How to Fill Out Texas Railroad Commission Form H-10 (w/Examples) + FAQs

Texas Railroad Commission Form H-10 is the Annual Disposal/Injection Well Monitoring Report that every operator of a permitted injection or disposal well in Texas must file with the Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) once each year. It reports the pressure and volume you pumped down the well, and it proves to the state that your well is still safe and under control.

If you skip it or fill it out wrong, the RRC can seal your well or sever your pipeline connection, which stops your money from flowing. The form is required under Statewide Rules 9 and 46, and storage wells fall under Statewide Rules 95, 96, and 97. Since September 1, 2022, the RRC no longer accepts hard-copy H-10 filings, so almost everyone now files through the RRC Online System.

The RRC mails courtesy reminder letters to operators 3.5 months before the due date, which gives you a clear runway to gather your monthly records and file on time. Here is what this guide covers:

• 📋 What Form H-10 is, who must file it, and the exact rules that require it
• 🗂️ Every document and number you must gather before you open the form
• ✍️ A line-by-line walkthrough of each item, with sample entries and the consequence of each mistake
• 👥 Three full filled-out examples for real operators, plus a clear filing checklist
• ❓ Twelve FAQs, including the field-level questions that confuse most filers

What Form H-10 Is and Who Must File It

Form H-10 is the yearly report card for your injection or disposal well. It tells the Railroad Commission of Texas how much fluid you pumped down the well each month, at what pressure, and what kind of fluid it was. The RRC uses this data to confirm your well is not leaking and is not a threat to underground drinking water. The form sits at the center of the state’s Underground Injection Control program.

You must file a Form H-10 if you hold a permit for an injection or disposal well, even if you never used the well during the year. New permits for wells that are not yet drilled still require an annual H-10. This catches many first-time operators off guard, since they assume an unused well needs no report. You file a “zero” report instead, and skipping it still counts as a violation.

The form ties together five core parts: the purpose (monitoring well integrity), the agency (the RRC Oil and Gas Division), the statute (Statewide Rules 9 and 46), the deadline (the cycle due date printed on your form), and the penalty (sealing your well or severing your pipeline). Each part feeds the next. The rule requires the report, the agency sets the deadline, and missing the deadline triggers the penalty.

Related forms support the same well over its life. Form W-14 is the application for an injection well permit, Form H-1 and H-1A apply to fluid injection permitting, and Form H-5 records the mechanical integrity test that proves your well does not leak. Salt-cavern and gas-storage operators file the closely related Form H-10H under Statewide Rules 95 and 97 instead. Knowing which form fits your well type keeps you from filing the wrong report and wasting a cycle.

Before You Start: Documents and Information You Need

Filling out Form H-10 goes fast when your records are ready and slow when they are not. The form pulls almost entirely from monitoring data you are already required to collect at least monthly. Gather these items before you log in so you do not have to stop and hunt mid-filing.

• Your UIC permit number. This is the control number the RRC assigned to your well; without it you cannot open the correct form, and entering the wrong one files data against the wrong well.
• The cycle year and due date. You find this in the RRC online H-10 Query under “Filing Cycles by Field”; missing the cycle means you file for the wrong period.
• Monthly injection pressure readings. You need the average and maximum pressure for each of the twelve months; gaps here force you to estimate, which can draw a violation.
• Monthly injection volumes. Record liquid in barrels (BBLS) and gas in thousand cubic feet (MCF); missing months cannot be left blank.
• Annulus pressure readings. These are optional unless your permit requires them, but you need the minimum, maximum, and number of readings if you report them.
• Injection interval and tubing/packer depth. These come from your well completion records and confirm where fluid enters the formation.
• Fluid type percentages. You must know what share of total fluid was saltwater, enhanced recovery, NORM, H2S, CO2, or other waste, rounded so the total equals 100%.
• The name and title of the person certifying the form. The signer swears the data is true, so this must be someone with authority, not a random clerk.

Keep your monitoring records on hand even after you file, because the RRC requires operators to retain H-10 monitoring records for at least five years. If an inspector asks for backup data and you cannot produce it, the missing records can support an enforcement case against you.

Where to Get the Form and How to Access It

You no longer get a paper Form H-10 in the mail to fill out by hand. As of September 1, 2022, the RRC stopped accepting hard-copy filings, so the form now lives inside the RRC Online System. The RRC mails a courtesy letter 3.5 months before your due date, and a blank, pre-filled form for your well appears in your online account at the same time.

To reach the form, your organization’s designated Security Administrator must assign the “H-10 Filing System” filing rights to your RRC Online System account. If your company has no Security Administrator yet, you first file a Security Administrator Designation (SAD) Form with the Commission. Without these rights, you can log in but you will not see the H-10 menu, which stalls new filers more than any other single step.

Once you have access, you open the H-10 Filing Main Menu and click “File H-10.” The system loads a form already stamped with your UIC number, well location, and cycle year, so you mostly fill in the monthly data. The ability to file online began in September 2007, and data from that point forward is searchable through the RRC’s public research queries.

If you truly cannot file online, the RRC asks you to contact the Injection-Storage Permits Unit at H10info@rrc.texas.gov or 512-463-6792 rather than mailing paper. Most filers should plan to file online, since it cuts processing time for both you and the Commission and gives you an instant confirmation. Treat the online system as the only standard channel.

Step-by-Step: How to Fill Out Form H-10 Line by Line

The online form follows the same item numbers as the old paper version, so this walkthrough matches what you see on screen. Most header fields arrive pre-filled from your permit, and your real work is the monthly monitoring data in Items 13 through 20. Work top to bottom and do not skip a month, even a month with no injection.

Header: Operator Name, Lease, and UIC Control Number

The top of the form asks who you are and which well you are reporting. In plain English, it wants your operator name, the lease or field name, the well number, and the UIC control number the RRC assigned. You confirm the pre-filled entries match your records and fix nothing unless something is clearly wrong; if a field is blank, type the value exactly as it appears on your permit.

For example, Pecos Basin Disposal LLC confirms its operator name and sees UIC No. 12345 already printed at the top. A common edge case is a well that changed operators mid-year through a Form P-4 transfer, in which case the current operator of record files the report. The most common mistake here is editing a pre-filled UIC number because it “looks wrong,” which files your data against the wrong well and leaves your real well delinquent. Many filers wrongly believe the header is just a label; in truth it is the key the RRC uses to match your data to your permit.

Header: Cycle Year and Date Due

This part of the header sets the reporting period. It asks which twelve-month cycle your data covers and the date the report is due. You read the cycle year and due date straight off the form or confirm them through the RRC online H-10 Query; you do not pick your own dates. Enter monthly data only for the months inside that cycle.

For example, Pecos Basin Disposal LLC files for cycle year 2025 with a due date of 09/01/2026 printed on the form. An edge case appears when a well was permitted partway through the cycle, where you still report all twelve months and enter zero for months before the well existed. The common mistake is filing data for a calendar year when your cycle runs on a different twelve-month window, which makes your pressures and volumes line up with the wrong months. People often think every operator shares one statewide due date; in reality due dates vary by field and well.

Item 13: Injection Pressure (Average and Maximum)

Item 13 asks how hard you pushed fluid into the well each month. In plain English, it wants the average and maximum injection pressure for every month of the cycle, usually in pounds per square inch. You complete this only if the well was used for injection, entering one average and one maximum figure per month. Pull these numbers from the gauge readings you are required to take at least monthly.

For example, Carlos Mendez, who runs a single saltwater disposal well, enters an average of 420 and a maximum of 510 for January. An edge case is a month the well sat idle, where you may enter zero pressure but still must address the month rather than leave it empty. The most common mistake is reporting a maximum pressure above your permitted limit, which directly flags a possible loss of mechanical integrity and can trigger an inspection. Filers often assume pressure is optional if volume looks fine; in fact pressure is a core integrity signal the RRC watches closely.

Item 14: Injection Volume (Liquids and Gases)

Item 14 captures how much fluid went down the well. It asks for the total volume injected each month, with liquids in barrels (BBLS) and gases in thousand cubic feet (MCF), reported at standard temperature and pressure. You enter one volume figure per month for the full cycle. If no injection happened in a given month, you do not leave it blank.

For example, Carlos Mendez enters 9,500 BBLS of saltwater for January in the Liquids column. When the well saw no injection all year, the online system lets you click the “NO VOLUME TO REPORT” button instead of typing twelve zeros. The common mistake is leaving a month blank rather than entering zero, which the system reads as missing data and can reject the filing. Many operators believe an idle well needs no Item 14 entry at all; the rule is the opposite, since you must still report “0” for each month.

Item 15: Annulus Pressure (Optional Integrity Demonstration)

Item 15 deals with the pressure in the space between your tubing and casing. It asks for the minimum and maximum annulus pressure each month, plus how many times you read it. This item is optional unless your permit requires it, and it can serve as an alternative way to demonstrate mechanical integrity under certain conditions. You enter the readings month by month when you choose to report them.

For example, Riverbend Operating Co., which runs several enhanced-recovery injection wells, enters a minimum of 50, a maximum of 80, and types C for continuous monitoring in March. The key edge case is continuous monitoring, where you enter the letter C under number of readings rather than a count. The common mistake is treating Item 15 as required and guessing at numbers you never measured, which puts false data on a sworn form. Filers often think annulus pressure is the same as injection pressure; it is a separate reading that signals a leak between tubing and casing.

Items 16 and 17: Injection Interval and Tubing/Packer Depth

These two items describe where fluid enters the rock. Item 16 asks for the injection interval, which is the depth range open to injection, and Item 17 asks for the tubing and packer depth. You complete both only if the well was used for injection, entering the depths in feet from your well completion records. These values rarely change year to year, so confirm them against last year’s filing.

For example, Riverbend Operating Co. enters an injection interval of 5,800 to 6,100 feet in Item 16 and a packer set at 5,750 feet in Item 17. An edge case is a well that was reworked or recompleted during the year, where the new depths apply and should match your latest Form W-2 or G-1 completion record. The common mistake is copying depths from the wrong well in a multi-well lease, which makes the form describe a well that does not match the UIC number. People often assume these depths are decorative; in truth they let the RRC confirm fluid stays in the permitted zone.

Item 20: Fluid Types Injected or Disposed (Percentages)

Item 20 asks what you actually put down the well. You enter every fluid type injected or disposed during the cycle as a percentage of total liquid/gas, rounded to whole numbers so the percentages add up to 100%. Choices include saltwater disposal, enhanced recovery, NORM, H2S, CO2, and other non-hazardous oil and gas waste. For disposal wells, the saltwater, NORM, H2S, and other waste shares should total 100%.

For example, Carlos Mendez enters 100% saltwater disposal, while a mixed well might read 70% saltwater and 30% enhanced recovery. A key edge case is anthropogenic CO2, which you report as a subset of overall CO2 volume and do not count in the fluid total. To report RCRA exploration-and-production exempt waste, online filers choose “Other Non-Hazardous Oil & Gas Waste” from the drop-down. The common mistake is percentages that do not sum to 100%, which the system flags as an error and blocks submission. Many filers think they can list raw volumes here; the field wants percentages, not barrels.

Certification: Signature, Title, and Date

The final block is your sworn statement. It asks the person filing to certify that the data is true and correct by entering their name, title, and the date. In the online system, your login identity and an electronic confirmation stand in for a wet signature, so you submit rather than sign on paper. The signer must be someone authorized to speak for the operator.

For example, Janet Cole, the regulatory manager for Pecos Basin Disposal LLC, certifies the form under her title and the submission date populates automatically. An edge case is a third-party consultant filing on the operator’s behalf, who must still hold proper online filing rights and authority to certify. The common mistake is certifying a form with known data gaps to beat the deadline, which converts an honest error into a false certification. People often assume certification is a formality; in reality it carries legal weight, since you are swearing the report is accurate.

Three Filled-Out Examples Using Real Scenarios

The walkthrough below follows three common operators through the form. Each entry shows what a real filer types in the most important fields. Use these as patterns, not as numbers to copy.

Scenario 1: Carlos Mendez, a single saltwater disposal well operator filing a routine year.

Form Section	What Carlos Enters
Operator Name	Mendez Disposal LLC
UIC Control Number	12345 (confirmed, not edited)
Cycle Year / Due Date	2025 / 09/01/2026
Item 13 (Pressure, Jan)	Average 420, Maximum 510
Item 14 (Volume, Jan)	9,500 BBLS liquid
Item 15 (Annulus Pressure)	Left blank (not required by permit)
Items 16 and 17 (Depths)	Interval 4,900–5,200 ft, packer 4,850 ft
Item 20 (Fluid Types)	100% saltwater disposal
Certification	Carlos Mendez, Owner, auto-dated

Scenario 2: Riverbend Operating Co., a multi-well enhanced-recovery injection operator.

Form Section	What Riverbend Enters
Operator Name	Riverbend Operating Co.
UIC Control Number	67890 (one form per well)
Cycle Year / Due Date	2025 / 11/01/2026
Item 13 (Pressure, Mar)	Average 650, Maximum 720
Item 14 (Volume, Mar)	14,200 BBLS liquid
Item 15 (Annulus Pressure)	Min 50, Max 80, readings C
Items 16 and 17 (Depths)	Interval 5,800–6,100 ft, packer 5,750 ft
Item 20 (Fluid Types)	70% enhanced recovery, 30% saltwater
Certification	Janet Cole, Regulatory Manager

Scenario 3: Aisha Rahman, a first-time filer for a newly permitted well that never injected.

Form Section	What Aisha Enters
Operator Name	Lone Star Minerals Inc.
UIC Control Number	24680 (new permit)
Cycle Year / Due Date	2025 / 08/01/2026
Item 13 (Pressure)	0 for each month (no injection)
Item 14 (Volume)	Clicks “NO VOLUME TO REPORT”
Item 15 (Annulus Pressure)	Left blank
Items 16 and 17 (Depths)	Permitted interval 3,200–3,400 ft
Item 20 (Fluid Types)	None injected; reports zero activity
Certification	Aisha Rahman, Compliance Officer

These three filers cover the most common situations: a routine disposal well, a busy multi-well injector, and a brand-new well with no activity. Notice that Aisha still files even though her well never operated, since an unused permitted well must report zero rather than skip the cycle.

How to File the Completed Form

Filing Form H-10 now runs through one main channel, with a limited backup. The standard path is the RRC Online System, and most operators should plan to use it. The Commission stopped accepting hard-copy H-10 filings on September 1, 2022.

• Online (RRC Online System). Log in at the secure portal, open the H-10 Filing Main Menu, click “File H-10,” enter your data, and submit. There is no filing fee for the H-10 report itself. Processing is fast, and the system shows an on-screen confirmation that you should save or print as your proof of filing.
• EDI (Electronic Data Interchange). Large operators with many wells can file through EDI using the RRC’s published specifications, which lets them upload bulk data instead of keying each well by hand. This still routes through your RRC online account and produces an electronic acknowledgment.
• Backup by email or phone. If you genuinely cannot file online, contact the Injection-Storage Permits Unit at H10info@rrc.texas.gov or 512-463-6792 before the due date. Do not assume you can mail paper, since the RRC will direct you to an electronic solution instead.

Whatever path you use, your proof of filing is the electronic confirmation, so save it with the cycle year and UIC number noted. The report must be received and accepted at the Austin office by the due date on the form, not merely started. A filing the system rejects for errors does not count as received, so confirm acceptance before the deadline passes.

What Happens After You File

Once you submit, the RRC’s online system checks your entries and either accepts the form or flags errors for you to fix. An accepted H-10 posts to the RRC’s research database, where it becomes part of your well’s public record and is searchable through the online H-10 Query. You should see a confirmation right away, which is your evidence the cycle is satisfied.

The Commission reviews the data for warning signs, such as injection pressure above your permitted maximum or fluid percentages that do not add up. If your numbers suggest a possible integrity problem, the RRC may ask for a mechanical integrity test on Form H-5 or send an inspector. Clean, consistent data usually draws no follow-up at all.

If you discover an error after filing, you can correct it through the same system. You open the H-10 Filing Main Menu, click “File H-10,” scroll to the bottom, enter your UIC number with no leading zeros and the due date, search, and reopen the form to fix the data and resubmit. For help with corrections, the RRC lists 512-463-2903 as a direct line.

Your obligation does not end at submission, since you must retain your monitoring records for at least five years. If the RRC audits your filing, those records back up the pressures and volumes you reported. Tossing the raw data early leaves you unable to defend an honest report and can turn a routine review into a violation.

Mistakes to Avoid When Filling Out the Form

• Skipping the form for an unused well. An idle permitted well still owes a zero report, and skipping it counts as a delinquency.
• Leaving a month blank in Item 14. The system reads a blank as missing data, which can reject your whole filing.
• Editing the pre-filled UIC number. Changing it files your data against the wrong well and leaves your real well delinquent.
• Filing on a calendar year instead of your cycle year. Your pressures and volumes then line up with the wrong months and may be rejected.
• Reporting pressure above your permitted maximum without explanation. This flags a possible integrity failure and can trigger an inspection.
• Fluid percentages in Item 20 that do not total 100%. The system blocks submission until the math is right.
• Counting anthropogenic CO2 in the fluid total. It belongs as a subset of CO2 volume, not part of the 100%.
• Guessing at Item 15 annulus pressure you never measured. This puts false data on a sworn form.
• Copying depths from the wrong well on a multi-well lease. The form then describes a well that does not match the UIC number.
• Missing the due date entirely. Thirty days late triggers a second notice, and continued delay starts enforcement.
• Treating an in-progress, error-flagged filing as complete. A rejected form is not “received,” so the deadline can still lapse.
• Discarding monitoring records before five years pass. You lose the ability to back up your report during an audit.

Do’s and Don’ts

Do:

• Do confirm your cycle year and due date in the RRC H-10 Query first, because filing for the wrong period wastes the cycle.
• Do gather all twelve months of pressure and volume data before you log in, since stopping mid-filing leads to errors.
• Do enter zero for idle months and wells, because the rule requires a report even with no activity.
• Do save your electronic confirmation, since it is your only proof the form was received.
• Do keep monitoring records for five years, because the RRC can ask for them long after you file.
• Do respond to RRC notices fast, since the Commission works with operators who show diligent effort.

Don’t:

• Don’t edit pre-filled header fields unless they are clearly wrong, because they key your data to the right well.
• Don’t leave any month blank, since the system treats a blank as missing rather than zero.
• Don’t report numbers you never measured, because you certify the data as true.
• Don’t ignore the 3.5-month courtesy letter, since it is your reminder to start early.
• Don’t assume one statewide due date, because dates vary by field and well.
• Don’t mail paper, since hard-copy H-10 filings are no longer accepted.

Pros and Cons of Filing on Your Own vs. With Help

Many small operators file Form H-10 themselves, while larger companies often use staff or consultants. The right choice depends on how many wells you run and how comfortable you are with the online system.

Pros of filing on your own:

• No professional fees, since the form itself carries no filing fee and your time is the only cost.
• Faster turnaround for a single well, because you control the schedule.
• Direct knowledge of your data, since you already collect the monthly readings.
• Simple for routine years, where a one-well disposal report changes little year to year.
• Full control of corrections, because you can reopen and resubmit through your own account.

Cons of filing on your own:

• Easy to miss field-level rules, such as the CO2 subset rule or the 100% total in Item 20.
• Risk of missing the due date, since you carry the whole calendar yourself.
• Harder with many wells, where keying each form by hand grows error-prone.
• No second set of eyes, so a wrong UIC or blank month can slip through.
• Limited help with violations, because untangling an enforcement notice often needs experience you may lack.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to file Form H-10 if my well never injected anything this year?

Yes. A permitted injection or disposal well must file every cycle even with no activity. You report zero volume and pressure, or click the “NO VOLUME TO REPORT” button online.

Do I still file a paper Form H-10?

No. The RRC stopped accepting hard-copy H-10 filings on September 1, 2022. You must file through the RRC Online System, with email or phone as a backup if you truly cannot.

Do I write percentages or barrels in Item 20?

No, not barrels. Item 20 wants the percentage of total liquid or gas for each fluid type, rounded to whole numbers so all percentages add up to exactly 100%.

Do I leave a month blank in Item 14 if there was no injection?

No. Enter zero for that month, or use the “NO VOLUME TO REPORT” button. A blank reads as missing data and can cause the system to reject your filing.

Do I count anthropogenic CO2 in my Item 20 fluid total?

No. Report anthropogenic CO2 as a subset of your overall CO2 volume. Do not include it in the 100% fluid total, or your percentages will not balance.

Do I have to complete Item 15 annulus pressure?

No, not usually. Item 15 is optional unless your permit requires it, though it can serve as an alternative mechanical integrity demonstration under certain conditions.

Do I enter a number or a letter for continuous annulus monitoring?

No number is needed. Enter the letter “C” under number of readings to show continuous monitoring instead of counting individual readings for that month.

Do I edit the UIC control number if it looks wrong?

No. The pre-filled UIC number keys your data to the correct well. Editing it files your report against the wrong well; contact the RRC if you believe it is truly incorrect.

Do I pay a fee to file Form H-10?

No. The Form H-10 report itself carries no filing fee. Your only cost is the time to gather monthly data and complete the online form before the due date.

Do all operators share the same due date?

No. Due dates vary by field and well. Find yours through the RRC online H-10 Query “Filing Cycles by Field” menu, and watch for the courtesy letter 3.5 months ahead.

Do I need to keep my monitoring records after filing?

Yes. You must retain H-10 monitoring records for at least five years. The RRC can request them during an audit, and missing records can support an enforcement case.

Do I face a penalty if I file late?

Yes. Thirty days past due, the RRC sends a second notice. Continued delinquency starts enforcement, and the Commission can seal the well or sever the lease pipeline connection.