Holiday Office Closure

In observance of the Christmas holidays, Railroad Commission of Texas offices will be closed December 23-27. The offices will re-open at 8 a.m. on Monday, December 30 for regular business. Expedited Drilling Permits will be processed within standard processing times. If assistance is needed, please email Drillingpermits-info@rrc.texas.gov.
RRC maintains a 24-hour emergency phone line to report any leaks or spills. That number is 844-773-0305

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Fresh Water Questionnaire

Chapter 27 of the Texas Water Code, as amended by the Texas Legislature (House Bill 2112), includes provisions relating to the use of fresh water for enhanced oil recovery activities. This statutory amendment became effective September 1, 1983.

The statute requires that an applicant proposing to use fresh water "provide written information relating to . . . other material available to the applicant that might be used to inject into the well for enhanced recovery."  The statute further provides that, upon receiving the information, "the Railroad Commission shall consider whether or not there is some other . . . substance that is available to the applicant and that is economically and technically feasible for the applicant to use for enhanced recovery purposes."

Accordingly, provide information on alternative types and sources of fluids which are available to you for injection. Also, provide information regarding the economics and technical feasibility of using the alternative fluids.  At a minimum, the following questions must be answered:

  • Is produced water fully utilized? How much water (barrels per day) is produced in this project? Of this amount, how much is available for reinjection into the subject well(s)? If none is available or being used, explain. 
  • Is produced water available from any other operators in the field? If other operators in the field are disposing of produced water, explain why the water cannot be utilized in your project? 
  • Are any saline aquifers available in the area that are economically and technically feasible as a source of water? Explain why any saline aquifers, if present, cannot be utilized as a source of injection fluids. 
  • Are there plans for the use of alternate fluids such as carbon dioxide or nitrogen? Explain. 
  • How were the fresh water requirements determined? Include calculations and/or data used to determine total amount of fresh water required per injection well in the application. 
  • What is the projected ratio of barrels of oil produced to barrels of fresh water injected? 
  • Has reservoir fillup occurred? If not, what stage is it in? When do you estimate fillup will occur? 
  • What is the estimated total volume of fresh water to be used in the entire injection project?
  • What is the average volume of fresh water (barrels per day) for each well in this application.

Based upon our review of the information you furnish, a determination must be made on whether to allow the use of fresh water. If allowed, the permit will specifically state to what extent fresh water can be used.

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