Source: https://texreg.sos.state.tx.us/public/readtac$ext.TacPage?sl=R&app=9&p_dir=&p_rloc=&p_tloc=&p_ploc=&pg=1&p_tac=&ti=16&pt=1&ch=3&rl=14
Timestamp: 2018-09-19 20:31:38
Document Index: 700440762

Matched Legal Cases: ['§3', '§52', '§59', '§3', '§3', '§89']

RULE §3.14 Plugging
(a) Definitions and application to plug.
(1) The following words and terms, when used in this section, shall have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
(A) Approved cementer--A cementing company, service company, or operator approved by the Commission or its delegate to mix and pump cement for the purpose of plugging a well in accordance with the provisions of this section. The term shall also apply to a cementing company, service company, or operator authorized by the Commission or its delegate to use an alternate material other than cement to plug a well.
(B) Funnel viscosity--Viscosity as measured by the Marsh funnel, based on the number of seconds required for 1,000 cubic centimeters of fluid to flow through the funnel.
(C) Groundwater conservation district--Any district or authority created under §52, Article III, or §59, Article XVI, Texas Constitution, that has the authority to regulate the spacing of water wells, the production from water wells, or both.
(D) Operator designation form--A certificate of compliance and transportation authority or an application to drill, deepen, recomplete, plug back, or reenter that has been completed, signed, and filed with the Commission or its delegate.
(E) Productive horizon--Any stratum known to contain oil, gas, or geothermal resources in producible quantities in the vicinity of an unplugged well.
(F) Related piping--The surface piping and subsurface piping that is less than three feet beneath the ground surface between pieces of equipment located at any collection or treatment facility. Such piping would include piping between and among headers, manifolds, separators, storage tanks, gun barrels, heater treaters, dehydrators, and any other equipment located at a collection or treatment facility. The term is not intended to refer to lines, such as flowlines, gathering lines, and injection lines that lead up to and away from any such collection or treatment facility.
(G) Reported production--Production of oil or gas, excluding production attributable to well tests, accurately reported to the Commission or its delegate on Form PR, Monthly Production Report.
(H) Serve notice on the surface owner or resident--To hand deliver a written notice identifying the well or wells to be plugged and the projected date the well or wells will be plugged to the surface owner, or resident if the owner is absent, at least three days prior to the day of plugging or to mail the notice by first class mail, postage pre-paid, to the last known address of the surface owner or resident at least seven days prior to the day of plugging.
(I) Usable quality water strata--All strata determined by the Groundwater Advisory Unit of the Oil and Gas Division to contain usable quality water.
(J) Written notice--Notice actually received by the intended recipient in tangible or retrievable form, including notice set out on paper and hand-delivered, facsimile transmissions, and electronic mail transmissions.
(2) The operator shall give the Commission notice of its intention to plug any well or wells drilled for oil, gas, or geothermal resources or for any other purpose over which the Commission has jurisdiction, except those specifically addressed in §3.100(e)(1) of this title (relating to Seismic Holes and Core Holes) (Statewide Rule 100), prior to plugging. The operator shall deliver or transmit the written notice to the district office on the appropriate form.
(3) The operator shall cause the notice of its intention to plug to be delivered to the district office at least five days prior to the beginning of plugging operations. The notice shall set out the proposed plugging procedure as well as the complete casing record. The operator shall not commence the work of plugging the well or wells until the proposed procedure has been approved by the district director or the director's delegate. The operator shall not initiate approved plugging operations before the date set out in the notification for the beginning of plugging operations unless authorized by the district director or the director's delegate. The operator shall notify the district office at least four hours before commencing plugging operations and proceed with the work as approved. The district director or the director's delegate may grant exceptions to the requirements of this paragraph concerning the timing of notices when a workover or drilling rig is already at work on location, and ready to commence plugging operations. Operations shall not be suspended prior to plugging the well unless the hole is cased and casing is cemented in place in compliance with Commission rules. The Commission's approval of a notice of intent to plug and abandon a well shall not relieve an operator of the requirement to comply with subsection (b)(2) of this section, nor does such approval constitute an extension of time to comply with subsection (b)(2) of this section.
(4) The surface owner and the operator may file an application to condition an abandoned well located on the surface owner's tract for usable quality water production operations. The application shall be made on Commission Form P-13, the Application of Landowner to Condition an Abandoned Well for Fresh Water Production.
(A) Standard for Commission Approval. Before the Commission will consider approval of an application:
(i) the surface owner shall assume responsibility for plugging the well and obligate himself, his heirs, successors, and assignees to complete the plugging operations;
(ii) the operator responsible for plugging the well shall place all cement plugs required by this rule up to the base of the usable quality water strata; and
(iii) the surface owner shall submit:
(I) a signed statement attesting to the fact that:
(-a-) there is no groundwater conservation district for the area in which the well is located; or
(-b-) there is a groundwater conservation district for the area where the well is located, but the groundwater conservation district does not require that the well be permitted or registered; or
(-c-) the surface owner has registered the well with the groundwater conservation district for the area where the well is located; or
(II) a copy of the permit from the groundwater conservation district for the area where the well is located.
(B) The duty of the operator to properly plug ends only when:
(i) the operator has properly plugged the well in accordance with Commission requirements up to the base of the usable quality water stratum;
(ii) the surface owner has registered the well with, or has obtained a permit for the well from, the groundwater conservation district, if applicable; and
(iii) the Commission has approved the application of surface owner to condition an abandoned well for fresh water production.
(5) The operator of a well shall serve notice on the surface owner of the well site tract, or the resident if the owner is absent, before the scheduled date for beginning the plugging operations. A representative of the surface owner may be present to witness the plugging of the well. Plugging shall not be delayed because of the lack of actual notice to the surface owner or resident if the operator has served notice as required by this paragraph. The district director or the director's delegate may grant exceptions to the requirements of this paragraph concerning the timing of notices when a workover or drilling rig is already at work on location and ready to commence plugging operations.
(b) Commencement of plugging operations, extensions, and testing.
(1) The operator shall complete and file in the district office a duly verified plugging record, in duplicate, on the appropriate form within 30 days after plugging operations are completed. A cementing report made by the party cementing the well shall be attached to, or made a part of, the plugging report. If the well the operator is plugging is a dry hole, an electric log status report shall be filed with the plugging record.
(2) Plugging operations on each dry or inactive well shall be commenced within a period of one year after drilling or operations cease and shall proceed with due diligence until completed unless the Commission or its delegate approves a plugging extension under §3.15 of this title (relating to Surface Equipment Removal Requirements and Inactive Wells).
(3) The Commission may plug or replug any dry or inactive well as follows:
(A) After notice and hearing, if the well is causing or is likely to cause the pollution of surface or subsurface water or if oil, gas, or other formation fluid is leaking from the well, and:
(i) neither the operator nor any other entity responsible for plugging the well can be found; or
(ii) neither the operator nor any other entity responsible for plugging the well has assets with which to plug the well.
(B) Without a hearing if the well is a delinquent inactive well and:
(i) the Commission has sent notice of its intention to plug the well as required by §89.043(c) of the Texas Natural Resources Code; and
(ii) the operator did not request a hearing within the period (not less than 10 days after receipt) specified in the notice.
(C) Without notice or hearing, if:
(i) the Commission has issued a final order requiring that the operator plug the well and the order has not been complied with; or
(ii) the well poses an immediate threat of pollution of surface or subsurface waters or of injury to the public health and the operator has failed to timely remediate the problem.
(4) The Commission may seek reimbursement from the operator and any other entity responsible for plugging the well for state funds expended pursuant to paragraph (3) of this subsection.
(c) Designated operator responsible for proper plugging.
(1) The entity designated as the operator of a well specifically identified on the most recent Commission-approved operator designation form filed on or after September 1, 1997, is responsible for properly plugging the well in accordance with this section and all other applicable Commission rules and regulations concerning plugging of wells.
(2) As to any well for which the most recent Commission-approved operator designation form was filed prior to September 1, 1997, the entity designated as operator on that form is presumed to be the entity responsible for the physical operation and control of the well and to be the entity responsible for properly plugging the well in accordance with this section and all other applicable Commission rules and regulations concerning plugging of wells. The presumption of responsibility may be rebutted only at a hearing called for the purpose of determining plugging responsibility.
(d) General plugging requirements.
(1) Wells shall be plugged to insure that all formations bearing usable quality water, oil, gas, or geothermal resources are protected. All cementing operations during plugging shall be performed under the direct supervision of the operator or his authorized representative, who shall not be an employee of the service or cementing company hired to plug the well. Direct supervision means supervision at the well site during the plugging operations. The operator and the cementer are both responsible for complying with the general plugging requirements of this subsection and for plugging the well in conformity with the procedure set forth in the approved notice of intention to plug and abandon for the well being plugged. The operator and cementer may each be assessed administrative penalties for failure to comply with the general plugging requirements of this subsection or for failure to plug the well in conformity with the approved notice of intention to plug and abandon the well.
(2) Cement plugs shall be set to isolate each productive horizon and usable quality water strata. Plugs shall be set as necessary to separate multiple usable quality water strata by placing the required plug at each depth as determined by the Groundwater Advisory Unit of the Oil and Gas Division. The operator shall verify the placement of the plug required at the base of the deepest usable quality water stratum by tagging with tubing or drill pipe or by an alternate method approved by the district director or the district director's delegate.
(3) Cement plugs shall be placed by the circulation or squeeze method through tubing or drill pipe. Cement plugs shall be placed by other methods only upon written request with the written approval of the district director or the director's delegate.
(4) All cement for plugging shall be an approved API oil well cement without volume extenders and shall be mixed in accordance with API standards. Slurry weights shall be reported on the cementing report. The district director or the director's delegate may require that specific cement compositions be used in special situations; for example, when high temperature, salt section, or highly corrosive sections are present. An operator shall request approval to use alternate materials, other than API oil well cement without volume extenders, to plug a well by filing with the director or the director's delegate a written request providing all pertinent information to support the use of the proposed alternate material and plugging method. The director or the director's delegate shall determine whether such a request warrants approval, after considering factors which include but are not limited Cont'd...