If you are an oil or gas operator, the Railroad Commission (RRC) of Texas might require you to obtain a groundwater protection recommendation (GWPR) letter from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). This letter states the depth to which groundwater must be protected in the well or other boring that you drill or work on.

The TCEQ issues three basic types of GWPR letters:

• a seismic letter, which you would need to analyze geological features with a seismic shot hole program;
• a saltwater disposal letter, which applies to Class II disposal wells covered by RRC form W-14;
  –and–
• a surface casing letter, which you would need for these and other similar drilling activities:
  • drilling a new oil or gas well as covered by RRC form W-1
  • drilling an enhanced-recovery injection well as covered by RRC form H-1
  • drilling a cathodic protection well
  • drilling a core test hole
  • plugging and abandoning an existing oil or gas well as covered by RRC form W3A
  • doing a fluid level test on an inactive well as covered by RRC form H-15
  • converting an existing well to a water well as covered by RRC form P-13

Tell me how to request a:

• seismic letter
• saltwater disposal letter
• surface casing letter

If you have questions, contact us.