Texas RRC H-9 Query Retrieval Provenance Worksheet

Direct answer

Give one official H-9 retrieval attempt a neutral ID. Record the exact chosen current or legacy route, exact labels and controlled values, access time and timezone, displayed query, result, print, validation, error, or legacy state, retained reference, source limitations, and only located, not located, or unverified. This documents retrieval without interpreting an H-9 record.

Key takeaways

• Choose the current H-9 Query or the separately labeled Mainframe or Legacy Certification Lookup before recording criteria.
• Preserve source-displayed labels as interface state, not conclusions about a certificate, filing, approval, rule, or compliance.
• Keep actual criteria, identifiers, results, screenshots, printouts, and records in an authorized controlled location.
• Capture the complete route, access time, timezone, displayed state, retained reference, and source limitations.
• Use only located, not located, or unverified, then stop before regulatory, property, title, production, valuation, legal, offer, or transaction conclusions.

Public-record retrieval boundary. This article records one Texas RRC H-9 Query attempt. It does not interpret a certificate, filing, source-displayed status, approval, conditional approval, archived or legacy label, operator, lease, county, district, field, operation, drilling permit, date, result, rule, or compliance condition. It does not establish regulatory condition, production, property connection, title, ownership, acreage, value, offer quality, legal effect, or a transaction result. It does not provide legal, title, land, tax, accounting, appraisal, engineering, geological, regulatory, or financial advice. MRX may have an economic interest in a later transaction; when that applies, the buyer relationship is disclosed in writing before an agreement is signed.

A Texas RRC H-9 Query retrieval worksheet answers one narrow question: exactly how was one official H-9 retrieval attempt performed? Record the official route, one chosen current or legacy channel, exact source-displayed labels, access timestamp and timezone, controlled values, displayed query, result, print, validation, error, or legacy state, authorized retained reference, source limitations, and one bounded retrieval status.

Use only located, not located, or unverified. Those words describe the retrieval attempt. They do not decide what an H-9 submission, certificate, result, or status label means, establish whether Statewide Rule 36 applies, determine compliance, connect a record to private property, verify production, or support a title, valuation, offer, legal, or transaction conclusion.

Start with the official directory and application

The Railroad Commission of Texas Research Queries directory lists the H-9 Certificate of Compliance Statewide Rule 36 query and currently labels its update frequency as nightly. Preserve that exact directory label, directory URL, destination route, access time, and the directory’s limitations. The directory states that online query data is informational, continually updated, and not the authoritative public record. Record that limitation rather than treating a search response as an agency determination.

The launched H-9 Public Query is the route this worksheet owns. Its page exposes a current query and a separately labeled Mainframe or Legacy Certification Lookup. Preserve the exact label visible at access time and select one channel before recording values. Do not replace the official route with a search-engine result, an old bookmark, or a neighboring RRC application.

This worksheet does not own the H-10 query retrieval, G-10/W-10 retrieval, P-5 renewal status retrieval, Organization P-5 retrieval, Field Search retrieval, drilling permits, or any other route. Each official application gets its own attempt record and boundary.

Create a neutral attempt header

Give the attempt a neutral ID such as TX-H9-RET-01. That identifier labels a retrieval session, not a certificate, filing, operator, lease, property, status, finding, or transaction. Record:

• the official directory route and exact source-displayed label;
• the launched H-9 route, HTML title, and visible heading;
• the chosen current or legacy channel;
• access date, time, and timezone;
• preparer role and worksheet version;
• stated purpose, limited to one H-9 retrieval attempt;
• source-stated access, data, query, result, print, and legacy limitations; and
• the controlled location where real values and retained evidence will be stored.

Create a new attempt ID for every rerun. Do not overwrite an earlier record because a route, label, controlled value, result, validation message, print state, error, or access condition changed. Preserved attempts show what was actually retrievable at each recorded time.

Choose the current or legacy channel first

The H-9 application presents the current query and the Mainframe or Legacy Certification Lookup as separate source-labeled paths. Mark exactly one as selected for the attempt and mark the other out of scope. If both must be searched, create two attempt IDs with separate timestamps, controlled values, displayed states, evidence references, and limitations.

The official H-9 Query launch notice describes query options and directs requests for H-9 certificates before July 15, 2019 to the Commission’s Imaged Records. Record that date only as the source’s routing boundary. Do not infer that every older record exists, that the channels are complete, or that records returned by different channels are equivalent.

The path name is navigation provenance. Choosing the H-9 Query does not establish that a particular filing or certificate is valid, approved, current, operative, or connected to a mineral interest. Choosing the legacy lookup does not establish authenticity, completeness, continuing effect, or legal significance.

Record exact labels and controlled values

The current H-9 page displays search labels that include Filing No, Certification No, Status, Operator Name, Operator Number, County, Lease Name, Lease Number, District, Field, Drilling Permit No, Operation Type, Submitted Date, and Approved Date. Record only labels actually used during the attempt. Preserve the spelling, capitalization, chosen channel, and displayed control state.

For every used criterion, record four things: the exact source label, any displayed default, whether the preparer changed it, and a controlled evidence reference for the actual value. Use public placeholders such as [controlled filing reference], [controlled certification reference], [controlled operator reference], [controlled county], [controlled lease reference], [controlled district], [controlled field reference], [controlled drilling permit reference], or [controlled date range].

Do not publish real values in a reusable worksheet. A search criterion is an input to one attempt. It does not authenticate an identifier, connect an operator or lease to a property, determine whether a rule applies, or decide the meaning of a displayed result.

Preserve displayed state without interpreting it

An attempt may stop at the initial query, a validation message, an empty result area, a populated result grid, a print view, the legacy lookup, an error, or an access boundary. Record the state neutrally:

• current H-9 query displayed with no submission;
• legacy lookup displayed with no submission;
• controlled values entered and the search control selected;
• source validation or required-field message displayed;
• result area displayed with no visible row;
• result grid displayed with one or more visible rows;
• sought controlled reference displayed or not displayed;
• print control or print view displayed or unavailable;
• error, timeout, session, or access state displayed; or
• source state could not be verified.

The application may display result labels or values for filings, certifications, status, operator, county, lease, district, field, operation, permit, submitted date, or approved date. Preserve those items only in a controlled evidence record. Do not restate them as MRX’s conclusion about approval, compliance, regulatory condition, property, ownership, production, title, acreage, value, legal effect, or a transaction.

An empty initial result area is not a submitted search with no visible match. A submitted search with no visible match is not proof that no H-9 record exists. Preserve the action that preceded the displayed state, the timestamp, the chosen channel, the controlled-values reference, and the retained-evidence reference.

Keep forms and rule publications in their lane

The official Oil and Gas Forms directory supplies form and instruction context. The official Statewide Rule 36 Index supplies rule-publication and manual context. These pages can identify the source family around H-9, but they do not turn a query worksheet into filing instructions or a compliance opinion.

Record whether either context page was consulted and why. Do not explain how to complete or file H-9, decide whether Statewide Rule 36 applies, interpret a manual or rule, assess the sufficiency of submitted material, predict agency action, or advise someone to rely on a query result. Those are different jobs that require their own current source set and appropriately qualified review.

Use Imaged Records as a separate retrieval channel

The Commission’s Imaged Records page is a separate official retrieval channel. If the launch notice’s date boundary or the facts of the authorized request point there, create a new legacy-channel attempt. Preserve the Imaged Records route, access timestamp and timezone, selected collection or search method, exact controlled reference, displayed state, retained evidence, and limitations.

Do not merge an Imaged Records search into the current H-9 attempt. Do not assume that a record located in one channel must appear in the other, or that a record not located in one channel is absent from Commission records. Record channel-specific retrieval facts only.

Retain evidence in a controlled location

The reusable worksheet should contain a controlled reference, not the underlying sensitive evidence. A retained-evidence record can identify:

• attempt ID and worksheet version;
• authorized repository, case system, or evidence-vault location;
• capture, note, result, print, or legacy-record filename;
• capture timestamp and timezone;
• file SHA-256 or other integrity reference;
• source route and displayed page label;
• access role and retention rule; and
• whether a later reviewer independently repeated the retrieval.

Do not publish credentials, session tokens, cookies, private correspondence, personal contact details, actual filing or certification numbers, operator details, lease details, property identifiers, criteria, results, screenshots, printouts, records, production information, or internal case notes. Share underlying material only with authorized recipients through an approved channel and for a stated purpose.

Assign only a bounded retrieval status

Choose one status after the attempt:

1. Located: the recorded route exposed the specific controlled reference sought.
2. Not located: the recorded attempt did not expose that reference using the stated values.
3. Unverified: the route, chosen channel, used labels, controlled values, displayed state, retained reference, or source limitation was not captured well enough to reproduce the attempt.

Located does not authenticate a certificate or filing, interpret a status, establish compliance, prove a regulatory or property condition, or connect a result to a mineral interest. Not located does not prove absence. Unverified is the correct status when the evidence trail is incomplete.

End with one neutral next question. For example: should the current attempt be repeated with a corrected controlled value, should the separately labeled legacy route receive its own attempt ID, or should an authorized reviewer compare the retained reference with another expressly named official record? Do not end with a conclusion about a certificate, filing, approval, rule, compliance, regulatory condition, production, property, title, ownership, acreage, value, legal effect, offer quality, or transaction.

Protect the mineral owner’s information

Store real identifiers, values, results, screenshots, printouts, records, property, title, production, payment, and correspondence details in an access-controlled location. Share only records you are authorized to provide and disclose why each record is requested.

MRX may act as an educator, evaluator, marketplace operator, or possible buyer. If MRX or an affiliate could acquire an interest, that economic relationship should be stated clearly before a transaction agreement is signed. A provenance worksheet improves reproducibility; it does not make MRX a public agency, title examiner, attorney, engineer, geologist, accountant, appraiser, regulator, or neutral fiduciary.

Final retrieval check

Before closing the attempt, confirm that the worksheet preserves the complete official route, exact used labels, one chosen current or legacy channel, access time and timezone, controlled values, displayed query, result, print, validation, error, or legacy state, retained reference, source limitations, bounded status, and one neutral next question. If one item is missing, use unverified until the retrieval record is complete.

Stop there. The next step may be another official-source retrieval or an appropriately scoped professional review. It is not a conclusion about a certificate, filing, source-displayed status, rule, compliance, regulatory condition, production, property connection, title, ownership, acreage, value, offer quality, legal effect, or transaction.

Frequently asked questions

Does a displayed H-9 status prove regulatory compliance or approval?

No. A source-displayed label is recorded as interface state only. This worksheet does not interpret a certificate, filing, status, approval, conditional approval, archived or legacy label, Statewide Rule 36, regulatory condition, production, property connection, title, ownership, value, or legal effect.

Are the H-9 Query and Mainframe or Legacy Certification Lookup the same search?

No claim of equivalence should be made. The official application presents separately labeled routes. Record one chosen route per attempt, preserve the other as out of scope, and do not merge their criteria or displayed results.

Does not located mean that no H-9 record exists?

No. Not located describes one recorded attempt using stated criteria at a stated time. Route choice, criteria, source coverage, interface state, access limits, or a separate official legacy channel may require another scoped retrieval.

What should be retained from an H-9 query attempt?

Record the route, exact used labels, access timestamp and timezone, controlled values reference, displayed state, authorized capture or print reference, integrity value when permitted, and source limitations. Do not publish actual identifiers, results, records, or sensitive evidence in a reusable worksheet.

Can this worksheet explain whether H-9 or Statewide Rule 36 applies?

No. It records retrieval provenance only. It does not interpret the rule, determine applicability, explain how to complete or file a form, assess compliance, or provide legal, regulatory, engineering, geological, title, valuation, tax, or financial advice.

Sources

• Railroad Commission of Texas, Research Queries (accessed 2026-08-24)
• Railroad Commission of Texas, H-9 Public Query (accessed 2026-08-24)
• Railroad Commission of Texas, H-9 Query Launch Notice (accessed 2026-08-24)
• Railroad Commission of Texas, Oil and Gas Forms (accessed 2026-08-24)
• Railroad Commission of Texas, Statewide Rule 36 Index (accessed 2026-08-24)
• Railroad Commission of Texas, Imaged Records (accessed 2026-08-24)