9

From 1998 to 2002, the operator that filed the most permits was the Merit Energy Company. It filed at least 35 permits during this 4-year period.  Basa Resources, Inc, and Fairway Resources Operating, LLC. are the other major players in this county. In recent years, the Newsome Unit well has experienced the most activity.

It was in 1999 that it produced its record oil production when it churned out more than 537,650 barrels of oil in that year alone. This year is proving to be its lowest point with a production of less than 107,530 barrels of oil.

It has had some 80 operators enter into its territory since 1993.  The top leases in the county include Boyce, L.E. Oil Lease #003064, Florence, J.B. Est. Oil Lease #002863, Garret, C. C. Oil Lease #011208, Messer, L. Oil Lease #001141, and Miller, T. H. Oil Lease #005819.

OilTexas 10

Top 30 Oil and Gas Operators in Camp County, TX

Operator Number
Operator Name
Location
Leases
018023 AMERICAN EXPLORATION COMPANY
018900 AMERICAN PETROFINA CO. OF TEX.
036550 ATLANTIC RICHFIELD CO.
053974 BASA RESOURCES, INC. Dallas, TX 75254 42
061700 BEE LINE WELL SERVICE, INC.
072547 BISHOP PETROLEUM INC.
075440 BLAZER RESOURCES, INC. Leesburg, TX 75451
139832 CAT PRODUCTION
148113 CHEVRON U. S. A. INC. Houston, TX 77252
179825 CORPUS CHRISTI OIL & GAS CO.
182074 COTTONWOOD RESOURCES, INC.
191250 CROW, DAVID
197690 DALLAS PRODUCTION, INC. Dallas, TX 75206
198190 DAMSON OIL CORP.
212300 DELHI GAS PIPELINE CORPORATION
216884 DIAMOND DRILLING CO.
216980 DIAMOND OPERATING COMPANY
238634 EAGLE OIL & GAS CO. Dallas, TX 75225
251681 ENBRIDGE G & P (EAST TEXAS) L.P. Houston, TX 77002
251620 ENBRIDGE PIPELINES (NE TEXAS) LP
251695 ENBRIDGE PIPELINES (NE TX) LLC
256481 EVERETT, JACK T.
258410 FAIR OIL, LTD. Tyler, TX 75710
259788 FAIRWAY RESOURCES OPERATING, LLC Southlake, TX 76092 1
266618 FGB ENERGY, INC. Dallas, TX 75206 1
310040 GLENN PETROLEUM CORP.
338095 GULF ENERGY PRODUCING COMPANY
338130 GULF OIL CORP.
338150 GULF OIL CORP.-KILGORE
354987 HANOVER ENERGY INC.
390100 HINTON PRODUCTION COMPANY
396850 HOME PETROLEUM CORPORATION
412145 HUGHEY, GAYLORD T. SR. OPER. CO.
413700 HUMPHREY, T. D., JR.
433045 JKJ OIL COMPANY
473726 KOCH MIDSTREAM SERVICES COMPANY
478189 KROG PARTNERS, LLC Kilgore, TX 75663
521980 MAGUIRE OIL COMPANY
525238 MAP PRODUCTION CO., INC. Englewood, CO 80112
525380 MARATHON OIL COMPANY Oklahoma City, OK 73132
526480 MARLINE OIL CORP.
561136 MERIT ENERGY COMPANY Dallas, TX 75240
570655 MITCHELL ENERGY CORPORATION
590920 MOSS PETROLEUM COMPANY Dallas, TX 75219
590580 MOSS, H.L.
611686 NOBLE & CANTRELL EXPL. CO., INC.
611683 NOBLE & CANTRELL EXPLORATION CO.
611684 NOBLE/CANTRELL EXPLOR.CO., INC.
620480 OIL MANAGEMENT CORPORATION Dallas, TX 75206
628400 OUIDA OIL

 

Texas Counties

Texas’ Oil Top Guns

1,004 Comments

According to the Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC), in 2013, 32 companies were recorded to be the top producers of oil in the State of Texas. The top performer was EOG Resources, Inc. whose production accounted for 9.017% of the state’s total production. In a year, they were able to produce 63,402,417 barrels of oil. Their average daily output was around 173,705 barrels.

gasComprising the top 10 producers are Occidental Permian Ltd in second place with an annual production of 5.886% of the state’s total oil production or 41,383,449 barrels. Also included are Chesapeake Operating, Inc. (5.594%) with 39,331,634; Apache Corporation (3.908%) with 27,480.809; Pioneer Natural Res. USA, Inc. (3.858%) with 27,128,503; Burlington Resources O&G Co LP (3.396%) with 23,879,748; Marathon Oil EF LLC (3.201) with 22,506,864; Kinder Morgan Production Co LLC (2.870%) with 20,176,240; XTO Energy Inc (2.598%) with 18,269,605; and Murphy Expl. & Prod. Co – USA (2.276%) with 16,001,541.

Capping off the list is Comstock Oil & Gas, LP whose production accounts for .628% of the state’s total production or 4,414,819 barrels of oil a year. On the average, they produced 12,095 barrels of oil a day. The top 32 producers make up 66.884% of the total oil production in the state of Texas. The average barrels of oil produced was 470,270,648 with a daily average of 1,288,413 barrels of oil.

Summary of Data in Texas
  • 147,663 Producing Leases
  • 4,309 Producing Operators
  • 1,463,281 Drilled Wells
  • 72,384,569 BBL Of Oil Produced In Apr 2014
  • 507,576,856 MCF Of Gas Produced In Apr 2014

 

Top Operators By Production
  1. Anadarko E&P Onshore LLC
  2. Apache Corporation
  3. BHP Billiton Pet(Txla Op) Co
  4. Burlington Resources O & G Co LP
  5. Chesapeake Operating, Inc.
  6. Devon Energy Production Co, L.P.
  7. Enervest Operating, L.L.C.
  8. EOG Resources, Inc.
  9. Kinder Morgan Production Co LLC
  10. Marathon Oil Ef LLC
  11. Murphy Expl. & Prod. Co. – USA
  12. Occidental Permian LTD.
  13. Pioneer Natural Res. USA, Inc.
  14. SM Energy Company
  15. XTO Energy Inc.
Oil & Gas

Problems and Solutions: Oil Swabbing

925 Comments

swab017.jpg.Swabbing is the act of pulling fluid from the well bore through the use of wire rope and cup assembly. Swabbing equipment includes a swabbing assembly, lubricator with an oil saver, and shut-off valve on the well, also called a swabbing valve.

General precautions during all swabbing operations:

  • Conduct swabbing operations during daylight hours.
  • Keep all personnel clear of the derrick or within six feet (two meters) of the wellhead during swabbing operations.
  • Locate swab tanks at least 100 feet (30 meters) from the well, where location allows.

Potential Hazard:

  • Loss of well control.

Possible Solutions:

  • Use appropriate equipment, rated for the expected pressures, to shut in the well.
  • Inspect lubricators, swages, and unions for defects such as cuts, corrosion, and thread damage before use.
  • Adjust oil savers by remote control with a hydraulic pump placed safely away from the wellhead.
  • Train all personnel in emergency evacuation procedures.

Potential Hazard:

  • Fire, explosive, or respiratory hazard from leakage or venting of oil or gas from tanks, lines or lubricator.

Possible Solutions:

  • Place fire extinguishers in accessible positions.
  • Move sources of potential ignition (such as, open fires for melting of babbitt) to designated areas at a safe distance from the wellhead or flammable liquid storage areas such as the swab tank before swabbing.
  • Make provisions to contain spilled flammable liquids.
  • Monitor the oil saver for wear and potential leakage.
  • Remove all spillage of flammable liquids from equipment, cellars, rig floor, and ground area adjacent to the wellhead.
  • Wear proper PPE, including respiratory protection, as required.

Potential Hazard:

  • Being struck by a pressurized line.
  • Being exposed to a high-pressure connection failure caused by mismatched or excessively worn hammer unions.

Possible Solutions:

  • Avoid approaching, walking over or standing near pressurized lines.
  • Securely anchor pressurized lines to prevent whipping or bouncing caused by pressure surges.
  • Use proper equipment inspection techniques to include hammer unions (Note: This is a particular problem with 602 and 1502 and others, as they will couple but will not hold beyond the lower pressure rating number).
    • High Pressure Lines and Hammer Unions. International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC) Alert 98-01, (1998).
    • More On Mismatched Hammer Unions. International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC) Alert 99-33, (1999).
    • Additional Serious Incidents With Mismatched Hammer Unions. International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC) Alert 00-15, (2000).

Potential Hazard:

  • Being struck by pressurized fluids or the lubricator when removing the lubricator from the well.
  • Getting strains and sprains from handling the lubricator.

Possible Solutions:

  • Close the shut-off valve and bleed the pressure from the lubricator before removing it.
  • Use a lubricator that will allow removal of the swab or other tools with the well shut in (valve closed).
  • Use a dolly or other method to minimize manual handling of the equipment.

Potential Hazard:

  • Pinching fingers between swab assembly and lubricator when changing swab cups or mandrels.

Possible Solutions:

  • Use a winch line, where available, not the swab line, to handle the lubricator.
  • Use a lubricator that will allow removal of the swab or other tools with the well shut in (valve closed).

Additional Information:

  • Standards. American Petroleum Institute (API).
    • RP 54, Occupational Safety for Oil and Gas Well Drilling and Servicing Operations. (2007, March).

Reference: osha.gov

Oil & Gas

Swabbing a Well: What Is It and Why Do We Do It?

1,533 Comments

In oil drilling, pressurized liquid is used to cool the drilling equipment, move soil and debris out of the oil’s path, and ultimately, force the oil into a path of the liquid’s creation. In order to get the process of oil production officially started or restarted, one must engage in oil well control. One way to do this is to initiate a process called well swabbing.  This is done so that the liquids that have pooled in the well during the pressurized liquid “drilling” and “cleaning” will be removed from the oil well and force the oil to gush out due to the pressure build up in the well shaft.

oilswabbing

 

Gas and oil well pumping or swabbing devices to remove oil from an oil and gas well relying on the residual gas pressure in the well to lift the swabbing device and the attendant column of oil thereabove in said oil well casing are exemplified byU.S. Pat. Nos. 4,813,485, Coyle, 4,528,896, Edwards, 4,070,134, Gramling, and 3,179,022, Bloudoff, as well as others. Many of these devices contain a valve which, when open, permits the inherent weight of the swabbing device to cause it to sink downwithin the oil well casing through the accumulated oil and gas therein to a predetermined position near the bottom of the casing, at which time a stop or a pressure sensor will cause the valve to be closed, and as gas pressure builds up underneath theswabbing device, it and the column of oil thereabove will be raised to the surface, at which time the valve will again be opened, either automatically or manually, and the swabbing device will repeat the cycle.There are a number of stops for actuating the valve in the swabbing device disclosed in the prior art, some of which are retrievable. However, many are not. (ref: docstoc.com)

When a well is swabbed a swabbing rig is backed as closely as possible into the production zone. According to Tiger General, “these swabbing rigs normally have a winch with a cable and a foldable mast with a pulley on top. The operator raises the mast and moves it until it is aligned with the center of the well. Next, the operator lowers the cable in and out of the well via the ‘winch drum’.“ This process forces the oil to gush out from the bottom hole as the pressure is increased due to the vacuum created by the process. A batch of pumped out liquid is called a run. An average oil well usually has 6 runs before the oil or gas can properly gush out of the bottom hole.

 

Texas Counties

General Information: Brazos Large Block, Bee, Caldwell and Callahan County

1,316 Comments

Brazos Large Block Offshore

OilTexas 2The Brazos Large Block Offshore is an offshore drilling site in Texas. It has had a high of morethan 15 permits filed in 1991 and a low of 0 in recent years. Its last permit application and approval was in August 17, 2011 when Anatexas Offshore, Inc. received an approval for its permit.

Among those who filed the most number of permits were Anatexas Offshore, Inc., Capco Operating Corporation, EL Paso Production Oil & Gas Co., Black Elk Energy Offshore Op LLC, and Chroma Operating, Inc. The offshore drilling site has had a total of 98 operators in its set up. The top lease in the drilling site is the State Tract405-LN/2 Se/4 Gas Lease #224098. So far, it has not been able to produce a single barrel of oil in the last decade.

Bee County

OilTexas 11Bee County saw its highest number of permits approved in the years 2000 and 2009. In both years over 125 permits were approved. However, now in 2014, the county is seeing a slump in the number of permits approved as the number has yet to reach 25.

Currently, seven permits are awaiting approval. The Enco Exploration Company filed three of these permits. One was filed in March 26, 2014 and two were filed in April 3, 2014. SV Energy Company, LLL filed a permit in April 1, 2014. Cimarron Engineering Corp. also filed for a permit in March 31, 2014. The Sydson Energy, Inc. filed two permits in March 27, 2013. The Welder Exploration & Prod., Inc. and the Enco Exploration Company have filed the most number of permits since 2013 with 9 permits.

Bee County is also home to some 1016 operators. Its top leases include Alvarado 01 Gas Lease #268861, Arc-Thomson-Barrow Oil Lease #010695, Boswell 02 Gas Lease #269573, Brown H Oil Lease #010328, and Curlee, D.M. –A- Oil Lease #004647.

Over the years, Bee County has been producing a consistent amount of oil barrels. The lowest production is the current year as it has barely produced 184,390 barrels. It saw its peak in 1999 when it produced more than 460,975 oil barrels for that year alone.

Caldwell County

Caldwell County reached its peak in permit approvals in 1992 when over 100 permits were approved in the area. In the early 2000s however, little to almost no permits were approved. It only began to recover in the late 2000s when it reached a peak of some 80 approvals in 2012. Sadly, it has resumed its downward slide after that. This year, only 8 permits have been submitted and thankfully, all were approved. Most of the permits in the county were filed by North South Oil, LLC and Eagle Energy Acquisitions LP.

Oil production by barrel in Caldwell County reached its peak also in the year 2012 when the county produced over 1,480,625 barrels of oil. In contrast, this year is proving to be dismal as only 296,125 barrels have been produced three quarters of the way into the year already.

Caldwell County has recorded 773 operators that have come into its territory since 1993. Among the top leases in the county include Cora Malone Oil Lease #015469, Davis B – Wilson Oil Lease #015350, Dorset-Tiller Gas Lease #082179, Floyd Tiller Oil Lease #015430, and Hinds, Addie Oil Lease #016192.

OilTexas 6

Callahan County

In its early years in the 1990s, Callahan County approved more than 100 permits. That number dwindled in the following years until it has reached a record low this year. Out of the 20 permits filed in 2014, only 16 have been approved. Among those that are still waiting approval are permits filed by Enterprise Products Operating LLC, RG1 Energy, LLC, Ryholland Fielder, Inc, J& W Oil Co. – W.F. and Merkaz Drilling, LLC. The most popular well is the SM Davis.

Callahan County has also experienced a steadily decline oil barrel production since 1993. It hit its record high in 1993 with a production of 623,375 barrels and is now at its lowest point with less than 124,675 barrels produced. It has also had 1,405 operators come into its territory since the early 1990s. At present, the top leases are Ackers “80” Oil Lease #029919, Barnard Oil Lease #021928, Booth Oil Lease #030942, Dyer “2988” Gas Lease #097136, and Earp Gas Lease #105616.