Texas RRC Public GIS Viewer Layer-State Retrieval Provenance Worksheet

Direct answer for mineral owners

Document one manual Texas RRC Public GIS Viewer session by preserving the route, viewer version and release date as displayed, access time, exact selector, visible layers, basemap, scale context, labels, controlled capture, and only located, not located, or unverified. The map is informational and does not establish survey boundaries, geographic accuracy, ownership, title, mineral coverage, value, legal effect, or a transaction decision.

Key takeaways for mineral owners

• One worksheet covers one manual viewer session with one locked selector and visible layer state.
• Record the viewer version and release date exactly as displayed during the session instead of treating a reviewed version as permanent.
• Preserve visible layers, basemap, scale or zoom context, and displayed labels because changing any of them can change what a screenshot appears to show.
• Use only located, not located, or unverified; not located describes one recorded view and does not prove absence.
• Viewer data are informational and do not establish a survey, boundary, ownership, title, mineral coverage, value, legal effect, or transaction result.

One-session map boundary. This article documents one manual retrieval session in the Texas Railroad Commission Public GIS Viewer. It does not automate or bulk retrieve; establish survey accuracy, a boundary, ownership, title, acreage, lease effect, mineral or royalty coverage, production attribution, reserves, value, offer quality, legal or tax effect, or a transaction action; or treat a displayed coordinate, point, line, polygon, layer, label, measurement, or exported file as authoritative. It does not provide legal, title, land, surveying, regulatory, engineering, environmental, geological, tax, accounting, appraisal, investment, or financial advice. MRX provides educational information and resources only and does not buy mineral rights.

A Texas RRC Public GIS Viewer layer-state retrieval worksheet preserves the visible state of one manual map session: official route, viewer version and release date exactly as displayed, access time and timezone, exact selector, visible layers, basemap, displayed scale or zoom context, labels exactly as displayed, controlled capture reference, limitations, and only located, not located, or unverified.

The worksheet is a reproducibility record. It helps an authorized reviewer understand what was visible and which interface state produced the observation. It is not a survey, title record, ownership opinion, mineral-coverage analysis, valuation, offer review, or transaction recommendation.

Confirm that the Public GIS Viewer is the intended route

The official Public GIS Viewer landing page identifies the viewer as a map interface for oil, gas, and pipeline data. It also links the official guide, lists current technical notices, describes nightly updates, and names features such as layer visibility, dynamic legends, basemap choices, print formats, measurement tools, coordinate displays, identify tools, and consolidated searches.

Use this worksheet only when the authorized job is to document a single manual viewer session. Do not substitute it for a source-specific RRC query or record route. The Wellbore Query worksheet, Completions Query worksheet, and well-records request worksheet preserve different evidence paths.

If the task calls for an official filing, record image, query result, or certified record, open the route designed for that source. A map feature should not be relabeled as the underlying record.

Lock the session before making an observation

Start the record when the viewer opens, before changing the map state. Preserve:

• the exact source and final viewer URL;
• access date, clock time, and explicit timezone;
• viewer version and release date exactly as displayed;
• browser and device class when those details affect reproducibility;
• initial map extent or county context;
• each visible layer and highlight state;
• selected basemap;
• exact search or navigation selector entered;
• displayed scale, zoom level, or another reproducible extent description;
• displayed labels exactly as shown;
• a controlled capture or print reference; and
• any load error, pop-up issue, or technical notice that affected the attempt.

The live Public GIS Viewer displayed a version number and release date during source review. Record whatever the interface displays during the actual session. Do not copy a version or date from this article into a later worksheet without checking the viewer again.

Record the visible layer state, not just the screenshot

The official Public GIS Viewer User Guide describes controls for visibility, legend, county navigation, printing, basemaps, measurement, identify, coordinates, search, radius selection, and well download. Those controls can change the contents or apparent context of a view.

A screenshot without its layer state can be misleading. A feature may be absent because its layer was hidden, its display scale was outside a visible range, the selected basemap obscured contrast, the session had not finished loading, or the search did not return the expected state. Record the state rather than guessing why a feature was not visible.

For every visible layer, preserve the layer name exactly as displayed. If the interface uses a highlight option, record that separately. If the legend changes with scale, preserve the legend state or a controlled reference. Use not displayed when the interface does not expose a field; do not fill it from memory.

Preserve the exact selector and bounded result

Record the selector exactly as entered or chosen. Depending on the documented route, that may be an API-number or address search, county navigation, coordinate entry, survey search, lease-ID search, pipeline search, radius selection, or a manual point selected with an identify tool. Do not silently correct spelling, punctuation, leading zeros, coordinate format, district, or another input.

Owner- or property-specific selectors belong in a controlled reference. A public worksheet should use a blank or clearly synthetic value. The same restriction applies to displayed labels, coordinates, captures, downloaded rows, and print outputs.

Use only three outcomes:

• located: the controlled target label or feature was visibly located during the recorded session;
• not located: the controlled target was not visibly located during that one session with the captured selector, layers, basemap, and scale context; or
• unverified: access, loading, interface state, selector behavior, capture quality, or source identity was insufficient to support either other state.

Never shorten not located to absent, no record, or does not exist. A different selector, layer combination, scale, update state, map route, or underlying record system may produce a different result.

Keep the viewer’s data limitations with the record

The RRC’s official Download Wells help page says Public GIS Viewer data are provided for informational purposes, are not authoritative public records for a geographic location, have no legal force or effect, and require users to verify accuracy, completeness, currency, and suitability.

Apply that limitation to the full session, not only to an exported CSV. A displayed point, line, polygon, measurement, label, coordinate, or search result does not establish:

• a surveyed surface or subsurface boundary;
• the location accuracy required for a legal or engineering decision;
• ownership, title, acreage, lease effect, or mineral or royalty coverage;
• a relationship between a mapped feature and a private owner;
• current operational, production, compliance, or payment status;
• value, offer fairness, or economic potential; or
• a legal, tax, regulatory, or transaction conclusion.

If the next job requires one of those conclusions, preserve the map observation as a locator lead and open a separately scoped evidence task with an appropriate qualified reviewer.

Start a new record when material state changes

One record should cover one stable selector and layer state. Start another record when any of these changes materially:

1. search or navigation selector;
2. visible layer or highlight combination;
3. selected basemap;
4. map extent or scale context;
5. viewer version or release state;
6. source route;
7. capture artifact; or
8. outcome.

Do not merge several views into a composite outcome. A before-and-after comparison can point to two session IDs, but each session must retain its own provenance. This separation keeps later reviewers from guessing which interface state produced a label or capture.

Blank layer-state provenance template

Field	What to preserve
Session ID	Neutral identifier with no owner-specific locator
Source route	Exact official landing page and final viewer URL
Accessed at	Date, clock time, and explicit timezone
Viewer state	Version and release date exactly as displayed
Browser or device context	Only the details needed to reproduce interface behavior
Exact selector reference	Controlled pointer to the unmodified search, navigation, or identify input
Initial extent	County or other neutral map context exactly as displayed
Visible layers	Every enabled layer and highlight state
Basemap	Exact selected basemap label
Scale or zoom context	Displayed scale, zoom level, or reproducible extent description
Displayed labels reference	Controlled pointer to labels exactly as shown
Technical state	Loaded, partial load, error, pop-up issue, notice, or unverified
Outcome	Located, not located, or unverified
Controlled capture reference	Authorized location for screenshot, print, or retained artifact
Limitations	Informational, non-authoritative, one-session boundary and prohibited inferences
Handoff owner	Authorized next reviewer and narrow next task

Keep the public template blank. Do not insert real names, addresses, API numbers, lease IDs, survey descriptions, coordinates, labels, owners, properties, screenshots, results, or conclusions merely to make the example look complete.

Handoff without turning a map view into a conclusion

A useful handoff lets the next authorized reviewer reconstruct the official route, time, viewer state, selector, visible layers, basemap, extent, labels, capture, outcome, and limitations. It does not turn the map into a deed, survey, title opinion, lease exhibit, division order, production report, appraisal, offer analysis, or legal conclusion.

The retrieval job is complete when one neutral record preserves the full layer state, controlled inputs and captures, bounded outcome, source limitations, and responsible next owner. Interpretation and decision-making remain separate workflows.

Sources reviewed for this article

• Texas RRC, Public GIS Viewer (Map)
• Texas RRC, live Public GIS Viewer
• Texas RRC, Public GIS Viewer User Guide
• Texas RRC, Download Wells Help

Frequently asked questions

Should I record every visible layer?

Yes. Record each visible layer and any highlight state exactly as displayed. A capture without its layer state can be difficult to reproduce or interpret later.

Does a displayed point or line establish a legal boundary or ownership?

No. The RRC describes Public GIS Viewer data as informational and non-authoritative. A displayed feature does not establish survey accuracy, a boundary, ownership, title, acreage, lease coverage, or a private legal right.

What does not located mean in this worksheet?

It means only that the sought label or feature was not visibly located during one recorded session with the captured selector, layers, basemap, and scale context. It does not prove that a record, well, lease, pipeline, property connection, or right is absent.

Can I combine several searches or layer combinations in one record?

No. Start a new session record when the selector, visible layers, basemap, or material scale context changes so each outcome remains reproducible.

Should a public template show the real selector, coordinates, or capture?

Not by default. Keep owner- or property-specific inputs, labels, coordinates, captures, and retained artifacts in an authorized controlled reference. Public examples should remain blank or synthetic.

Sources reviewed for this article

• Texas RRC, Public GIS Viewer (Map) (accessed 2026-08-26)
• Texas RRC, live Public GIS Viewer (accessed 2026-08-26)
• Texas RRC, Public GIS Viewer User Guide (accessed 2026-08-26)
• Texas RRC, Download Wells Help (accessed 2026-08-26)