Period: August 19 – October 13, 2025
Permitting activity across the Permian Basin continues to adjust to the Railroad Commission of Texas’s new pressure-first permitting framework, which has reshaped how saltwater disposal (SWD) wells are evaluated and approved. The latest six-week cycle shows the same trend seen since midyear: steady application volumes, but a marked slowdown in approvals as regulators apply the new technical review standards.
Key Trends
- Approvals remain down nearly 50% year-over-year, while application levels have stayed steady. The result is a growing backlog of permits awaiting review.
- Pressure-first design standards are now the defining feature of the RRC’s process. Most new and amended wells are capped at roughly 0.5 psi/ft surface injection pressure unless supported by validated test data.
- Expanded areas of review (AORs) and stricter wellbore integrity checks are requiring more documentation and third-party engineering certification, lengthening turnaround times.
- The result is a more deliberate, data-driven approach that prioritizes formation integrity and long-term disposal safety.
Basin Highlights
Delaware Basin – Permitting momentum has slowed sharply as operators focus on amending existing wells rather than filing new ones. Rising shallow-zone pressures, seismicity risk, and the expanded 2-mile AOR are constraining new capacity.
Central Basin Platform (CBP) – The CBP is emerging as a critical outlet for redirected volumes from the Delaware. Approvals are increasing, but the higher density of legacy wells and thinner injection zones mean applications face greater technical scrutiny.
Midland Basin – Midland continues to perform comparatively well. Lower regional pressures and cleaner AORs have supported the highest approval ratios, and most filings align closely with the new RRC standards.
Outlook
Permitting in late Q3 2025 reflects a basin-wide shift from volume-based to pressure-based governance. The Delaware remains constrained, the CBP is absorbing more water but under tighter conditions, and Midland remains the most reliable area for new approvals.
For upstream and water midstream companies, the implication is clear: plan for longer review times and more rigorous data requirements. The new regulatory reality is built on geotechnical validation and pressure control—factors that now directly influence project timing, costs, and long-term disposal strategy.