MONTHLY OIL & GAS STATISTICS: November and December 2011

AUSTIN The Texas average rig count as of Jan. 20 was 918, representing about 47 percent of all active land rigs in the United States.  In the last 12 months, total Texas reported production was 385 million barrels of oil and 7.1 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.
 
The Commission’s estimated final production for November 2011 is 32,846,052 barrels of crude oil and 494,232,858 Mcf (thousand cubic feet) of gas well gas.
 
The Commission derives final production numbers by multiplying the preliminary November 2011 production totals of 29,900,821 barrels of crude oil and 444,414,044 Mcf of gas well gas by a production adjustment factor of 1.0985 for crude oil and 1.1121 for gas well gas. (These production totals do not include casinghead gas or condensate.)
 
Texas natural gas storage reported to the Commission for December 2011 was 415,347,128 Mcf compared to 412,041,298 Mcf in December 2010.  The January 2012 gas storage estimate is 406,152,651 Mcf.
 
The Texas Railroad Commission’s Oil and Gas Division set initial February 2012 natural gas production allowables for prorated fields in the state to meet market demand of 10,145,965 Mcf (thousand cubic feet).  In setting the initial February 2012 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 February 2012 is reported.

TEXAS MONTHLY OIL AND GAS STATISTICS

DECEMBER PERMITS TO DRILL
The Commission issued a total of 1,630 original drilling permits in December 2011 compared to 1,664 in December 2010.  The December total included 1,480 permits to drill new oil and gas wells, 35 to re-enter existing well bores, and 115 for re-completions.  Permits issued in December 2011 included 479 oil, 186 gas, 902 oil and gas, 48 injection, two service and 13 other permits.
 

NOVEMBER CRUDE OIL PRODUCTION
Texas preliminary November 2011 crude oil production averaged 996,694 barrels daily, up from the 942,446 barrels daily average of November 2010.
 
The preliminary Texas crude oil production figure for November 2011 is 29,900,821 barrels, up from 28,273,369 barrels reported during November 2010.
 

DECEMBER OIL AND GAS COMPLETIONS
In December 2011, operators reported 608 oil, 211 gas, 45 injection and two other completions compared to 284 oil, 306 gas, 25 injection and zero other completions in December 2010.
 
Total well completions for 2011 year to date are 8,790 down from 9,939 recorded during the same period in 2010.
 
Operators reported 727 holes plugged and zero dry holes in December 2011 compared to 490 holes plugged and zero dry holes in December 2010.
 

NOVEMBER NATURAL GAS PRODUCTION
Texas oil and gas wells produced 515,163,552 Mcf (thousand cubic feet) of gas based upon preliminary production figures for November 2011 down from the November 2010 preliminary gas production total of 541,770,485 Mcf.
 
Texas production in November 2011 came from 140,246 oil wells and 90,591 gas wells.

DECEMBER TEXAS OIL AND GAS DRILLING PERMITS AND COMPLETIONS BY DISTRICT