How do you define your well status?

Well statuses can be a challenge. States have a massive inconsistency on what they even consider a status option. Trying to do any kind of searching or analytics based on these statuses can be a challenge. This is why we have created our own well status. This status is based on the information we have on a well.

We still maintain the original regulatory status as Well Status - Reported throughout the platform. The status definitions described in this article apply to Well Status - Aliased, which provides a more standardized status option for searching, filtering, and analytics across multiple states.

In an effort to be transparent, here is the process we use to define the well status.

Well Status Options

Well Status - Aliased - WellDatabase's standardized interpretation
Well Status - Reported - What the regulatory agency reported

Is the well active?

Determining the type of well has different paths for wells that are active producers, injectors, or disposals. A well is considered active if it has reported volumes in one of those three categories at least once in the past 3 reporting periods. Because states report data at different frequencies, this calculation varies by state.

Active Wells

Wells determined to be active are pretty straightforward. The primary status of these wells is just that, Active. We do append the type of activity, primarily to make searching easier. The active well options are Active Producer, Active Injector, & Active Disposal. We do allow for special circumstances where a well has been marked as Shut In or Plugged & Abandoned. This only goes into effect if a well has a specific filing listing the status as one of those two. Since there can be a lag in marking a well as "inactive" we watch specifically for these filings.

Inactive Wells

Wells are inactive for a number of reasons, many of which are a part of the standard lifecycle of a well. Here are the possible well statuses used for inactive wells and what conditions cause the status to be applied.

The first set of statuses are first checked for being plugged & abandoned. This is done by looking for a plug & abandon filing or the population of a plug date from the regulatory agency. If neither of these conditions is true, the status is considered Active and is appended with the well type defined.

Active Test
Active Gas Storage
Active Storage
Active Observation
Active Sulfur
Active CO2

If a well has a plug date or a filing indicating that the well was plugged, we will set the status to Plugged & Abandoned.

After confirming that the well has not been plugged, we can continue with additional statuses that are identified through the data we have for the well.

Shut In - Well either marked as shut in from the regulatory agency or a well that has not produced in at least a year.
Dry Hole - A well that was completed more than 6 months ago, but has no production, injection, or any other type of activity.
Completed - Not Active - A well that has completion records filed with the regulatory agency, but has no production yet.
DUC - Drilled Uncompleted - Wells that have a spud date or a rig on site over a week ago, but no completion data filed.
Active Drilling - Wells that have an active rig on site.
Cancelled Permit - Wells that have no other data but a permit that has been marked as cancelled.
Expired Permit - Wells that have no other data but a permit that has passed its expiration date.
Permit - New Drill - Wells that only have a permit in good standing.
Permit - Existing Well - Wells that have a full history, but with a new permit filed and in active status. This status will be superseded with the active well statuses above if the well is currently active.
Inactive - Wells that have data showing they were previously active but are no longer producing or injecting. This status is only used if every other condition is not met.
Unknown - Final catch-all for wells that do not fit any other status.

One additional status modifier to note: Some regulatory agencies publish a list of orphaned wells. We make it a point to grab this data set. Any well identified as orphaned will be prepended with the term Orphaned. An example might be Orphaned - Shut In or Orphaned - Dry Hole.

What is the difference between Aliased and Reported?

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the difference between Well Status - Reported and Well Status - Aliased?
A: Well Status - Reported is the status provided by the regulatory agency. Well Status - Aliased is WellDatabase's standardized status, calculated using regulatory filings, production activity, permit information, and other available data. Both status fields are available throughout the platform, allowing users to choose the option that best fits their workflow.

Q: Why doesn't the WellDatabase status match the status reported by the state?
A: Regulatory agencies use different status definitions and reporting standards. WellDatabase calculates a standardized status using available permit, drilling, completion, production, injection, and regulatory filing data so wells can be searched and analyzed consistently across multiple states.

Q: What does DUC mean?
A: DUC stands for Drilled Uncompleted. These wells have evidence of drilling activity, such as a spud date or active rig history, but do not yet have completion records filed.

Explore additional articles by searching the topics on the left. If you have any questions, feel free to email support@welldatabase.com