WellCollarHow to split production from a shared tank
Plenty of small leases run two, three or more wells into one tank battery. The purchaser's run ticket is for the tank, but some state reports want numbers by well. Here's how to divide the hauls fairly and the same way every time.
Last checked against official sources October 25, 2026 · Written by Green Collar Industries, a veteran-owned operator in Coshocton County, Ohio
Why this comes up
When the truck hauls 160 barrels from a tank, the run ticket says 160 barrels from that tank. It doesn't say which well made them. Whether you need to split it depends on how your state wants production reported:
| Ohio | Form 10 reports oil, gas and brine per well, so shared-tank hauls have to be divided between the wells |
|---|---|
| Texas | Form PR reports by lease, so wells on the same lease sharing a tank roll up together; production from different leases in one tank needs a commingling permit and is broken out by permit |
| Your own books | Well-level numbers drive well P&L, owner revenue and decline tracking, so you'll want a split even where the state doesn't ask |
Three common ways to split
| Method | How it works | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equal split | Each well feeding the tank gets the same share of every haul | Similar wells on the same schedule; simple to explain and audit | One strong well and one weak well get averaged together |
| Well test ratio | Test each well into its own tank or tester, then split hauls by the test results | Wells that produce very differently | Tests go stale as wells decline; you need to re-test on a schedule |
| Run time | Split by hours each pump or plunger cycle ran | Wells on timers or intermitters with good run records | Hours don't always track barrels; a pumped-off well still logs time |
Whatever you choose, write it down and use it the same way every month, for oil and for water. Switching methods mid-year makes your numbers hard to defend.
A worked example
Three wells (Smith #1, Smith #2 and Smith #3) feed one 210-barrel tank. In March the purchaser hauls twice, 160 barrels and 150 barrels, and the water truck hauls 90 barrels.
| Well | Oil, haul 1 | Oil, haul 2 | March oil | March water |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smith #1 | 53.34 | 50.00 | 103.34 bbl | 30 bbl |
| Smith #2 | 53.33 | 50.00 | 103.33 bbl | 30 bbl |
| Smith #3 | 53.33 | 50.00 | 103.33 bbl | 30 bbl |
| Tank total | 160.00 | 150.00 | 310.00 bbl | 90 bbl |
With an equal split, each well gets a third of each haul. The leftover hundredth of a barrel goes to one well so the wells always add back up to the run ticket. At year end, each well's totals go straight onto its Form 10 line.
Keep it clean
- Match your tank numbers to the purchaser's. If your tank numbers are the same ones on the purchaser's statement, every run ticket lands on the right tank without guesswork.
- Keep the well list on each tank current. When a well is plugged, sold or plumbed to a different tank, update which wells feed the tank from that date forward.
- Split water too. Brine is reported per well in Ohio, so water hauls need the same treatment as oil.
- Gas is different. Gas usually runs through a master meter. Split it by sub-meter readings where you have them, and fall back to an even split only where you don't.
Shared tanks split automatically, the same way in every report
In WellCollar you set which wells feed each tank once. Every run ticket and water haul from that tank is split as evenly as possible across those wells, and the same split flows into well P&L, owner revenue and your state production reports. Gas sales split by sub-meter readings, or evenly when there aren't any.
Official sources
- Ohio Revised Code 1509.11: per-well statement of oil, gas and brine
- RRC Form PR instructions: lease reporting and commingle permits
This guide explains the rules in plain English and is not legal advice. Forms and rules change, so check the current form and your permit before you file. Last checked October 25, 2026.
Other guides operators use
Common questions
How do you allocate oil from a shared tank?
Divide each run ticket among the wells that feed the tank using one consistent method: an equal split, a ratio from individual well tests, or pump run time. Use the same method every month for both oil and water.
Does Ohio require production reported per well?
Yes. Ohio's annual statement of production reports oil, gas and brine for each well, so hauls from a shared tank have to be divided between the wells.
Does Texas need shared-tank production split by well?
Not for Form PR, which is reported by lease. Production from different leases going into one tank needs a commingling permit, and the oil is broken out by permit under the lease total.
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