%. 

OFFICE OF THE AITORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS 

AUSTIN 

-c.IIurw 

-- 

gpoorable Jahn &. ‘PaYlW 

wef SqmTlmr, 011 k 32x11 Di~ielon 

mmaQ OoMeeion of Texas 

&lstLnr Te=@ 

pear -1 

Opinion so. o-224 

the lower oil brAson 

8 fr4la the e;%S horivan 

tbrouah the aanular 

tted t4 ths tubin): tihwm& 8 k7llllamacra 

l.q the prs Iall bo utlu!med i!l iming 

the lwrer 411 borfmxh The vabe Ls 

mid o;r gne from t&0 tubing 04n 6eoage 

spaoe, or into the oil borieon. 

After stat&c: t2ie faote aa outllnefl a&we, Jrou a& 

the Sollowin(; p3stlons; 
2c 
"all0 15. Etlls Not to be Itrrdtted to Produce Oil 

l nd Oar fron Dirierrnt Strata. --ho 8~11 h 11 I 

Eb produoo 011 rid/ 

satted 

th0 885o l trbgaor ZXa r 

0 rros dliiertnt i&a &i&h 

ng.* 

,3hO f4rt6OlnE otatutos l rd ~~10 lndloate a gomral 

,&icy to prohibit the produotlon of 018 and EPI iron turfttent 

#tnta thrwigh the w?io otrlng. of oa81fig. Dowevor, in *the 

g~l~ring statutea, OZQnre ro~lolono aromado ior the MO 

@f gar rron one stratum to a f d in FrodtiO:oi~ Oil rro~~aAotho]: 

.tratUQ* 

Submotion l(o) of Section 7 o: titlttl~ 6000 or 

toroonfr Aatwtatod Clrll Statutes provfdoe thot oweet goo 

m,be uoed tort 

'(0) Bona fide ictroduotlon of .iio into 011, or gap 

bearing horizon, in order to salntain or lnorsaso the 

rook jmmntro or 4thorwloo lnoresoo the ultlnate reoovory 

or 011 or gas from ouoh horliton.a 

subsootlon 4 or Sootlon 7.01 utioi* 600~ prorldoo 

*hay prodwet 4: either @mitt or tmur f$u or aaalap 

head gao m&y ~80 the 8amo 88 g6 lilt iE tht bona ride 

produotlon or 011 whore ouoh gas lr aot uesd in oxo088 

or ton thousrud (10,000) cubla root per barrel or 011 

prcdpoed; provided that lti order to prevent mate lr w 

ea8o .*horo .thr.raotrr tn mwh amo ~&arrant it, the VJonniorl0a.m~ 

P 

omit. tho..wo Or addltlonol qufmtitlee or gar 

to llrt o 1 provided all moh gas CKJ used b exam4 or 

ton thou& (10,000) aublc foot for oaoh borrol of 011. 

elm11 be prooeesed ror aetural gaeolim ~a!xI the residue 

burned tar oarbon black t&o& cam 16 repro&toed.* 

The question asked by .you ro'solvos ltoolr into the 

loour as to tðer 4t not the ototutes quoted require that 

tho gas must be produood at the ourraoe throu& a sepurnt6 

cttlcg of cuslnc, and then relnjootedto be usod rar goti llrt, 

or whothor the Oomloslon hao authority to permit the go8 to 

k lntroduord into the tublw balm the ourfaoo, to be used 

tar m6 lift, botore it t;as been jmduoed at t& eUrffiCo. II! 

Opy OPitifOn the Cwnmferion hao authOrlty t0 allow an OpOrfitOr 

to fntroduoe gam lcto the tubing ror gas lift berms being 

1 

roduoad ot t&o ourraao, whore ouoh operation la on offloient 

OIP Of gae llrt and the moohanloal lnrtadlatlon 18 ouch that 

t&o will be m oroapo or the rluld rron ono horloon lnto 

.-other horlzoa. 

i 
nmorablr John E. Taylor, Zag-8 4. 

r. view of wia protisl01~1 or aubeeations i(0) and 4 

oc -ation 7 or btlole 6OOS, woted above, wo do tiot bellew 

th& the 8tatllttr abrolutely MQUuin that 6cB, to be used l @ 

p‘ lfrt, ffiuet be tiret produaed at the eurraoe throtigh a 

mpuete et&g of ccoii%, arzd then reinjaated into the well. 

1n w OpbfO3., tke C~S~~OC, WhiOh i6 uteated with a broad 

dlaaretlon in adminL8terln& thin lan” (eea motion ii2 of 

&;cle SOGC) ie eiven authority by the statutes to make 

prop0r rb 

r” 

latloas ror th6 uw or &as tar &as lift Irr the 

mr wh oh it finds to to be aost sfrlolent. Ik order ror 

the go8 to be used aa a ma urt, it is or course neceeeary 

$I& durln& such ubc the &a&i rind the all snd water be aofe&nQed 

~JI the mm tubing. So 10% aa the proper steps are taken to 

imzre amhat the escape of oil or gee rrom one rtratw into 

mther, we do not believe that the statutes prevent the codedon rroa perialttinr; the aore el~lolent m&hod or Introduol 

tha gaS into the tublrr: below the eurfaoe, instead or re@r 2 8g 

thct the gee iiret be brought to tho surraoe through a separate 

rtrlw of oaotng and tken relntroduood lEta the well. 

We do aot l&and by this opinion to lmlicwte in any 

ny that the Coaaiwlor, oatid not by its regihtlonrr regulre 

tkt tb* ga8 be tlrst prqduaed et thQ auriac4 through a aepaarpte 

l t&@ or plp~, brrore it oan be used for &as lfrti, ,upon proper 

&?Qrt 

P 

tion, the oammi8fbiOn Would, lr the fmtr ,jurtlfled mmh 

l anolu on, be authorfzeud to reuquire that ga:as rrom a @aa otratam 

be flrrt produoed at the aurfao@ and tbare measuxed, berorv it 

p,ittEroord into a ~811 ror the purpose or Ual~ the gas ES 

On the other hand, however, under the tact6 ae 

outlined 1; yaw oplnior, It the Camlooloa bellate that the 

&tM aan be sore etffefsntly ueed 66 BL geti lift in the bona fide 

t 

roduotion of oil by the lntrad~otlon of tha f,8 :nto the tublw 

@km the surreoe w &o not balle~e that the etatutes would 

prohibit the coim.feeto.?. rrcua autherfizlng euoh operfitlon, 

Tory truly your8