Texas industry hard hit by lower prices, but oil and gas production maintains growth in short-term
Drilling is way down, but production is up in March, according to the latest oil and gas production stats released by the Texas Railroad Commission.

The Texas average rig count as of April 17, was 411, representing about 45 per cent of all active land rigs in the United States according to Baker Hughes Incorporated. The Railroad Commission of Texas (Commission) reports that in the last 12 months, total Texas reported production was 930 million barrels of oil and 8.3 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.
The Commission’s estimated final production for Feb. 2015 is 76,977,022 barrels of crude oil and 485,389,059 Mcf (thousand cubic feet) of gas well gas.
The Commission derives final production numbers by multiplying the preliminary Feb. 2015 production totals of 65,568,162 barrels of crude oil and 420,213,885 Mcf of gas well gas by a production adjustment factor of 1.1740 for crude oil and 1.1551 for gas well gas. (These production totals do not include casinghead gas or condensate.)
Texas natural gas storage reported to the Commission for March 2015 was 235, 896, 730 Mcf compared to 133,640,425 Mcf in March 2014. The April 2015 gas storage estimate is 262,942,874 Mcf.
The Commission’s Oil and Gas Division set initial May 2015 natural gas production allowables for prorated fields in the state to meet market demand of 8,404,768 Mcf (thousand cubic feet). In setting the initial May 2015 allowables, the Commission used historical production figures from previous months, producers’ demand forecasts for the coming month and adjusted the figures based on well capability. These initial allowables will be adjusted after actual production for May 2015 is reported.
MARCH PERMITS TO DRILL
The Railroad Commission of Texas issued a total of 923 original drilling permits in March 2015 compared to 1,894 in March 2014. The March total included 799permits to drill new oil and gas wells, 16 to re–enter existing well bores and 108 for re–completions. Permits issued in March 2015 included 239 oil, 75 gas, 556 oil and gas, 41 injection, three service and nine other permits.
FEB. CRUDE OIL PRODUCTION
Texas preliminary February 2015 crude oil production averaged 2,341,720 barrels daily, up from the 2,002,070 barrels daily average of February 2014.
The preliminary Texas crude oil production figure for February 2015 is 65,568,162 barrels, up from 56,057,964 barrels reported during February 2014.
MARCH OIL AND GAS COMPLETIONS
In March 2015, operators reported 1,547 oil, 305 gas, 109 injection and nine other completions compared to 2,965 oil, 272 gas, 131 injection and 13 other completions in March 2014.
Total well completions for 2015 year to date are 5,946 down from 10,130 recorded during the same period in 2014.
Operators reported 551 holes plugged and zero dry holes in March 2015 compared to 743 holes plugged and zero dry holes in March 2014.
FEB. NATURAL GAS PRODUCTION
Texas oil and gas wells produced 563,837,998 Mcf (thousand cubic feet) of gas based upon preliminary production figures for February 2015 up from the February 2014 preliminary gas production total of 531,035,976 Mcf. Texas preliminary Feb. total gas production averaged 20,137,071 Mcf (thousand cubic feet) a day.
Texas production in Feb. 2015 came from 169,426 oil wells and 89,880 gas wells.
MARCH TEXAS OIL AND GAS DRILLING PERMITS AND COMPLETIONS BY DISTRICT
RRC District: (1) SAN ANTONIO AREA
Permits To Drill Oil/Gas Holes: 192
Oil Completions: 135
Gas Completions: 63
RRC District: (2) REFUGIO AREA
Permits To Drill Oil/Gas Holes: 106
Oil Completions: 19
Gas Completions: 21
RRC District: (3) SOUTHEAST TEXAS
Permits To Drill Oil/Gas Holes: 36
Oil Completions: 103
Gas Completions: 9
RRC District: (4) DEEP SOUTH TEXAS
Permits To Drill Oil/Gas Holes: 18
Oil Completions: 5
Gas Completions: 41
RRC District: (5) EAST CENTRAL TEXAS
Permits To Drill Oil/Gas Holes: 12
Oil Completions: 6
Gas Completions: 6
RRC District: (6) EAST TEXAS
Permits To Drill Oil/Gas Holes: 31
Oil Completions: 19
Gas Completions: 25
RRC District: (7B) WEST CENTRAL TEXAS
Permits To Drill Oil/Gas Holes: 39
Oil Completions: 78
Gas Completions: 6
RRC District: (7C) SAN ANGELO AREA
Permits To Drill Oil/Gas Holes: 54
Oil Completions: 180
Gas Completions: 1
RRC District: (8) MIDLAND
Permits To Drill Oil/Gas Holes: 304
Oil Completions: 888
Gas Completions: 28
RRC District: (8A) LUBBOCK AREA
Permits To Drill Oil/Gas Holes: 38
Oil Completions: 74
Gas Completions: 0
RRC District: (9) NORTH TEXAS
Permits To Drill Oil/Gas Holes: 58
Oil Completions: 10
Gas Completions: 51
RRC District: (10) PANHANDLE
Permits To Drill Oil/Gas Holes: 35
Oil Completions: 30
Gas Completions: 54
FEB. TEXAS TOP TEN OIL PRODUCING COUNTIES RANKED BY PRELIMINARY PRODUCTION
COUNTY – CRUDE OIL (BBLS)
1. KARNES – 6,312,242
2. LA SALLE – 4,062,864
3. DEWITT – 3,174,817
4. MCMULLEN – 2,811,071
5. ANDREWS – 2,749,522
6. GONZALES – 2,736,350
7. MIDLAND – 2,666,941
8. MARTIN – 2,587,741
9. UPTON – 2,575,984
10. ECTOR – 2,087,009
FEB. TEXAS TOP GAS PRODUCING COUNTIES RANKED BY PRELIMINARY PRODUCTION
COUNTY – TOTAL GAS (MCF)
1. TARRANT – 47,456,769
2. WEBB – 47,195,061
3. PANOLA – 25,830,804
4. DIMMIT – 21,321,380
5. JOHNSON – 20,999,335
6. WISE – 17,396,196
7. KARNES – 16,817,865
8. DEWITT – 15,999,531
9. DENTON – 14,475,541
10. LA SALLE – 12,530,817