AUSTIN This week marks another milestone in significant technological advancements at the Railroad Commission of Texas.
The agency has launched State Tracking and Reporting (LoneSTAR), a project that further improves efficiencies at the agency to save time and resources for oil and gas operators as well as RRC staff.
According to a news release, the first LoneSTAR release allows operators to make online filings for Form P-5, which are required to become, or renew as, an oil or gas operator or pipeline operator. P-5s are required in order to operate in Texas.
Other forms associated with the P-5 process can also be filed online through LoneSTAR: Form W-3C, for Certification of Surface Equipment Removal for an Inactive Well; and Form W-3X, the Application for an Extension of Deadline for Plugging an Inactive Well.
LoneSTAR gives operators the ability to monitor the P-5 approval process online, fix any compliance issues related to filings in real-time, and view records online, the release said.
The project not only reduces the extensive paperwork that operators were once required to send, it also streamlines the day-to-day review process by RRC staff.
“Overhauling the IT system at the Railroad Commission has been a top priority for me since I was first elected,” RRC Chairman Christi Craddick said in the release. “The LoneSTAR launch marks a significant advancement to the way the agency interacts with operators and will improve the agency’s ability to prioritize health and safety for all Texans and the environment, while ensuring the state’s economic powerhouse can continue to thrive.”
“LoneSTAR modernizes the agency’s information technology to ensure producers spend less time filling out bureaucratic forms and more time drilling for the reliable energy our state, nation, and world need,” said RRC Commissioner Wayne Christian. “The Commission is widely recognized as a global leader in energy regulation, and as Commissioner I want to make sure it retains that reputation by minimizing the regulatory burden on producers and building a 21st century agency that’s the envy of the world. I want to congratulate and thank all the RRC staff that worked so hard on this project.”
“Innovation spurred the shale revolution, but it was efficient operations that ultimately resulted in America becoming the leading energy producer in the world,” said RRC Commissioner Jim Wright. “The launch of LoneSTAR will not only serve to improve our effectiveness here at the Railroad Commission, but will also reduce the paperwork burden for our Texas energy producers, allowing for greater efficiency in their day-to-day operations.”
Operators can view the announcement on using LoneSTAR at https://rrc.texas.gov/announcements/070124-rrc-launches-lonestar-for-forms-p-5-w-3c-and-w-3x-online-filing/.
Future releases of LoneSTAR will include other oil and gas and environmental permitting processes.
