Instructions for Completing Form GW-1 Groundwater Determination Request Form

If you are an oil or gas operator in Texas, the Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) may require you to obtain a groundwater protection recommendation letter. This letter states the depth of usable-quality water and additional isolation zones that should be protected in a well/boring or project area. 

To receive a letter, Groundwater Projection Determination (Form GW-2), submit the following documents:

• a complete Form GW-1;
• a scaled map showing the well location and the surrounding survey lines;
• a copy of the electric log, if you are plugging or re-entering an existing well; and
• appropriate payment (check, money order or ePay voucher receipt) if you are expediting your application

to the RRC Groundwater Advisory Unit via e-mail at gau@rrc.state.tx.us or by mail to one of the following addresses:

Regular U.S. Postal Address: 

Groundwater Advisory Unit
Railroad Commission of Texas
PO Box 12967
Austin TX 78711-2967

 

Address for Overnight Delivery Services or Express Mail:

Groundwater Advisory Unit
Railroad Commission of Texas
1701 N. Congress
Austin TX 78701

The recommendation letter will be sent to the e-mail address identified on the Form GW-1.  If you do not have an e-mail address, the recommendation letter will be sent to the fax number identified on the application. If you do not have a fax number, the recommendation letter will be sent via regular U.S. mail.

The Form GW-1 Groundwater Determination Request Form is an interactive PDF form that can be opened with Adobe® Reader® or Adobe® Acrobat®. The form is currently using Adobe® Acrobat®, Version 9. Different versions of these applications allow the user to perform various functions:

• Adobe® Reader®, Version 9, allows the form to be completed and printed or saved with the input data.
• Versions of Adobe® Reader® earlier than Version 7 do not allow the form to be saved with the input data.
• Adobe® Acrobat®, Version 6 as well as earlier versions allow the form to be saved with the input data. However, the saved data may not always transmit correctly when opened by the agency (e.g., county name).

Following are the descriptions for the field entries on Form GW-1:

1. Name of Person Preparing this request – This section on the form requests the following fields to be completed:
• Name – The name of person preparing and submitting the form
• Phone # - Phone number of person preparing and submitting the form.  Include area code and phone number.  If you are hand writing in the telephone number, use the example format, e.g., 512 123-4567.
• Fax # - Fax number of person preparing and submitting the form.  Include area code and phone number.  If you are hand writing in the telephone number, use the example format, e.g., 512 123-4567.  If you do not have a fax number, leave this field blank.
• E-mail – Please, provide an e-mail address for the recommendation letter to be sent.  If you do not have an e-mail address, leave this field blank.
2. Operator Information – This section on the form requests the following fields to be completed:
• Operator Name – The name of company/organization (RRC registered operator name) requesting the SC letter.
• Address 1 – Operator’s street address or P.O. Box
• Address 2 – Second line of operator’s address if needed (e.g., Bldg D; Ste 101; Mail code 999)
• City/State/Zip Code – City, state and zip code for operator’s address; In the “Zip Code” field, please include the zip + 4 (e.g., 12345-1234).
• Operator ID – The six digit number (P-5 number) issued by the RRC, identifying the operator. For cathodic protection wells, operators that are not registered with the RRC must contact the Groundwater Advisory Unit for an ID number.
3. Well information and physical location data – This section on the form requests the following fields to be completed:
   • County Name – From the drop down menu, select the county in which the well is located.
   • Lease Name – Assigned name the operator or RRC has given the lease.
   • Well No. – Assigned well number
     You may apply for advisory letters that apply to a specified area rather than a single well location.  However, area wide recommendations are not available in all areas.  Requirements for an area wide recommendation are that the surface topography is relatively flat, and the hydrogeologic units to be protected are relatively flat. 
     
     There are four types of these recommendations: RADIUS, PAD, ALL, and AND CP.   The RADIUS recommendation is good for any well within the stated radius requested (e.g. 300 ft). The PAD recommendation is good for all wells drilled within the area shown on the site map as being included in the pad. The ALL recommendation is good for all wells in the same lease, county, survey, block (porcion or league), and section (share or labor). 
     
     To apply for an area wide recommendation, write RADUS, PAD, ALL, or AND CP, in the “Well Number” field.  In addition, write the length of the radius in the “Remarks” field at the bottom of the form.   To provide coordinates for the site, give the coordinates of one of the wells in the area (please state the well number used to obtain the coordinates).
   • Survey Name – Assigned name of the surveyed property in which the well is located; Enter name as it is recorded with the Texas General Land Office (e.g., H & T C RR; Smith, J; Smith and Jones).
   • Abstract No. A – Assigned number as it is recorded with the Texas General Land Office for the surveyed property in which the well is located.
   • Lease # - Assigned number the RRC has given the lease
   • Block No./Township/Range/Section/League/Labor/ Porcion /Share/Tract/Lot No.
     – Depending upon where the well is located, additional legal descriptions for the surveyed property may apply. Please enter data that is applicable to the specific well location.
   • Distances, in feet, and direction, measured at right angles from ______Lines (NOT LEASE LINES) – From the drop down menu, select one of the surveyed property lines used for the description of the well’s surface location. Directions from lease, unit, county lines, and surveyed property lines in adjoining counties are not acceptable.  Please enter the distance in feet and select the direction from the drop down menu for each of the property lines.
   • API # - The American Petroleum Institute (API) number of the wellbore in which the well is located.  If the API number has been assigned to the well, include the 3 digit county code (FIPS #) and 5 digit well number with no dashes (e.g., 00199999).  If an API number has not been assigned, leave this field blank. The county code (FIPS #) can be found at http://www.rrc.state.tx.us/forms/maps/ogicc.php
   • RRC Dist No. – From the drop down menu, select the RRC district in which the well is located. The RRC district code for the county can be found at http://www.rrc.state.tx.us/forms/maps/ogicd.php
   • Map Image Name – The file name for the map document that will be attached to the e-mail submittal for this application.  A map file name with 40 characters or less (including the file name extension: .tif or .jpg) is required.   Abbreviations may be used to fulfill the file name requirements for both the Form GW-1 and map image.

     Possible file name convention options include:

     Example 1:  If you create a file name for 0051P Transitional Form by the operator number and API# :
                 <Operator Number> <API#>.pdf (e.g., 123456_00134567.pdf)
     the map image name should be:
                 <Operator Number> <API#>_map.tif (e.g., 123456_00134567_map.tif)

     Example 2:  If there is no API# available (e.g., new drill, cathodic protection, etc.), the 0051P Transitional Form may be named as follows:
     O&G well: <Operator Number> <FIPS#> <Lease name> <well#>.pdf
     Cathodic:   <Operator Number> <FIPS#> <Project name> <well#>.pdf
     And the map image name should be:
     O&G well: <Operator Number> <FIPS#> <Lease name> <well#>_map.tif
     Cathodic:   <Operator Number> <FIPS#> <Project name> <well#>_map.tif

     This naming convention also applies to other related documents sent via e-mail changing the “map” portion of the name to something describing the document (e.g., “_elog” for electric log, “_dlog” for driller’s log, “_aff” for affidavit, “_vch” for payment  receipt, etc.).  This makes all of the files related to a 0051P Transitional Form easy to locate when we process your application.

4. GPS or X-Y State Plane Coordinates – In this section of the form, either global positioning system (GPS) coordinates or X-Y State Plane Feet Coordinates are required:
   • For GPS coordinates, enter latitude (LAT) and longitude (LON) data in either Degrees/Minutes/Seconds; Degrees with decimal minutes, no seconds; or Decimal degrees, no minutes, no seconds format. Following are examples of each format:
     
     1. For Degrees/Minutes/Seconds, enter:   the degrees into the “Deg” field; the minutes into the “Min” field; and the seconds, using at least 2 decimal places, into the “Sec” field (e.g., Lon <100> <30> < 25.26>).
     2. For Degrees with decimal minutes, no seconds, enter:   the degrees in the “Deg” field; the minutes, using at least 4 decimal places, in the “Min” field; and no seconds in the “Sec” field (e.g., Lon <100> < 30.0008>).
     3. For Decimal degrees, no minutes, no seconds, enter the degrees followed by at least 4 decimal places in the “LAT (DD)” and “LONG (DD)” fields (e.g., <100.4756>).
   • Be sure to select the applicable Datum from the drop down menu.
   • For X-Y State Plane coordinates, enter the data to the nearest foot for both measurements.  Select the applicable State Plane (SP) Zone and SP Datum from the drop down menus.
5. Additional Data – This section on the form requests the following fields to be completed:
   • Elevation – topographic ground elevation at well location
   • Total Depth – estimated drilling depth for the well
   • Formation at TD – the geologic formation that is expected at total depth (TD) of the well
   • Purpose of Request – From the drop down menu, select one of the following purposes:  ND (new drill); P&A (plugged and abandoned); RE (re-entry and/or deepen); H1 (RRC form for injection well); H2 (brine mining facility); CP (cathodic protection); H15 (RRC form for well integrity test); P13 (RRC form for converting well to water well); MS (microseismics); and Other
   • Other – If “Other” is selected as “Purpose of Request”, please specify which RRC form or reason a SC letter is being requested.
   • Expedite ($75 fee + $112.50 surcharge = $187.50) – Option for expediting the processing of the application. Select an option from drop down menu.

     Reminder - Please attach the copy of the ePay voucher receipt to the e-mail submittal of your application if you pay by credit card or electronic fund transfer. If you request an expedited SC letter by mail or hand delivery, please submit the payment with the Expedited Surface Casing Recommendation/Payment Submission Form (Form 20468 Transitional Form).

   • Previous SC-number or GAU number for this well – An SC number is the TCEQ file number a GAU file number is the RRC number given by the Groundwater Advisory Unit.  If the current application is for a re-entry or a well with a previous recommendation, enter the file number (located in the top right hand corner of the letter).
   • Remarks – Enter any additional information needed for application (e.g., requesting recommendation for entire lease, section, pad, specified radius, adding a CP well to the well location, etc