Texas preliminary March crude oil production averaged 2.01 million b/d, up from the 1.62 million b/d average of March 2013. Cumulative March production was 62.45 million bbl, up from 50.09 million bbl reported during March 2013, according to the Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC).

The state’s oil and gas wells produced 593.19 Bcf of gas based upon preliminary figures for March, up from the March 2013 preliminary total of 570.32 Bcf. March gas production averaged 19.14 Bcf/d and came from 165,182 oil wells and 90,883 gas wells.

In April the RRC reported preliminary crude production of 2 million b/d and 531.03 Bcf/d preliminary gas production (see Shale Daily,April 28).

The commission’s estimated final production for March is 73.67 million bbl of crude oil and 529.28 Bcf of gas well gas. The estimate is derived by multiplying the preliminary March totals of 62.45 million bbl of crude oil and 459.21 Bcf of gas well gas by an adjustment factor of 1.1797 for crude oil and 1.1526 for gas well gas. Totals do not include casinghead gas or condensate.

For the last 12 months, Texas reported production was 758 million bbl of oil and 7.8 Tcf of natural gas.

The RRC issued 1,919 original drilling permits in April compared to 1,996 in April 2013. The latest total included 1,742 permits to drill new oil/gas wells, 40 to re-enter existing well bores, and 137 for recompletions. Permits issued in April included 579 oil, 89 gas, 1,149 oil and gas, 76 injection, two service and 24 other permits.

In April operators reported 1,012 oil, 92 gas, 21 injection and four other completions compared to 1,894 oil, 505 gas, 88 injection and seven other completions in April 2013. Well completions year to date are 11,259, up from 7,449 recorded during the same period in 2013.

The Texas average rig count as of May 16 was 889, representing about 50% of all active land rigs in the country.