Texas Railroad Commission Form W-2 is the Oil Well Potential Test, Completion or Recompletion Report, and Log that every operator must file after drilling, recompleting, or changing an oil well so the state has an official record of how that well was built and what it can produce. You file it with the Railroad Commission of Texas Oil and Gas Division, and the version in use today carries a revision date of Rev. 01/2014 printed in the bottom corner.
Get this form wrong and your well may sit without an assigned allowable, which means you cannot legally sell the oil it makes. The Commission processes tens of thousands of completion records each year, and a single bad latitude reading or a missing Form W-15 cementing affidavit can bounce your filing back and cost you weeks. This guide walks you through the form one box at a time, in plain language, so you can file it once and file it right.
Here is what you will learn:
- 🛢️ What Form W-2 reports and exactly which operators must file it
- 📋 The full list of records, IDs, and attachments to gather before you start
- 🖥️ How to access and submit the form through the RRC Online portal step by step
- ✅ Line-by-line help for every field, with named examples and the mistakes that trip people up
- ⏱️ The filing deadlines, fees, and penalties that decide whether your well earns an allowable
What the Form Is and Who Must File It
Form W-2 is the official completion record for a well in an oil field. Its companion, Form G-1, does the same job for wells in gas fields. The form captures the physical build of the well — casing, cement, perforated intervals, and formation tops — plus the results of the potential test that shows how much oil, gas, and water the well makes in 24 hours.
Any operator who drills a new oil well, deepens or plugs back an existing one, recompletes a well into a new reservoir, or reclassifies a well must file Form W-2. The duty falls on the operator of record, the same party named on the Form P-5 Organization Report on file with the Commission. If you injection or disposal operators run a well in an oil field, you also file Form W-2 to record the as-built completion before injection starts.
The form exists because the Commission must confirm your well matches the permit it issued on Form W-1, the drilling permit. The plain-English point: the W-2 is how the state proves your well is built the way you said it would be. The consequence of ignoring it: the well gets no allowable and the Commission can sever the lease, blocking all sales. A real example: an operator who finishes a well but never files the W-2 sees that well flagged as delinquent, and pipeline buyers refuse to take its oil. A common misconception: many filers think the drilling permit alone proves the well exists, but the permit only authorizes drilling — the W-2 records what was actually built.
Before You Start: Documents and Information You Need
Filing goes faster when every number is in front of you before you open the form. Missing data is the top reason a W-2 sits half-finished in the portal for days. Gather these items first:
- Your RRC Operator Number and P-5 name — the form must match your Organization Report exactly, or the system rejects the operator field.
- The RRC drilling permit number from Form W-1 — Item 24 asks for it, and without it the Commission cannot tie the completion to an approved permit.
- The API well number (42-XXXXXXXXX) — this unique identifier links every record for the well; a wrong digit attaches your data to someone else’s well.
- Surface and bottomhole latitude and longitude — Item 6 demands a minimum of five decimal places, and a sloppy coordinate can place your well in the wrong survey.
- The field name and reservoir as shown in RRC records — Item 1 must use the official field name or the word Wildcat; a made-up name stalls the filing.
- The lease name, lease number, and well number — these route the record to the correct lease account for allowable assignment.
- Casing, liner, tubing, and cementing records — sizes, setting depths, sacks of cement, and slurry volume feed the casing and cement tables.
- The Form W-15 Cementing Affidavit — Item 35 asks if it is attached, and surface casing cannot be verified without it.
- The directional survey (Form W-12) if the well is not vertical — Item 30 asks for it, and a deviated well filed without it draws a deficiency notice.
- Potential test results — test date, hours tested, choke size, and the oil, gas, and water volumes produced during the test.
If any of these is missing, stop and find it. A W-2 filed with a guessed coordinate or a blank permit number does not save time; it creates a deficiency that you must cure later under a tighter clock.
Where to Get the Form and How to Access It
The Commission now expects completion reports to be filed electronically. You reach the system through RRC Online, the agency’s secure filing portal, using the RRC Online username and password tied to your operator account. Once signed in, you choose the Completions (W-2/G-1) application and the system builds a facsimile W-2 from the data you enter.
If you need the paper version for reference or for a rare manual filing, the official fillable PDF lives at the Oil and Gas Forms page and downloads directly as Form W-2 (Rev. 01/2014). Note that it is a two-sided form; the front holds the potential test and well data, and the back holds the casing, cement, formation, and certification blocks.
To get an RRC Online account, your organization’s security administrator grants you filing rights under the operator’s P-5. The consequence of skipping this setup: without portal access you cannot file at all, and mailing paper to a District Office is slower and may be returned with a note to file online. A misconception worth clearing up: filers often assume any company employee can log in and file, but only users the security administrator has authorized for completions can submit a W-2.
Step-by-Step: How to Fill Out Form W-2 Line by Line
The form runs from Item 1 through Item 47 plus the casing, cement, formation, and certification tables. Work top to bottom; each field feeds the next. Below, every major field gets its own walkthrough.
Item 1 — Field Name
This box asks for the name of the field where your well sits, exactly as the Commission lists it. Type the official field name in capital letters, or write Wildcat if the well is in an area with no established field. Carlos Reyes, an operator drilling in Reeves County, enters PHANTOM (WOLFCAMP) because that is the field name in RRC records. If your well is exploratory and no field exists yet, the entry is simply WILDCAT. The common mistake here is inventing a shortened field name; an entry that does not match the Commission database stalls the record while staff hunt for the right field. Many filers wrongly believe the field name is whatever the operator calls the area, but it must be the Commission’s official designation.
Item 2 — Lease Name
This field names the lease the well produces from. Enter the lease name as it appears on your permit and lease records, in capital letters. Carlos enters SMITH RANCH UNIT. If the well is on a unitized lease, use the unit name shown on the W-1 permit. A frequent error is using an informal ranch name that differs from the permitted lease name, which breaks the link between the well and its lease account. People often think the lease name and the field name are interchangeable, but the lease is the contract tract while the field is the geologic reservoir area.
Items 3 and 4 — Operator’s Name and Address
Item 3 asks for the operator’s name exactly as shown on Form P-5, along with the RRC Operator Number; Item 4 asks for the full mailing address. Type the legal operator name, not a trade name, and add the street, city, state, and ZIP. Permian Basin Energy LLC, Operator No. 123456, enters its name letter for letter as filed on its P-5. If your mailing address is a P.O. Box, you may use it here, but the Commission still expects a deliverable address. The classic mistake is entering a parent company or a recently changed name that no longer matches the active P-5, which triggers a hold while the agency cross-checks the organization record. Filers sometimes assume any version of the company name will do, but the system matches the operator field against the P-5 character by character.
Item 5 — Location (Section, Block, Survey) and Distance to Town
Item 5a asks for the legal land description, and 5b asks how far the well sits from the nearest town. In 5a, enter the section, block, and survey from your permit; in 5b, fill the blanks so the line reads, for example, 8 miles in a NORTH direction from PECOS, which is the nearest town in the county. Carlos enters SEC 12, BLK 56, T-2-S, T&P RR CO SURVEY. If your tract spans more than one survey, list the survey that contains the surface location. A common slip is leaving 5b half-filled, which the Commission treats as an incomplete location. Many filers think GPS coordinates replace the survey description, but the Commission requires both the legal description and the coordinates in Item 6.
Item 6 — Well Latitude/Longitude
This field captures the well’s position in decimal degrees and asks you to state the coordinate type. Enter latitude and longitude with a minimum of five decimal places and identify whether the point is the surface or bottomhole location. Carlos enters 31.42058, -103.49321 as surface coordinates. If the well is directional, report the surface coordinate here and document the bottomhole location with the Form W-12 survey. The single most common error on the entire form lives here: fewer than five decimals, or a dropped negative sign on the longitude, which lands the well hundreds of miles from Texas. Filers often believe four decimals are “close enough,” but the Commission rejects coordinates that miss the five-decimal floor.
Items 7, 8, and 9 — RRC District, Lease Number, and Well Number
Item 7 asks for the RRC District Number, Item 8 for the RRC Lease Number, and Item 9 for the Well Number. Enter the district that covers your county, the assigned oil lease number, and the well number from your permit. Carlos files in District 08, lease No. 45821, well No. 3H. If the lease number has not yet been assigned for a brand-new lease, the Commission assigns it during processing, so note that in remarks. A common mistake is transposing the district number, which routes the record to the wrong District Office. Filers sometimes confuse the RRC Lease Number with the API number, but they are different identifiers serving different purposes.
Item 10 — County
This box names the county where the surface location sits. Type the county name in capital letters. Carlos enters REEVES. If the well crosses a county line, report the county of the surface hole. The mistake to avoid is naming the county of the bottomhole on a long lateral when the surface is in a different county, which conflicts with the location data. Some filers think the county is obvious enough to skip, but a blank county field makes the record incomplete.
Item 11 — Purpose of Filing
This is one of the most important fields, and it tells the Commission why you are filing. Choose one purpose. For producers the choices are Initial potential, Retest, Reclass, and Well record only; for injection, disposal, storage, or brine-mining wells the choices are Initial completion, Reclass, and Well record only. Carlos, reporting a brand-new producing oil well, checks Initial potential. If you are only correcting an administrative detail with no physical work, you check Well record only and explain in remarks. The common error is checking Initial potential on a well that was already completed, which double-reports the well and confuses the allowable calculation. Filers often confuse Item 11 (purpose of filing) with Item 23 (type of completion); Item 11 says why you file, while Item 23 says what work was done.
Items 12a and 12b — Spud Date and Date of First Production
Item 12a asks for the spud date, the day drilling began; Item 12b asks for the date of first production after the rig was released. Enter both as calendar dates. Carlos enters spud date 03/04/2026 and first production 05/18/2026. For an injection well, the date of first production means the first date of injection after the work was done. The mistake here is reporting a first-production date that predates the rig release, which is physically impossible and flags the record. Filers sometimes think the spud date is the permit date, but spud is the day the bit first turns to the right.
Item 13 — Former Field or Multiple Completion Detail
This field applies only to recompletions, reclasses, or multiple completions. If you recompleted the well into a new reservoir, give the former field, reservoir, and lease number; if the well is a multiple completion, list every reservoir and its lease number. Janet Cole, recompleting a well from the SPRABERRY reservoir up into the WOLFCAMP, enters the old field, reservoir, and oil lease number here. If this is a brand-new well, leave the box blank. A common error is leaving Item 13 empty on a recompletion, which hides the well’s prior history. Filers often assume this box is optional for everyone, but it is mandatory whenever the purpose is a reclass or recompletion.
Items 14 Through 22 — Potential Test Data
This block records the 24-hour potential test for a new completion or recompletion; leave it blank if you file for another purpose. Enter the log types run (Item 14), test date (Item 15), hours tested (Item 16), production method (Item 17), choke size (Item 18), production volumes during the test (Item 19), the calculated 24-hour rate (Item 20), whether a swab was used (Item 21), and oil produced before the test (Item 22). Marcus Lee, testing a new flowing well, enters test date 05/20/2026, 24 hours tested, choke 20/64, and a calculated rate of 420 barrels of oil, 380 MCF gas, and 55 barrels water. The Commission expects the test to run a full 24 hours unless field rules say otherwise. A common mistake is reporting a partial-hour test without explaining it, which can lower the assigned allowable. Filers wrongly assume the raw test volume is the allowable, but the Commission calculates the allowable from the 24-hour rate under field rules.
Item 23 — Type of Completion
This field states what physical work was done. Check one: New well, Deepening, Plug back, Side track, Re-entry, Recompletion, or Other. Carlos, drilling fresh, checks New well. If you opened a deeper zone in an existing wellbore, you check Deepening. The error to avoid is checking New well on a re-entry of an old wellbore, which misstates the well’s drilling history. Filers often blur Item 23 with Item 11; remember Item 23 describes the work, while Item 11 describes the reason for filing.
Item 24 — Permit to Drill, Plug Back, or Deepen
This box ties the completion to its authorizing permit. Enter the date and permit number of the W-1 drilling permit, plus any Rule 37 exception case number, fluid injection permit, or waste disposal permit that applies. Carlos enters permit No. 876543 dated 02/15/2026. If your well needed a Rule 37 spacing exception, add that case number and date in the lines provided. The mistake here is leaving the permit number blank, which severs the link between the completion and an approved permit and stops processing cold. Some filers think the API number stands in for the permit number, but the Commission needs the actual W-1 permit reference.
Items 25 Through 29 — Lease and Well Geometry
These fields capture the lease’s well count and physical measurements. Enter the number of producing wells on the lease in this reservoir (Item 25), total lease acres including this well (Item 26), the dates plug-back or drilling operations commenced and ended (Item 27), the distance to the nearest well in the lease and reservoir (Item 28), and the elevation with its reference such as DF, RKB, RT, or GR (Item 29). Carlos enters 3 producing wells, 640 acres, and elevation 2,815 ft GR. If this is the first well on the lease, Item 25 is 1. A common error is reporting gross acres instead of the acres assigned to this reservoir, which can affect spacing and density review. Filers sometimes leave Item 28 blank, but the distance to the nearest well matters for Statewide Rule 37 and 38 spacing.
Items 30 Through 35 — Directional Survey, Depths, and Casing Determination
This group covers deviation and depth data. Answer whether a directional survey other than inclination was made on Form W-12 (Item 30), give total depth (Item 31) and plug-back depth (Item 32), state how surface casing depth was determined (Item 33), the rotation time within surface casing (Item 34), and whether the Form W-15 Cementing Affidavit is attached (Item 35). Carlos, drilling a horizontal well, checks YES on Item 30, enters total depth 18,450 ft MD, and checks YES on Item 35. If your well is vertical, you check NO on Item 30 and skip the W-12. The serious mistake is checking NO on Item 35 when surface casing was set without a Statewide Rule 13 exception, which leaves the cement job unverified and draws a deficiency. Filers often think the directional survey is optional for short laterals, but any well drilled off vertical needs the W-12.
Items 36 Through 39 — Completion Interval and Tubing
These fields describe where the well is open to the formation. Indicate the top and bottom measured depths of each completion interval or open hole (Item 36), and state whether the well currently has tubing set (Item 39). Marcus enters a perforated interval From 11,250 To 11,690 and checks YES for tubing set. If the well is open hole with no perforations, you report the open-hole interval and note any Rule 13 exception. The mistake to avoid is reporting an interval that sits outside the permitted reservoir, which flags a possible rule violation. Filers sometimes confuse measured depth with true vertical depth here; the form asks for measured depths.
Items 40 Through 44 — Hydraulic Fracturing Data
This block records frac and pressure data. State whether a hydraulic fracturing treatment was performed (Item 40), whether the well has a downhole actuation sleeve (Item 41), the production casing test pressure before fracturing (Item 42), the actual maximum pressure during fracturing (Item 43), and whether the frac fluid disclosure was reported to the FracFocus registry under Statewide Rule 29 (Item 44). Carlos checks YES on Item 40, enters a casing test pressure of 9,500 PSIG, and checks YES on Item 44 to confirm FracFocus disclosure. If the well was not fracked, you check NO on Item 40 and the pressure boxes stay blank. The error to avoid is checking NO on Item 44 after a frac job, which violates Rule 29’s disclosure duty. Filers wrongly assume FracFocus reporting is voluntary, but it is required for fractured wells.
Items 46 and 47 — H2S and Down-Hole Commingling
These fields flag safety and commingling conditions. State whether the producing intervals make hydrogen sulfide above 100 ppm under Statewide Rule 36 (Item 46), and whether the completion is down-hole commingled under Statewide Rule 10 (Item 47). Carlos checks NO on both for his sweet-oil completion. If your well produces sour gas above the threshold, you check YES on Item 46 and follow the Rule 36 contingency-plan requirements. The mistake here is checking NO on H2S when sour gas is present, which is a safety violation with real penalties. Filers sometimes think commingling needs no disclosure, but Rule 10 requires reporting and, often, prior approval.
Casing, Liner, Tubing, Cement, and Formation Records
The back of the form holds tables for the casing record (type, size, hole size, setting depth), the liner and tubing records, the cement detail (class, sacks, slurry volume, top of cement), and the formation record listing geological markers and tops. Enter each string in its own row; for cement, list class, sacks, and slurry volume in cubic feet. Carlos lists Surface, 9-5/8 in, set at 1,200 ft and Production, 5-1/2 in, set at 18,450 ft, with cement class and sacks for each. The formation record must include all permitted disposal or injection formations within a quarter mile of the wellbore, productive zones, and corrosive-fluid zones. The common mistake is omitting a casing string or understating cement volume, which makes it impossible to confirm zonal isolation. Filers often think only the production casing matters, but the surface casing record is what protects groundwater and draws the most scrutiny.
Operator’s Certification
The certification block is your signature under penalty of law. The operator’s representative signs, prints their name and title, and adds the phone number, date, and an email only if you consent to its public release. Carlos’s production manager signs, prints Robert Vance, Operations Manager, dates it 05/30/2026, and adds the company phone. The certification invokes Section 91.143 of the Texas Natural Resources Code, which makes a false statement on the report a criminal offense. The mistake to avoid is having an unauthorized person sign, which can void the filing. Filers sometimes treat the signature as a formality, but it is a sworn statement that the data is true, correct, and complete.
Three Filled-Out Examples Using Real Scenarios
Below are three common fact patterns, each following one filer through the form’s key fields.
Scenario 1: Carlos files a brand-new horizontal oil well. Carlos completes a new well in the Phantom (Wolfcamp) field in Reeves County and files an initial potential test.
| Form Section | What Carlos Enters |
|---|---|
| Item 1 — Field Name | PHANTOM (WOLFCAMP) |
| Item 3 — Operator (per P-5) | Permian Basin Energy LLC, Op. No. 123456 |
| Item 6 — Latitude/Longitude | 31.42058, -103.49321 (surface) |
| Item 11 — Purpose of Filing | Initial potential |
| Item 12a — Spud Date | 03/04/2026 |
| Item 23 — Type of Completion | New well |
| Item 24 — Permit No. | 876543, dated 02/15/2026 |
| Item 31 — Total Depth | 18,450 ft MD |
| Item 35 — W-15 Attached? | YES |
| Item 44 — FracFocus Reported? | YES |
Scenario 2: Janet files a recompletion into a shallower reservoir. Janet recompletes an existing well, moving it from the Spraberry up into the Wolfcamp, and reports the prior reservoir.
| Form Section | What Janet Enters |
|---|---|
| Item 1 — Field Name | SPRABERRY (TREND AREA) new reservoir |
| Item 11 — Purpose of Filing | Reclass / Recompletion |
| Item 13 — Former Field & Lease | Former: SPRABERRY, Lease No. 31002 |
| Item 23 — Type of Completion | Recompletion |
| Item 27 — Operations Dates | Commenced 04/10/2026, Ended 04/22/2026 |
| Item 32 — Plug Back Depth | 9,800 ft |
| Item 36 — Completion Interval | From 8,900 To 9,400 |
| Item 39 — Tubing Set? | YES |
| Item 45 — Formation Record | Wolfcamp top at 8,850 ft |
| Certification | Signed, Janet Cole, Reg. Analyst, 04/30/2026 |
Scenario 3: Marcus files a producing-to-injection reclass (well record only). Marcus converts an oil well to a disposal well and files an administrative change with no new potential test.
| Form Section | What Marcus Enters |
|---|---|
| Item 11 — Purpose of Filing | Well record only (reclass producing to injection) |
| Items 14–22 — Potential Test | Left blank — does not apply |
| Item 12b — Date First Injection | 05/01/2026 |
| Item 23 — Type of Completion | Other/Recompletion |
| Item 24 — Disposal Permit | Fluid Injection Permit, dated 03/20/2026 |
| Item 36 — Injection Interval | From 6,200 To 6,450 |
| Item 39 — Tubing Set? | YES, packer at 6,150 ft |
| Item 45 — Formation Record | Disposal formation: San Andres |
| Remarks | Administrative reclass, no physical change |
| Certification | Signed, Marcus Lee, EHS Manager, 05/02/2026 |
How to File the Completed Form
The Commission offers two paths, and online filing is the standard route for nearly every operator.
Online through RRC Online. Sign in at the RRC Online portal, open the Completions (W-2/G-1) application, enter your data, and submit. There is no filing fee for the completion report itself, the system date-stamps your submission, and processing typically runs a few business days to a few weeks depending on review. Keep the on-screen confirmation and the tracking number the system assigns as your proof of filing.
By mail or in person to a District Office. If you must file paper, send the completed two-sided Form W-2 PDF — an original and one copy — to the RRC District Office that covers your county. Include any required attachments such as the Form W-15 cementing affidavit and the Form W-12 directional survey. Mailed filings take longer, and the District Office may direct you back to online filing. Keep a stamped copy and your certified-mail receipt as proof of the filing date.
No matter the channel, save your proof. The filing date controls whether you met the deadline, and a lost confirmation leaves you unable to prove you filed on time.
What Happens After You File
Once your W-2 lands, Commission staff review it against your W-1 permit and the field rules for the reservoir. If the data is complete and consistent, the well is assigned an allowable — the volume of oil it may legally produce and sell — and the record posts to the public well file. This is the green light that lets pipelines and purchasers take your oil.
If the form has a gap, such as a missing permit number, a bad coordinate, or an absent W-15, the Commission issues a deficiency notice and the well’s status stays pending. You then correct and refile. Until the record clears, the well may be marked delinquent, which can lead to a severance that blocks all sales from the lease. Watching your RRC Online status after filing is the fastest way to catch a deficiency before it becomes a severance.
Mistakes to Avoid When Filling Out the Form
- Entering fewer than five decimals in Item 6 — the Commission rejects the coordinate and the record stalls.
- Dropping the negative sign on longitude — the system places your Texas well in the eastern hemisphere and bounces it.
- Using an operator name that differs from the P-5 — the operator field fails its cross-check and the filing holds.
- Leaving the W-1 permit number blank in Item 24 — processing stops because the completion has no approved permit to attach to.
- Confusing Item 11 with Item 23 — mixing purpose of filing with type of completion misclassifies the well.
- Checking “Initial potential” on an already-completed well — the well gets double-reported and the allowable calculation breaks.
- Checking “NO” on the Form W-15 question (Item 35) without a Rule 13 exception — the cement job goes unverified and draws a deficiency.
- Omitting the Form W-12 directional survey on a deviated well (Item 30) — the bottomhole location cannot be confirmed.
- Reporting “NO” on FracFocus (Item 44) after a frac job — this violates Statewide Rule 29 disclosure duties.
- Understating cement sacks or slurry volume — staff cannot confirm zonal isolation and groundwater protection.
- Filing the wrong form (W-2 for a gas-field well) — gas-field wells require Form G-1, and the W-2 will be returned.
- Letting an unauthorized person sign the certification — the sworn statement is void and the filing may be rejected.
Do’s and Don’ts
Do:
- Do match Item 3 to your P-5 exactly — the system compares the operator name character by character.
- Do enter coordinates with five or more decimals — Item 6 has a hard five-decimal floor.
- Do attach the W-15 and W-12 when the form asks — Items 35 and 30 trigger deficiency notices if the attachments are missing.
- Do report the full 24-hour test — field rules assume a 24-hour potential test for the allowable.
- Do save your confirmation and tracking number — it is your only proof of the filing date.
- Do list every casing string and cement volume — surface casing data protects groundwater and gets the most review.
Don’t:
- Don’t guess a coordinate to save time — a wrong location creates a deficiency that takes longer to cure.
- Don’t reuse a parent-company name — only the active P-5 operator name passes validation.
- Don’t leave Item 13 blank on a recompletion — the prior reservoir history is mandatory there.
- Don’t mix up measured depth and true vertical depth — the completion-interval boxes ask for measured depth.
- Don’t skip the H2S question when sour gas is present — Rule 36 carries safety penalties.
- Don’t mail paper when online filing is available — the District Office may return it and ask you to file online.
Filing on Your Own vs. With Professional Help
Pros of filing it yourself:
- No consultant fee — you keep the cost in-house since there is no filing fee for the report.
- Faster turnaround on simple wells — a routine vertical well is straightforward to enter.
- Direct control of the data — you know your casing and test numbers best.
- Builds internal expertise — your team learns the form for future wells.
- Immediate filing — no waiting on an outside party’s schedule.
Cons of filing it yourself (vs. using a consultant or attorney):
- Higher error risk on complex wells — horizontal, multiple-completion, and reclass wells have many traps.
- No expert eye on field rules — a consultant catches allowable and spacing issues you may miss.
- Time cost for staff — gathering survey, cement, and permit data takes hours.
- Deficiency exposure — a rejected filing delays the allowable and risks severance.
- Compliance liability — the Section 91.143 certification means errors carry legal weight.
Form W-2 vs. Form G-1
| Feature | Form W-2 / Form G-1 |
|---|---|
| Well type | W-2 is for wells in oil fields; G-1 is for wells in gas fields |
| What it reports | Both report completion, casing, cement, formation, and the well’s deliverability test |
| Test type | W-2 records an oil well potential test; G-1 records a gas well back-pressure test |
| Filing system | Both file online through RRC Online and post to the public well file |
| Allowable result | Both lead to an assigned allowable so the well can legally produce and sell |
Key Entities That Interact With Form W-2
Several Commission records and rules connect to the W-2. The Form P-5 Organization Report establishes who the operator is and must match Item 3. The Form W-1 drilling permit authorizes the well and is referenced in Item 24. The Form W-15 Cementing Affidavit verifies the cement job for Item 35, and the Form W-12 directional survey documents deviation for Item 30. Statewide Rules 13 (casing and cementing), 29 (FracFocus disclosure), 36 (hydrogen sulfide), and 37 and 38 (well spacing and density) all shape how specific fields must be answered, and the Statewide Rules govern the whole filing.
FAQs
Is Form W-2 the same as the IRS W-2 wage statement?
No. The RRC Form W-2 is an oil well completion report filed with the Railroad Commission of Texas. It has nothing to do with the IRS wage and tax statement employers send to workers.
Do I file Form W-2 for a gas well?
No. Wells in gas fields use Form G-1 instead. Form W-2 is only for wells located in oil fields.
Is there a filing fee for Form W-2?
No. The Commission does not charge a fee for the completion report itself. You only bear the cost of preparing and gathering the supporting data.
Can I still file Form W-2 on paper?
Yes. You may mail an original and one copy to your RRC District Office, but the Commission expects most filings online and may return paper filings.
Do I need five decimal places in the latitude/longitude box?
Yes. Item 6 requires a minimum of five decimal places. Coordinates with fewer decimals are rejected as incomplete.
In Item 11, do I pick “Initial potential” or “Well record only”?
No single answer fits all — choose Initial potential for a new producing completion, and Well record only for an administrative change with no physical work, explained in remarks.
Is Item 11 (purpose of filing) the same as Item 23 (type of completion)?
No. Item 11 states why you are filing, while Item 23 states what work was done, such as new well, deepening, or recompletion.
Do I fill out the potential test boxes (Items 14–22) for an injection well?
No. Potential test data does not apply to injection wells. You skip that block and report the work and intervals instead.
Do I write measured depth or true vertical depth in the completion interval boxes?
Yes to measured depth. Items 36 and the casing tables ask for measured depths unless a box specifically labels TVD.
Must I attach Form W-15 to my W-2?
Yes when surface casing was set and no Rule 13 exception applies. Item 35 asks if the cementing affidavit is attached, and a missing one draws a deficiency.
Do I need a Form W-12 directional survey?
Yes if the well was drilled off vertical. Item 30 asks whether a directional survey other than inclination was made, and deviated wells require it.
Is the operator’s signature legally binding?
Yes. The certification invokes Section 91.143 of the Texas Natural Resources Code, making a false statement on the report a criminal offense.
Does filing the W-2 give my well an allowable automatically?
No. The Commission reviews the form first, and only a complete, consistent filing earns an assigned allowable that lets the well produce and sell.
What revision of the form should I use?
Yes, use the current one — the official Form W-2 carries a Rev. 01/2014 date in the corner, and the online system builds the current facsimile for you.
Related reading
- How to Fill Out Texas Railroad Commission Form G-1 (w/Examples) + FAQs
- How to Fill Out Texas Railroad Commission Form L-1 (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