The commission must regulate daily gas well production from a common reservoir when needed, and it may regulate commingled production as if it were a single reservoir, subject to stated limits.
Sec. 86.081. REGULATION OF PRODUCTION. (a) For the protection of public and private interests, the commission, on written complaint by an affected party or on its own initiative and after notice and an opportunity for a hearing, shall prorate and regulate the daily gas well production from a common reservoir if the commission finds that action to be necessary to: (1) prevent waste; or (2) adjust the correlative rights and opportunities of each owner of gas in a common reservoir to produce and use or sell the gas as permitted in this chapter. (b) When, as provided in Subsection (b) of Section 85.046 or Subsection (b) of Section 86.012, the commission has permitted production by commingling oil or gas or oil and gas from multiple stratigraphic or lenticular accumulations of oil or gas or oil and gas, the commission may regulate all activities that are under its jurisdiction and associated with such commingled, separate multiple stratigraphic or lenticular accumulations of oil or gas or oil and gas as if the accumulations were a single common reservoir; provided, however, that: (i) such commingling shall not cause the allocation of allowable production from a well producing from any separate accumulation or accumulations to be less than that which would result from the commission applying the provisions of Section 86.095 to such accumulation or accumulations; and (ii) the allocation of the allowable for such commingled production shall be based on not less than two factors which the Railroad Commission shall take into account as directed by Section 86.089. Acts 1977, 65th Leg., p. 2534, ch. 871, art. I, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1977. Amended by Acts 1981, 67th Leg., p. 2580, ch. 688, Sec. 3, eff. June 16, 1981; Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 435, Sec. 3, eff. Aug. 28, 1995. Amended by: Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 881 (S.B. 1170), Sec. 1, eff. June 17, 2005. Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 1119 (H.B. 2440), Sec. 1, eff. June 18, 2005.