The Texas Railroad Commission issued 1,310 new oil and gas drilling permits to shale producers last month, up from just 511 a year ago. Most of these were issued for the Permian, cementing further its top spot among most desirable drilling destinations in the shale patch. However, as Reuters notes , the increase in permits went hand in hand with a decline in well completions: oil well completions were down 44 percent in March on an annual basis, to 533 wells, and gas well completions were down 60 percent to 77. Texas currently sports the most active drilling rigs in the U.S., at 418 or half of the total, according to Baker Hughes data. One industry insider from Texas told Reuters that the decline in well completions is no cause for alarm. Ed Longanecker, president of the Texas Independent Producers and Royalty Owners Association, said that producers will amass […]