Millions of Historic Oil and Gas Production Records Now Online on Railroad Commission Website
August 11, 2022AUSTIN – In yet another move to enhance transparency and make Railroad Commission documents more widely available to the public, the agency recently completed a project to place all historic oil and gas production records online.
The Historical Imaged Annual Production Records database includes oil production dating back to 1931 and gas production going back to 1937. More than 1,300 rolls of microfilm containing about 2.2 million images housed in RRC’s Central Records were digitized for the project.
While RRC Central Records is available for the public to research historic documents using microfilm, the digitized production records can be searched and downloaded anywhere and anytime you have an internet connection, not just when you are available to make a trip to Austin.
The move to convert historic records into digital formats is part of a broad effort to improve efficiency at the agency and to provide easy access to the vast amount of information held by the RRC, which was founded in 1891.
Production records, which are the most accessed microfilm in Central Records, are used by researchers, landowners, royalty owners, energy companies, public information requesters and others.
“We are excited to have our historic production records available on our website now,” said Matthew Herzog, Manager of Central Records. “This is a significant undertaking and a historic moment for the Commission. Not only does it give the public quick and easy access to the information, but it can also save staff time that’s spent researching for public information requests. Requesters can now get historical production information with the click of a mouse if they wish, and our staff can devote time for other tasks.”
Above left, examples of the microfilm rolls that are now digitized. Above right, online image of digitized historical production records.
Production information from 1993 to present were already available on RRC’s website in the Production Data Query.
The newly-digitized historical production records, prior to 1993 dating back to the 1930s, can be found by scrolling to the bottom of our Imaged Records Query web page. It includes a User Guide and a video tutorial to help new users search for historical records.
About the Railroad Commission:
Our mission is to serve Texas by our stewardship of natural resources and the environment, our concern for personal and community safety, and our support of enhanced development and economic vitality for the benefit of Texans. The Commission has a long and proud history of service to both Texas and to the nation, including more than 100 years regulating the oil and gas industry. The Commission also has jurisdiction over alternative fuels safety, natural gas utilities, surface mining and intrastate pipelines. Established in 1891, the Railroad Commission of Texas is the oldest regulatory agency in the state. To learn more, please visit https://www.rrc.texas.gov/about-us/.