Texas Railroad Commission Form W-1H is the Supplemental Horizontal Well Information sheet that every operator must attach to the main Form W-1 drilling permit application when the proposed well will be horizontal with one or more terminus locations. It does not stand alone. You file it together with the Form W-1, a certified plat, and your fee through the Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) Oil and Gas Division in Austin.
The W-1H records the exact geometry of your lateral drainhole, including the penetration point, the first and last take points (heel and toe), and the terminus, each measured to nearby lease and survey lines. Getting these distances wrong is the fastest way to draw a Statewide Rule 37 or Rule 38 spacing problem, a permit hold, or an outright denial. The current version of this form is Rev. 02/2021, so confirm that date in the bottom corner before you start. With more than half of all new Texas wells now drilled horizontally, this single page carries a heavy load.
Here is what you will learn in this guide:
- 🛢️ What the W-1H is, who must file it, and how it works with the Form W-1 instructions
- 📐 How to fill out each box line by line, with formatting rules for every perpendicular call
- 👷 Three full filled-out examples that follow real operators through the form
- 💸 The exact fees, filing channels, and deadlines tied to your permit
- ⚠️ The most common mistakes that trigger spacing exceptions, holds, and denials
What the Form W-1H Is and Who Must File It
Form W-1H is a supplement, not a separate permit. The Texas Railroad Commission requires it under Statewide Rules 37, 38, and 86 whenever you check the “Horizontal” wellbore profile box (Item 7) on the Form W-1. The main W-1 captures your surface hole and lease data. The W-1H captures everything that happens downhole along the lateral, because a horizontal drainhole can run thousands of feet sideways and pass near lease lines the surface hole never approaches.
You must file the W-1H if your proposed well will be horizontal with one or more terminus locations, including planned new drills, recompletions into a horizontal target, and re-entries that kick off a lateral. The filer is almost always the operator of record, or a permitting consultant, landman, or regulatory analyst acting for that operator. Whoever files must have a current Form P-5 Organization Report and any required financial assurance on file, and the company must be in good standing with all RRC rules and orders. Without an active P-5, the system will reject the entire permit package before anyone reviews your geometry.
The agency that receives the form is the RRC Drilling Permits section in Austin. The statute behind the fee is Texas Natural Resources Code Section 85.2021, and the technical standards come from Statewide Rule 86, which governs horizontal drainhole wells. A common misconception is that the W-1H replaces the W-1 for horizontal wells. It does not. It rides along with the W-1, and a horizontal permit with no W-1H attached is incomplete and will not be approved.
Before You Start: Documents and Information You Need
Gather everything below before you open the form. The W-1H asks for precise survey and spacing data, and pausing mid-application to hunt for a coordinate is how filers transpose digits and create spacing errors.
- RRC Operator Number (P-5 number). This six-digit number ties the permit to your organization, and it must match your active P-5 exactly or the package is rejected.
- Operator name as shown on the P-5. A name that differs from the P-5 of record triggers a name-match hold while staff confirm the entity.
- Lease name and well number. These must match the Form W-1 word for word, because the W-1H is linked to that filing and a mismatch breaks the link.
- Field name and field number from the W-1. The W-1H repeats the field so reviewers can apply the correct field rules, and the wrong field pulls the wrong spacing standard.
- A certified surveyor’s plat. The plat must show the surface location, penetration point, first take point, last take point, and terminus, and without it the geometry cannot be verified.
- Survey, abstract, block, and section identifiers for the bottomhole. These legal descriptors locate the lateral on the ground, and a missing abstract can stall the review.
- Perpendicular distances to the two nearest non-parallel lease lines and survey lines. These are the heart of the form, and rounding or guessing them invites a Rule 37 exception.
- Field rule lookup for “special horizontal dual lease line spacing.” You must know whether your field uses the dual-spacing standard, because it decides whether you complete Item 6 or Item 7.
- The full Form W-1 application and its fee. The W-1H never files alone, so the parent package must be ready at the same time.
A common misconception here is that you can file the W-1H first and add the W-1 later. The RRC treats the permit as a single package, so an orphaned supplement goes nowhere.
Where to Get the Form and How to Access It
Download the current fillable W-1H directly from the agency. The official PDF lives on the RRC site as the Form W-1H fillable version, marked Rev. 02/2021, and a print-only Form W-1H PDF is also posted. Both appear on the RRC Oil & Gas Forms page alongside the W-1 and its instructions. Always pull a fresh copy rather than reusing an old saved file, because the RRC last updated this family of forms in December 2020 as part of the Texas Oilfield Relief Initiative.
Most operators never touch the paper form at all. The preferred channel is the RRC Online System, where the Drilling Permits (W-1) application walks you through the horizontal fields on screen and generates a facsimile W-1H automatically. Effective June 1, 2020, the RRC modernized this online filing system, and electronic filing is now the standard route for nearly all drilling permits. You log in with your RRC online credentials tied to your P-5 organization.
If you file on paper, you mail the completed W-1H as part of the full W-1 package to the RRC’s Austin office. A common mistake is editing a downloaded PDF in a browser preview that does not save typed entries, so the printed form arrives blank in the perpendicular boxes. Open the fillable PDF in a real PDF reader, type your entries, and confirm they appear before printing. A frequent misconception is that any web copy of the form works. Third-party document libraries often host outdated revisions, and an old version may omit the dual lease-line spacing fields entirely.
Step-by-Step: How to Fill Out Form W-1H Line by Line
The W-1H groups its fields into a header block that identifies the well and a “Lateral Drainhole Location Information” block that captures the geometry. Complete one full W-1H per lateral; a multi-lateral well needs a separate sheet for each drainhole. Below, each field uses the exact label printed on the Rev. 02/2021 form.
Item 1 — RRC Operator No.
This box asks for your six-digit RRC operator number, the same one printed on your P-5 Organization Report. Enter the number with no spaces or letters, exactly as it appears on the P-5. For example, Permian Basin operator Lonestar Drilling Co. enters 481726. If you lease the well to another operator before drilling, the number must still match the entity that holds the permit, not the prior owner. The most common mistake is entering the lease’s old operator number after a transfer, which detaches the W-1H from the active P-5 and freezes the permit. A misconception is that the operator number and the API number are interchangeable; they are not, and the operator number identifies the company while the API identifies the well.
Item 2 — Operator Name (as shown on P-5 Organization Report)
This field asks for your company’s legal name precisely as it reads on the P-5. Type the name in full, matching capitalization and punctuation, with no abbreviations the P-5 does not use. For example, Lonestar Drilling Co. writes Lonestar Drilling Company, LLC if that is the registered P-5 name. If your company recently changed names, file the P-5 amendment first so the names line up. The common mistake is shortening “Company, LLC” to “Co.” when the P-5 spells it out, which triggers a manual name-match review and delays approval. A misconception is that a close-enough name is fine; RRC systems cross-check the exact string and flag any variance.
Item 3 — Lease Name
This box asks for the lease name, and it must match the Form W-1 and the RRC proration schedule exactly. Copy the lease name verbatim, including spacing and any unit designation. For example, operator Aravel Energy enters SMITH RANCH UNIT if that is how the lease is carried. If this is the first well on a brand-new lease, the format you choose here sets the pattern every later well on that lease must follow. The common mistake is a one-character difference between the W-1 and the W-1H, which prevents the two forms from linking and stalls the package. A misconception is that the lease name is just a label; it is a keyed identifier the proration schedule depends on.
Item 4 — Well No.
This field asks for the well number, and it follows the W-1’s strict six-space format. The first space may be alpha or numeric, the second through fourth must be numeric, and the fifth and sixth must be alpha. For example, Aravel Energy enters 1H for its first horizontal well, formatted to fit the field. Do not place a dash inside the numeric spaces, because any dash there forces the system to change the well number to “0.” The common mistake is writing something like 1-H, which the system reads as 0H and misfiles the well. A misconception is that the well number is free text; it is a formatted code the RRC parses character by character.
Item 5 — Field as shown on Form W-1
This box asks for the regulatory field name exactly as it appears on your Form W-1. Copy the field name word for word, since reviewers use it to pull the correct field rules and spacing standards. For example, operator Caprock Oil enters SPRABERRY (TREND AREA) to match the W-1. The field you list here decides whether Item 6 or Item 7 applies, because spacing rules vary field by field. The common mistake is listing a general formation name instead of the official proration field name, which sends staff to the wrong rule set. A misconception is that the surface county field controls; the completion field in the target reservoir is what governs the lateral’s spacing.
Items 8–12 (Header Block) — Section, Block, Survey, Abstract, County of BHL
This grouping asks for the legal location of the bottomhole, including Section (Item 8), Block (Item 9), Survey (Item 10), Abstract (Item 11), and County of BHL (Item 12). Enter each descriptor from your certified plat, using the abstract and survey identifiers a surveyor confirmed. For example, Caprock Oil enters Section 14, Block A-31, T&P RR Co. Survey, Abstract 226, Reagan County for the lateral’s terminus tract. A long lateral can cross from one survey or even one county into another, so the bottomhole descriptors may differ from the surface location on the W-1. The common mistake is copying the surface tract’s section and abstract when the lateral actually terminates in a neighboring survey, which misplaces the well on the RRC map. A misconception is that all this data must match the surface; for horizontal wells the bottomhole legal location stands on its own.
Item 6 — Special Horizontal Dual Lease Line Spacing
This field applies only when the field in Item 5 has special horizontal dual lease line spacing. If your field qualifies, provide two values: the nearest distance from the first or last take point (heel or toe) to a lease line, and the nearest perpendicular distance from any take point to a lease line. For example, operator Eagle Ford Resources enters 330 ft from the heel/toe to the lease line and 200 ft perpendicular from the nearest take point. Dual spacing lets some fields use a tighter end-of-lateral standard than the standard 467-foot rule. The common mistake is filling in Item 6 for a field that has no dual-spacing provision, which contradicts your plat and confuses the reviewer. A misconception is that every horizontal field offers dual spacing; only fields with that specific field rule do, so check before you write here.
Item 7 — Fields Not Approved for Special Lease Line Provisions
This box applies when the field in Item 5 is not approved for special lease line provisions. In that case, provide the nearest distance from any take point to a lease line. For example, Lonestar Drilling enters 612 ft from the nearest take point to the lease line, showing it clears the 467-foot statewide minimum. Under Statewide Rule 86, no take point may sit nearer than 467 feet, or the field’s lease-line spacing, from any property, lease, or subdivision line without an exception. The common mistake is completing both Item 6 and Item 7, which signals you do not know your field’s spacing rule and prompts staff to send the application back. A misconception is that take-point distance is measured from the surface hole; it is measured from the take points along the producing lateral.
Item 15 — Penetration Point Lease Line Perpendiculars
This field asks for two perpendicular distances locating the penetration point, where the wellbore enters the permitted formation, relative to the nearest non-parallel lease lines. Enter the distance in feet from one line, then the distance from a second, non-parallel line. For example, Aravel Energy enters 1,980 ft from the north line and 660 ft from the east line. If the penetration point is off-lease, you must instead provide survey-line perpendiculars in place of lease-line perpendiculars, as the form’s footnote directs. The common mistake is supplying parallel calls, which cannot fix a point in two dimensions and forces a correction. A misconception is that the penetration point and the first take point are the same; the penetration point is where the bore enters the formation, while take points are where production begins.
Items 13 & 14 — Last/Lower and First/Upper Perforation Lease Line Perpendiculars
These two fields ask for perpendicular distances to lease lines for the Last/Lower Perforation (Item 13) and the First/Upper Perforation (Item 14), which mark the ends of the producing interval. Provide two non-parallel lease-line calls for each, in feet. For example, Caprock Oil enters, for the first perforation, 700 ft from the south line and 1,320 ft from the west line, then a separate pair for the last perforation. These perforation points define the open, producing section of the lateral that drains the reservoir. The common mistake is reversing the first and last perforation entries, which flips the lateral’s direction on the RRC map and misstates which lease line is closest. A misconception is that perforations and take points are unrelated; the first and last perforations effectively bracket the take-point interval the spacing rules protect.
Item 11 (Geometry Block) — Terminus Lease Line Perpendiculars
This field asks for two perpendicular distances locating the terminus, the very end of the drainhole, from the nearest non-parallel lease lines. Enter the feet from one lease line and from a second, non-parallel lease line. For example, Lonestar Drilling enters 467 ft from the east line and 2,100 ft from the south line for the toe of its lateral. The terminus is often the point closest to a downhole lease line, so this is where a Rule 37 problem usually shows up first. The common mistake is omitting the terminus calls because the surface hole looked compliant, but a long lateral can swing the toe right up against an offset lease. A misconception is that the terminus equals the last take point; the bore can continue past the last producing point to a terminus that produces nothing.
Item 12 (Geometry Block) — Terminus Survey Line Perpendiculars
This box asks for two perpendicular distances from the terminus to the nearest non-parallel survey or section lines. Provide both calls in feet, using survey lines rather than lease lines. For example, Caprock Oil enters 990 ft from the north survey line and 1,450 ft from the west survey line. Survey-line calls let the RRC plot the bore against the public land survey grid independent of leasing. Do not derive a call from a county line unless that county line is also a true survey or section boundary, because the instructions forbid it. The common mistake is using a county line that is not a survey boundary, which produces a call the RRC cannot verify. A misconception is that survey and lease perpendiculars are duplicates; they reference different boundaries and the form needs both.
Multi-Lateral Wells — Filing a Second Sheet
The Rev. 02/2021 form repeats the entire field block twice on the page so you can describe more than one drainhole. For each additional lateral, complete a fresh set of header and geometry entries identifying that specific bore. For example, operator Eagle Ford Resources files lateral 1H on the first block and lateral 2H on the second block, each with its own take-point and terminus calls. Stacked-lateral and allocation wells under Rule 86 carry extra requirements you also flag on the W-1’s Item 9. The common mistake is describing two laterals in one block, which merges distinct geometries and makes spacing impossible to verify. A misconception is that one W-1H covers an unlimited number of bores; each lateral needs its own complete description.
Three Filled-Out Examples Using Real Scenarios
Below are three common fact patterns. Each follows one operator through the key W-1H entries.
Scenario 1 — Single-lateral Permian well, regular spacing (Lonestar Drilling Co.)
| Form Section | What Lonestar Enters |
|---|---|
| Item 1, RRC Operator No. | 481726 |
| Item 2, Operator Name | Lonestar Drilling Company, LLC |
| Item 3, Lease Name | MUSTANG 31 |
| Item 4, Well No. | 1H |
| Item 5, Field | SPRABERRY (TREND AREA) |
| Item 7, take point to lease line | 612 ft from the nearest take point (field has no dual spacing) |
| Item 15, Penetration Point | 1,980 ft from the north line and 660 ft from the east line |
| Item 11, Terminus Lease Line | 467 ft from the east line and 2,100 ft from the south line |
Scenario 2 — Off-lease penetration point with dual spacing (Eagle Ford Resources)
| Form Section | What Eagle Ford Enters |
|---|---|
| Item 1, RRC Operator No. | 305914 |
| Item 3, Lease Name | DELGADO UNIT |
| Item 4, Well No. | 4H |
| Item 5, Field | EAGLEVILLE (EAGLE FORD-1) |
| Item 6, dual spacing heel/toe | 330 ft from heel/toe; 200 ft perpendicular from any take point |
| Item 15, Penetration Point | survey-line perpendiculars used because point is off-lease: 800 ft from the north survey line and 540 ft from the west survey line |
| Items 13/14, perforations | first perf 700 ft from south line, 1,320 ft from west line; last perf entered separately |
| Item 12, Terminus Survey Line | 990 ft from the north survey line and 1,450 ft from the west survey line |
Scenario 3 — Stacked laterals on one record well (Caprock Oil)
| Form Section | What Caprock Enters |
|---|---|
| Item 1, RRC Operator No. | 778210 |
| Item 3, Lease Name | SMITH RANCH UNIT |
| Item 4, Well No. (Block 1) | 2H |
| Item 5, Field | WOLFCAMP (CONSOLIDATED) |
| Items 8–12, BHL legal | Sec 14, Blk A-31, T&P RR Co. Survey, Abstract 226, Reagan County |
| Item 7, take point to lease line | 540 ft from the nearest take point |
| Item 11, Terminus Lease Line | 475 ft from the west line and 1,800 ft from the north line |
| Second block, Well No. | 3H lateral described on the form’s second field block |
How to File the Completed Form W-1H
You file the W-1H only as part of the full Form W-1 package, never by itself. There are two channels.
- Online (preferred). Use the RRC Online System Drilling Permits (W-1) application. You log in with the credentials tied to your active P-5, enter the horizontal data on screen, upload your certified plat, and pay by credit card or a prepaid RRC filing account. The system generates a facsimile W-1H, and electronic permits are typically processed faster than paper. Save the confirmation page and the assigned status number as your proof of filing.
- Paper (by mail). Mail the completed original Form W-1, the W-1H, the certified plat, any exception attachments, and a check or money order payable to “Railroad Commission of Texas” to the RRC Drilling Permits section in Austin. Keep a full copy of the package and your mailing receipt as proof of filing.
Fees attach to the parent W-1, not separately to the W-1H, and they scale with total vertical depth under Section 85.2021: $200 for wells 2,000 feet or shallower, $225 over 2,000 up to 4,000 feet, $250 over 4,000 up to 9,000 feet, and $300 over 9,000 feet. A Rule 37 spacing or Rule 38 density exception review adds $200, and expedited handling adds $150. Always check the current Oil & Gas Fees & Surcharges page, because Rule 78 surcharges can change. Fees are non-refundable and non-transferable.
What Happens After You File
Once the package is in, the RRC Drilling Permits section reviews your geometry against the field’s spacing and density rules. Staff compare your take-point and terminus distances to the 467-foot lease-line minimum under Rule 86 and to any closer offset wells. If everything is regular and complete, the permit is approved and you receive authorization to drill. Do not move a rig until that authorization is in hand, because drilling without an approved permit is a violation that can bring penalties.
If a take point or terminus sits closer to a lease line than the rule allows, the application becomes a Rule 37 or Rule 38 exception. You then must provide a certified plat with offsets clearly labeled, a list of affected parties’ names and addresses, and either waivers or proof of notice. Exceptions can route to a hearing, which adds weeks or months. A common misconception is that approval is automatic once you pay; the RRC reviews the substance, and an off-lease penetration point or a tight toe can convert a routine filing into a contested matter.
Mistakes to Avoid When Filling Out the Form
- Entering an operator number that does not match the active P-5, which detaches the form and freezes the permit.
- Abbreviating the operator name when the P-5 spells it out, which triggers a manual name-match hold.
- Letting the lease name or well number differ from the Form W-1, which prevents the two forms from linking.
- Putting a dash inside the numeric spaces of the well number, which forces the system to change it to “0.”
- Listing a formation name instead of the official proration field name, which pulls the wrong spacing rule.
- Completing both Item 6 and Item 7, which signals confusion over your field’s spacing and bounces the form back.
- Providing parallel perpendicular calls, which cannot fix a point and forces a correction.
- Using lease-line perpendiculars for an off-lease penetration point instead of the required survey-line calls.
- Omitting the terminus calls because the surface hole looked compliant, hiding a tight toe against an offset lease.
- Deriving a survey call from a county line that is not a true survey boundary, which the RRC cannot verify.
- Reversing the first and last perforation entries, which flips the lateral direction on the map.
- Filing the W-1H without the parent W-1, plat, and fee, leaving an orphaned supplement that goes nowhere.
Do’s and Don’ts
Do:
- Do confirm your P-5 is active before you start, because no permit moves without it.
- Do pull the current Rev. 02/2021 form so you have the dual lease-line spacing fields.
- Do copy the lease name, well number, and field from the W-1 exactly, so the forms link.
- Do use a certified surveyor’s plat for every perpendicular call, since reviewers verify against it.
- Do check whether your field has special dual lease-line spacing before choosing Item 6 or Item 7.
- Do save your online confirmation and status number as proof of filing.
Don’t:
- Don’t guess or round perpendicular distances, because small errors create spacing exceptions.
- Don’t file the W-1H alone, since it is a supplement to the W-1 package.
- Don’t reuse an old saved PDF, which may be an outdated revision missing fields.
- Don’t put dashes in the numeric well-number spaces, or the number becomes “0.”
- Don’t use a county line for a survey call unless it is a real survey boundary.
- Don’t start drilling until the RRC sends written authorization.
Pros and Cons of Filing on Your Own vs. With Help
| Filing Yourself (Online) | Using a Consultant or Landman |
|---|---|
| Lower cost, since you pay only the RRC fee, which helps small operators. | Higher cost, but the fee buys spacing expertise that prevents costly exceptions. |
| Full control and faster turnaround on simple, regular locations. | Pros catch off-lease penetration and dual-spacing issues you might miss. |
| You learn the system, which pays off across many future filings. | Consultants manage Rule 37/38 exceptions and notice lists for you. |
| Direct access to your own online account and confirmations. | They coordinate the certified plat and surveyor so the calls match. |
| No scheduling around a third party for routine permits. | Helpful for complex multi-lateral or stacked Rule 86 wells. |
| Risk of a costly error if you misread a field rule. | Less hands-on learning, and you rely on the firm’s availability. |
FAQs
Is Form W-1H filed separately from the Form W-1?
No. The W-1H is a supplement attached to the Form W-1 package along with the certified plat and fee. A horizontal permit with no W-1H attached is incomplete and will not be approved.
Do I need a current P-5 to file the W-1H?
Yes. You must have an active Form P-5 Organization Report and any required financial assurance on file. Without it, the RRC system rejects the entire permit package.
Is the current version of the form Rev. 02/2021?
Yes. The current fillable W-1H is marked Rev. 02/2021. Confirm that revision date in the corner and avoid old third-party copies that may omit fields.
Do I write lease-line or survey-line perpendiculars for an off-lease penetration point in Item 15?
No lease-line calls. When the penetration point is off-lease, the form’s footnote requires survey-line perpendiculars instead of lease-line perpendiculars.
Should I fill in both Item 6 and Item 7?
No. Item 6 applies only to fields with special horizontal dual lease line spacing, and Item 7 applies only to fields without it. Completing both signals confusion and bounces the form back.
Can I put a dash in the well number in Item 4?
No. A dash inside the numeric spaces forces the system to change the well number to “0.” Format the six spaces as one alpha or numeric, three numeric, then two alpha.
Is the take-point distance measured from the surface hole?
No. Take-point distances are measured along the producing lateral, not from the surface hole. Under Rule 86, no take point may sit nearer than 467 feet from a lease line without an exception.
Do I file a separate W-1H for each lateral on a multi-lateral well?
Yes. Each drainhole needs its own complete set of entries. The Rev. 02/2021 form repeats the field block so you can describe more than one lateral on the page.
Is there a separate fee just for the W-1H?
No. Fees attach to the parent Form W-1 and scale with total vertical depth, from $200 to $300, plus $200 for a Rule 37/38 exception review.
Can I file the W-1H online?
Yes. The RRC Online System Drilling Permits (W-1) application is the preferred channel. It captures the horizontal data on screen and generates a facsimile W-1H.
Does the bottomhole legal location have to match the surface location?
No. A long lateral can cross into a different survey, abstract, or county. Items 8–12 record the bottomhole legal description independently of the surface.
Can I start drilling once I pay the fee?
No. Payment does not authorize drilling. You must wait for written authorization from the RRC, and drilling without an approved permit is a violation.
Is the terminus the same as the last take point?
No. The terminus is the physical end of the drainhole and may produce nothing, while the last take point is where production stops. Both get their own perpendicular calls.
Will a tight terminus distance automatically deny my permit?
No. A take point or terminus closer than the rule allows converts the filing into a Rule 37 or 38 exception, requiring a certified plat, an affected-party list, and waivers or notice, not an automatic denial.
Related reading
- How to Fill Out Texas Railroad Commission Form SWR-37 (w/Examples) + FAQs
- How to Fill Out Texas Railroad Commission Form SWR-38 (w/Examples) + FAQs
- How to Fill Out Texas Railroad Commission Form W-1 (w/Examples) + FAQs
- How to Fill Out Texas Railroad Commission Form W-10 (w/Examples) + FAQs
- How to Fill Out Texas Railroad Commission Form W-12 (w/Examples) + FAQs
- How to Fill Out Texas Railroad Commission Form W-1X (w/Examples) + FAQs