Glossary
Drilling & CompletionsAPD

Application For Permit To Drill

A permit application for drilling a new well, used by many state and federal systems.

An Application for Permit to Drill is a source-record concept EnergyNetWatch keeps separate from broader activity claims.

Short Answer

An APD is a permit-stage record. It is a leading indicator of planned drilling, but it does not prove that a well has been drilled or completed.

Why It Matters

APDs are leading records for proposed drilling activity and operator planning.

Where The Public Data Comes From

APDs come from state or federal oil and gas regulators depending on location and mineral/surface jurisdiction.

What The Record Can Show

An APD can show proposed operator, well, county, field, formation, depth, profile, and filing or approval timing.

What The Record Cannot Prove

An APD does not prove that drilling started, the well was completed, or production occurred.

Example Record / Workflow

State examples:

Source termCommon use
Texas W-1Texas drilling permit application
New Mexico APDOCD permit-stage well activity
Federal APDBLM/federal permitting context where applicable

The next useful check is usually whether a reported spud, completion, or production record appeared after the permit.

How EnergyNetWatch Uses It

EnergyNetWatch uses APD records in state watchlists, operator activity screens, and permit-to-spud workflows.

Related terms

Related EnergyNetWatch pages

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