Gas Well Inspections

The City of Denton is located atop the eastern edge of the Barnett Shale. As a result, numerous gas wells have been drilled within our city limits and extraterritorial jurisdiction.

The Gas Well Inspections Division works to protect the health, safety, and general welfare of the public and to ensure the orderly and practical development of mineral resources in a manner compatible with existing and future development of affected surface uses.

To learn more about gas well site locations and view inspection reports by site, view the Gas Well Locator Map.

Overview

The City of Denton's first Gas Well Ordinance was adopted on December 4, 2001, as part of the zoning code and subdivision and land development code. Since its adoption, the City has amended its Gas Well Ordinance from time to time to address land-use compatibility concerns for gas well drilling and production activities and to reconcile the local ordinance with state law. The ordinance includes provisions addressing safety, noise levels, setbacks, lighting, traffic, dust, other nuisances, and so forth.

To view gas well sites and inspection reports, use the Gas Well Locator Map. For gas well activity and notice of activities by the operators, view the Notification of Gas Well Activity.

Gas Well Development Within the City of Denton Limits (Cod)

Within the city limits, new gas well pad sites, or the expansion or modification of existing sites, must complete the following steps and approvals:

Additional steps that may be required, depending upon the site, include a Specific Use Permit (SUP), Watershed Protection Permit (WPP), Fence Permit, Tree Mitigation, or Clearing and Grading Permit.

Development within the City of Denton Extraterritorial Jurisdiction (ETJ)

An approved Gas Well Development Plat and applicable County permits are needed for gas well development within the City of Denton ETJ.

Ongoing Inspection Program

The City performs regular inspections on wells within the City limits to ensure compliance with the City's Gas Well Ordinance (2015-033), Municipal Code, and Fire Code. The City also responds to questions, concerns, or complaints about a natural gas well that are reported.

Inspection reports can be viewed by site under the Gas Well Locator Map. The ability to view reports was recently added in January 2018, so the number of reports available through the map will increase over time as more well are inspected.

The City also has contracted with a specialized firm to perform additional gas well inspections within the city limits with the frequency of inspections based upon priority levels by proximity of the well to sensitive use (a protected use or habitable structure). These inspections are completed using a variety of sophisticated monitoring devices.

Notice of Activities

Operators are required to report Notice of Activities to the City for inspection. Activities that require reporting to the City are Site Preparation, Drilling, Completion, Rework/Workover, Setting Surface Casing, and General Maintenance.

The Notices of Activities are posted here through the Notification of Gas Well Activity on this page. Notices can be sorted by project number, operator, or notice type, as well as viewed on a map by activity.

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