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Permalink Reply by jffree1 on February 24, 2013 at 17:46

Alvin, there are now two query forms for permits. The new one also includes a link to completions & other files, so it will really fast to access that information now. I haven't explored the new form enough, yet, to say how many permits are already linked to completions but I think I like the new form... so far.

Old W-1 query: http://webapps.rrc.state.tx.us/DP/initializePublicQueryAction.do

New W-1 query: http://webapps2.rrc.state.tx.us/EWA/drillingPermitsQueryAction.do

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Permalink Reply by Lee White on February 24, 2013 at 21:29

The TRRC does not make it easy for Texans to access data.

To make it easy would be to list all the oil and gas companies. Then when you click on them have a link to all the wells they have drilled. Under that have a list to the information you want to look at.

If you are looking for ABC company and select it then have all the wells they have drilled listed. Then pick the well you want information on and the info for the well you want should show up. Then have an option to just click on the type of information you want.

However, they make it very hard for people that have no idea about the different forms and they make it hard to get the information. Seems like someone was paid to make it hard for the people to access this information the way it is laid out on the TRRC page.

It is time people started demanding a simple way to get information. Politicians can get money, but the people control who gets elected. Make sure you ask your politicians to demand changes. If they won't then do what you can to keep them from being elected.

I think my oil and gas company has been trying to be fair with me (they make mistakes also), but if I think they are not I will take action, however the TRRC needs to simplify many things for the people of Texas.

 

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Permalink Reply by jffree1 on February 25, 2013 at 3:12

Lee,

RRC has made great strides, in the last five years. in making their data accessible. I am not saying that they don't have more work to do but I think they are making the effort.

If you will use the 'master' query page you can access all available reports from that one location. Part of the issue with their site is that it is a very "compartmentalized" agency and getting all of them to communicate on one system has been a slow process. But.. they really are trying to come into the information age.

An example is the new permit query results page which now has links to the well location on the GIS map. If you select "Identify well" from the map tools list on the GIS map page and then click on the well emblem you will get another page which has links to completion data & production reports (and well logs once those become available). If you only want to look at the completion reports, then, just skip the GIS map option and choose "completion" from the W-1 query results page and you will get a link directly to the completion reports. That is a HUGE step for RRC.

I suggest that everyone who uses RRC should bookmark that main query page. RRC used to be like a big wagon wheel with Austin as the hub and all the departments & district offices as the spokes. In the old system you had to go back to the hub to get from one spoke to another. They are creating links between the departments now but it has been a painfully slow process.

"If you are looking for ABC company and select it then have all the wells they have drilled listed."

That data is available now but it is not yet all linked up. You have to find the "Proration schedule" to find a list of all wells by one operator. That is another change they have made. There used to be one schedule for gas wells and another one for oil wells. Now both well types are combined on one schedule and it is organized alphabetically by either the operator, the gatherer, the purchaser or the field. I suspect that, one day, the proration schedule may be linked to production and other pertinent reports but that day may be a long way off.

Another suggestion... on just about any page you open on RRC... if you scroll all the way to the bottom of the page there is a "contact" link. If you have suggestions about how to make the site work better... send them an e-mail. If you have questions... send them an e-mail. They are pretty good about responding to questions and they take seriously the suggestions received from the public. 

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