Glossary of Terms

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

A

  • API: Aka “API Number”  or “Universal Well Identifier” originally created by the American Petroleum Institute

B

  • BOE: Barrels of energy. Combines volumes of oil and gas into a single value for production based on approximate energy equivalence of 6 Mcf to 1 BOE

  • BOEpd: Barrels of energy per day

C

  • Completion: The act of opening part of a wellbore to the adjacent formation so that fluid can flow from the formation into the well, or the result of such an operation. 

D

  • District: Regions of the state administered separately by the RRC

G

  • GasID: See “LeaseID”

L

  • LeaseID: Unique identifier used by RRC within each of its Districts to track and regulate many aspects of operations. Must be combined with a District or County to be unique within the state. Oil LeaseIDs can contain multiple wells, but gas LeaseIDs (aka GasID) each include only one well. 

O

  • Orphaned Well: Well for which the state has assumed financial responsibility.  In Texas, wells must have been inactive for the previous 12 months, and the operator must be more than 12 months delinquent on its license renewal.

P

  • P-5: The form filed by oil and gas companies with the RRC to obtain the right to operate oil and gas wells

R

  • RRC: Railroad Commission of Texas, which regulates the activity of the oil and gas industry

T

  • TCEQ: Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, which regulates pollution to air and water

  • TEA: Texas Education Agency

  • True Vertical Depth: The depth reached by a wellbore below the surface. When the well is not perfectly straight, then the measured distance along the wellbore path (“measured depth”) is greater.

  • TxDOT: Texas Department of Transportation

  • TxGIO: Texas Geographic Information Office 

  • TWDB: Texas Water Development Board