Guide
The 2-mile Area of Review: what changed, what operators are missing
Data as of 2026-04-18.
The pain
64× more wells to document per SWD permit
The Texas Railroad Commission expanded the Class II UIC Area of Review from a quarter-mile radius to a two-mile radius in mid-2025. That is a 64× expansion in surface area — and roughly a 64× expansion in artificial penetrations, plug records, and offset operators that must be documented in a single permit package.
Independent landmen and small operators are feeling the expansion most. A workflow that used to take a long afternoon now routinely takes two to four days, spread across the TRC Online System, the public GIS viewer, paper records for pre-1982 wells, and ad-hoc calls to confirm plug status on orphaned wells.
How PermianIQ helps
- One query returns every artificial penetration inside a 2-mile AOR around any lat/lon or API number
- Plug status, operator of record, spud date, and well status surfaced per well
- SRA overlap flagged automatically; TexNet seismic events layered on the same map
- CSV export with 24 data fields per well for pasting into the AOR table
Frequently asked
- When did the 2-mile AOR rule take effect?
- The TRC finalized the expanded Area of Review for Class II UIC disposal wells in mid-2025. The rule text and effective date are on the TRC website; verify directly before relying on it for a filing.
- Does the 2-mile AOR apply to existing permitted SWDs?
- New permit applications and major amendments trigger the expanded AOR. Existing permits in good standing are not retroactively re-reviewed, but any material change (rate increase, new perforation, transfer) can pull the well back into the current rule.
- What counts as an artificial penetration?
- Any wellbore that has penetrated the confining zone or injection zone inside the AOR — producing wells, injection wells, plugged and abandoned wells, dry holes, core holes. Surface mine shafts and deep water wells can also qualify depending on depth.
- Do I have to document wells drilled before electronic filing?
- Yes. Pre-1982 wells and very old P&A records may only exist in paper archives. TRC expects reasonable due diligence — a narrative explaining the search and any data gaps typically suffices if the gaps are documented.
Related reading
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