reglab/statecodes huggingface dataset:
Alaska Administrative Code › Title 20 - Miscellaneous Boards and Commissions › Chapter 25 - Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission › Article 1 - Drilling › 20 AAC 25.020 - Designation of operator

Current through May 31, 2024
(a) If an owner of a
				property wishes to designate a new operator for the property, the owner shall
				submit to the commission for approval a Designation of Operator (Form 10-411).
				The commission will not approve the designation of a new operator without the
				signature of the newly designated operator on the same Designation of Operator
				form. By signing the Designation of Operator form, the newly designated operator
				agrees to accept the obligations of an operator. The newly designated operator
				shall furnish a bond and, if required, security as provided for in
				20 AAC 25.025. The commission's acceptance of the
				designated operator's bond constitutes the release of the former operator's
				bonding obligation for the property indicated on the Designation of Operator
				form.
(b) The operator shall notify
				the commission in writing not later than 30 days after any change in the
				operator's office address, primary telephone number, electronic mail address, or
				principal contact.
Authority:
AS
					 31.05.030
Alaska Administrative Code › Title 20 - Miscellaneous Boards and Commissions › Chapter 25 - Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission › Article 1 - Drilling › 20 AAC 25.022 - Notice of ownership

Current through May 31, 2024
Within 15 days after a person becomes an owner of a property on
				  which operations subject to this chapter are proposed to the commission or are
				  being conducted, the person shall file a Notice of Ownership (Form
				  10-417).
Authority:
AS
					 31.05.030
Alaska Administrative Code › Title 20 - Miscellaneous Boards and Commissions › Chapter 25 - Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission › Article 1 - Drilling › 20 AAC 25.025 - Bonding

Current through May 31, 2024
(a) An operator proposing to drill a well for
				which a permit is required under
				20 AAC 25.005 shall
				file a bond and, if required under (2) of this subsection, security to ensure
				that each well is drilled, operated, maintained, repaired, plugged and abandoned
				and each location is cleared in accordance with this chapter. The bond must be
(1) a surety bond issued on Form 10-402A in
				favor of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission by an authorized insurer
				under AS 21.09 whose certificate of authority is in good standing; or
(2) a personal bond of the operator on Form
				10-402B accompanied by security guaranteeing the operator's performance; security
				must be in the form of a certificate of deposit or irrevocable letter of credit
				issued in the sole favor of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission by a
				bank authorized to do business in the state, or must be in another form that the
				commission determines to be adequate to ensure payment.
Alaska Administrative Code › Title 20 - Miscellaneous Boards and Commissions › Chapter 25 - Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission › Article 1 - Drilling › 20 AAC 25.026 - Claims

Current through May 31, 2024
Commission approval of the abandonment of a well and the
				  release of the bond required by
				  20 AAC 25.025 constitutes a presumption of proper
				  abandonment, but does not relieve an operator of further claim by the commission
				  after the abandonment.
Authority:
AS
					 31.05.030
Alaska Administrative Code › Title 20 - Miscellaneous Boards and Commissions › Chapter 25 - Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission › Article 1 - Drilling › 20 AAC 25.030 - Casing and cementing

Current through May 31, 2024
(a) A complete
				proposed well casing and cementing program must be submitted with an application
				for a Permit to Drill (Form 10-401). Unless modified or altered by pool rules
				established under
				20 AAC 25.520, a well casing and cementing program must be
				designed to
(1) provide suitable and safe
				operating conditions for the total measured depth proposed;
(2) confine fluids to the wellbore;
(3) prevent migration of fluids from one
				stratum to another;
(4) ensure
				control of well pressures encountered;
(5) protect against thaw subsidence and
				freezeback effects within permafrost;
(6) prevent contamination of
				freshwater;
(7) protect significant
				hydrocarbon zones; and
(8) provide
				well control until the next casing is set, considering all factors relevant to
				well control including formation fracture gradients, formation pressures, casing
				setting depths, and proposed total depth.
Alaska Administrative Code › Title 20 - Miscellaneous Boards and Commissions › Chapter 25 - Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission › Article 1 - Drilling › 20 AAC 25.033 - Primary well control for drilling: drilling fluid program and drilling fluid system

Current through May 31, 2024
(a) A drilling operation must be equipped with
				a drilling fluid system meeting the requirements of this section, unless the
				commission determines that a drilling fluid system is not necessary for primary
				well control. The operator shall submit with an application for a Permit to Drill
				(Form 10-401) a proposed drilling fluid program and a diagram with a list of
				equipment for a drilling fluid system designed to prevent the loss of primary
				well control. The drilling fluid system must be designed to maintain the wellbore
				in overbalanced condition except as otherwise provided under (i) of this section.
				A drilling operation is also subject to the requirements of
				20 AAC 25.527.
(b) A drilling fluid program and drilling fluid
				system intended to maintain the wellbore in overbalanced condition must be
				designed to provide and maintain
(1) a drilling
				fluid
(A) of sufficient density to overbalance
				the pressure of uncased formations penetrated; and
(B) with rheological properties designed to
(i) minimize the potential of a hydrostatic
				pressure surge or swab when the drilling assembly is run into or pulled out of
				the wellbore; and
(ii) enhance the
				drop-out of solids and the escape of entrained gas; and
Alaska Administrative Code › Title 20 - Miscellaneous Boards and Commissions › Chapter 25 - Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission › Article 1 - Drilling › 20 AAC 25.035 - Secondary well control for primary drilling and completion: blowout prevention equipment and diverter requirements

Current through May 31, 2024
(a) This section
				applies to drilling and completion operations other than those covered by
				20 AAC 25.036. These operations are also subject to the
				requirements of
				20 AAC 25.527.
(b) The operator shall submit the following
				information with the application for a Permit to Drill (Form 10-401) or refer in
				the application to that information if that information is already on file with
				the commission:
(1) a diagram of the blowout
				preventer (BOP) stack or diverter and related equipment for each proposed casing
				installation;
(2) a list of the
				blowout prevention equipment (BOPE) and if applicable, diverter equipment with
				specifications.
Alaska Administrative Code › Title 20 - Miscellaneous Boards and Commissions › Chapter 25 - Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission › Article 1 - Drilling › 20 AAC 25.036 - Secondary well control for through-tubing drilling and completion: blowout prevention equipment requirements

Current through May 31, 2024
(a) This section
				applies to drilling and completion operations performed through existing
				production tubing. These operations are also subject to the requirements of
				20 AAC 25.527.
(b) The operator shall submit the following
				information with the application for a Permit to Drill (Form 10-401) or refer in
				the application to that information if that information is already on file with
				the commission:
(1) a diagram of each blowout
				preventer (BOP) stack and related well control equipment to be used;
(2) a list of the blowout prevention equipment
				(BOPE) with specifications.
Alaska Administrative Code › Title 20 - Miscellaneous Boards and Commissions › Chapter 25 - Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission › Article 1 - Drilling › 20 AAC 25.040 - Well identification

Current through May 31, 2024
(a) Every well must be identified by a sign
				posted in a conspicuous place. During the period of time from commencement of
				drilling operations to well completion, suspension, or abandonment, the sign must
				be on or near the drill rig, but not more than 100 feet from the well. After well
				completion or suspension, the well sign must be at the wellhead or on the
				wellhead building. The sign must be of durable construction, large enough to be
				legible under normal conditions at a distance of 50 feet, and maintained in
				legible condition. Each sign must show the
(1)
				name of the well or primary wellbore as designated by the operator under
				20 AAC 25.005(f) for the well drilled from
				the surface location;
(2) name of
				the owner;
(3) name of the operator
				if different from the owner;
(4) API
				number that the commission has, under (b) of this section, assigned to the
				well;
(5) well surface location by
				governmental quarter section, section, township, and range; and
(6) Permit to Drill number that the commission
				has assigned under (b) of this section.
Alaska Administrative Code › Title 20 - Miscellaneous Boards and Commissions › Chapter 25 - Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission › Article 1 - Drilling › 20 AAC 25.050 - Wellbore surveys

Current through May 31, 2024
(a) A well that is not intentionally deviated
				must be
(1) drilled as close to vertical as is
				possible using conventional drilling techniques, except that deviation is
				permitted for short intervals to straighten the hole, sidetrack junk, or correct
				mechanical difficulties;
(2) surveyed
				to determine the inclination from vertical with surveys starting at 500 feet and
				no more than 500 feet apart to total depth; and
(3) surveyed by a complete continuous
				directional survey if a portion of the well path is less than 500 feet from a
				property line where the ownership by owner or landowner is not identical on both
				sides of the line, or if a portion of the well path is less than 200 feet from
				any other vertical or deviated well; the survey must be taken at intervals not
				more than 100 feet apart, beginning within 100 feet of the surface.
Alaska Administrative Code › Title 20 - Miscellaneous Boards and Commissions › Chapter 25 - Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission › Article 1 - Drilling › 20 AAC 25.055 - Drilling units and well spacing

Current through May 31, 2024
(a) The commission
				will, in its discretion, establish drilling units to govern well spacing and
				prescribe a spacing pattern by pool rules adopted in accordance with
				20 AAC 25.520. In the absence of an order by the commission
				establishing drilling units or prescribing a spacing pattern for a pool, the
				following statewide spacing requirements apply:
(1) for a well drilling for oil, a wellbore may
				be open to test or regular production within 500 feet of a property line only if
				the owner is the same and the landowner is the same on both sides of the
				line;
(2) for a well drilling for
				gas, a wellbore may be open to test or regular production within 1,500 feet of a
				property line only if the owner is the same and the landowner is the same on both
				sides of the line;
(3) if oil has
				been discovered, the drilling unit for the pool is a governmental quarter
				section; not more than one well may be drilled to and completed in that pool on
				any governmental quarter section; a well may not be drilled or completed closer
				than 1,000 feet to any well drilling to or capable of producing from the same
				pool;
(4) if gas has been discovered,
				the drilling unit for the pool is a governmental section; not more than one well
				may be drilled to and completed in that pool on any governmental section; a well
				may not be drilled or completed closer than 3,000 feet to any well drilling to or
				capable of producing from the same pool.
Alaska Administrative Code › Title 20 - Miscellaneous Boards and Commissions › Chapter 25 - Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission › Article 1 - Drilling › 20 AAC 25.061 - Well site surveys

Current through May 31, 2024
(a) For an exploratory or stratigraphic test
				well, near surface strata to a depth of 2,000 feet in the vicinity of the well
				must be evaluated seismically by common depth point refraction or reflection
				profile analysis, or by another method approved by the commission, to identify
				anomalous velocity variations indicative of potential shallow gas sources.
				Analysis results must be included with the application for the Permit to Drill
				(Form 10-401).
(b) For a well drilled
				offshore from a mobile bottom-founded structure, jack-up rig, or floating
				drilling vessel, the vicinity of the well must be evaluated by sidescan sonar and
				other pertinent surveys to determine whether potential seabed hazards to drilling
				operations are present. Survey results must be included with the application for
				Permit to Drill.
(c) Upon request by
				the operator, the commission will, in its discretion, waive the requirements of
				this section if the operator can identify, by other equally effective means, the
				likelihood of encountering potential shallow gas or seabed hazards or if the
				commission already has information that substantiates the presence or absence of
				shallow gas or seabed hazards.
Authority:
AS
					 31.05.030
Alaska Administrative Code › Title 20 - Miscellaneous Boards and Commissions › Chapter 25 - Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission › Article 1 - Drilling › 20 AAC 25.065 - Hydrogen sulfide

Current through May 31, 2024
(a) If hydrogen
				sulfide gas is encountered in excess of 20 ppm, the operator shall notify the
				commission within 24 hours after the encounter.
(b) If a well is to be drilled in an area where
				a formation to be penetrated is known to contain hydrogen sulfide gas, or if
				hydrogen sulfide gas is encountered while drilling, the operator shall conform
				with API RP 49,
Recommended Practices for Safe Drilling of Wells
				Containing Hydrogen Sulfide
, 2d edition, April 15, 1987, which is
				adopted by reference.
(c) If the
				history of drilling in an area is insufficient to know whether hydrogen sulfide
				gas exists, the commission will specify on the Permit to Drill (Form 10-401) that
				the operator shall comply with the minimum requirements for detection monitoring,
				contingency and control, and training, as follows:
(1) in addition to the automatic hydrogen
				sulfide detection system required in
				20 AAC 25.066, at least three manual detectors must be
				available on the location;
(2)
				hydrogen sulfide treating material for the drilling mud must be available on or
				near the location, in good condition and in sufficient quantity to adequately
				treat the mud system should hydrogen sulfide be encountered;
(3) detailed emergency operating procedures
				must be defined and posted to ensure the safety of all personnel should hydrogen
				sulfide be encountered;
(4) detailed
				step-by-step remedial procedures must be developed and posted to cover
				emergencies while drilling or tripping;
(5) personnel protective equipment must be
				available on the location;
(6) all
				persons engaged in drilling operations must be trained for emergency procedures
				in the presence of hydrogen sulfide gas and in the use of personal protective
				equipment, alarm systems, and emergency exit procedures.
Alaska Administrative Code › Title 20 - Miscellaneous Boards and Commissions › Chapter 25 - Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission › Article 1 - Drilling › 20 AAC 25.066 - Gas detection

Current through May 31, 2024
(a) Drilling and workover rigs must meet the
				following minimum requirements for methane and hydrogen sulfide gas detection:
(1) the methane detection system must have a
				minimum of three sensing points; one sensing point must be under the substructure
				near the cellar, one must be over the shale shaker, and one must be above the
				drill rig floor near the driller's station or above the drilling platform; if the
				mud pits are remote from the shale shaker and enclosed, a fourth sensor must be
				located over the mud pits;
(2)
				methane sensors must be placed to detect a "lighter-than-air" gas;
(3) the hydrogen sulfide detection system must
				have a minimum of three sensing points; one sensing point must be under the
				substructure near the cellar, one must be near the shale shaker, and one must be
				above the drill rig floor near the driller's station or above the drilling
				platform; the commission will require additional sensors as the commission
				considers necessary for safety, such as at the entrance to living quarters if
				they are adjacent to the drill rig, or over the mud pits if they are remote from
				the shaker and enclosed;
(4) hydrogen
				sulfide sensors must be placed to detect a "heavier-than-air" gas;
(5) sensors must be automatic, acting
				independently and in parallel, and with one-minute minimum sampling
				intervals;
(6) each detection system
				must include separate and distinct visual and audible alarms; the visual alarm
				must signal the low level gas alarm and the audible alarm the high level gas
				alarm; an audible alarm may have an "acknowledge" button;
(7) the methane low level gas alarm must be set
				at not over 20 percent LEL; the high level alarm must be set at not over 40
				percent LEL;
(8) the hydrogen sulfide
				low level gas alarm must be set at 10 ppm; the high level alarm must be set at
				not over 20 ppm;
(9) each alarm must
				be automatic and must be visible and audible from the driller's or operator's
				station; the hydrogen sulfide alarm must be audible throughout the drilling
				location, including the camp buildings.
Alaska Administrative Code › Title 20 - Miscellaneous Boards and Commissions › Chapter 25 - Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission › Article 1 - Drilling › 20 AAC 25.070 - Records and reports

Current through May 31, 2024
The operator of a well shall
(1) keep a detailed accurate daily record of
				the actual drilling, completion, workover, repair, and plugging operations, and
				of the tests required by this chapter; the daily record must be available for
				inspection at reasonable times by the commission
(A) at the well; and
(B) in the state for five years after the date
				of well abandonment;
Alaska Administrative Code › Title 20 - Miscellaneous Boards and Commissions › Chapter 25 - Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission › Article 1 - Drilling › 20 AAC 25.072 - Temporary shutdown of drilling or completion operations

Current through May 31, 2024
(a) If circumstances
				prevent the continuation of the program approved on a Permit to Drill (Form
				10-401), or if an operator wishes to change drill rigs, the operator shall apply
				to the commission for approval to shut down drilling or completion operations
				temporarily. Based on the information received under this subsection, the
				commission will decide whether to approve the temporary shutdown of drilling or
				completion operations. The request for operation shutdown must be submitted on an
				Application for Sundry Approvals (Form 10-403), providing a full justification
				for the shutdown, a description of the proposed condition of the wellbore upon
				shutdown of drilling or completion operations, the approximate date when drilling
				or completion operations will resume, and a proposed program for securing the
				well during the period of shutdown. An Application for Sundry Approvals is not
				required for planned shutdowns of well operations, if those shutdowns are
				described in the approved Permit to Drill.
(b) The operator shall file with the
				commission, within 30 days after operation shutdown, a complete well record on a
				Report of Sundry Well Operations (Form 10-404), including a summary of daily well
				operations as described in
				20 AAC 25.070(3) and a copy of all logs run in
				the well as required by
				20 AAC 25.071(b) (6). The commission will, in its discretion,
				waive the requirements of this subsection if drilling or completion operations
				are to be resumed within 60 days after operation shutdown.
(c) Shutdown of well operations does not
				establish a completion, suspension, or abandonment date for a well.
(d) If well operations are not resumed within
				12 months, the operator shall immediately proceed to abandon or suspend the well.
				Wells drilled from a mobile offshore drilling unit that are not located on a
				fixed offshore platform are not eligible for suspension. Upon application of the
				operator, the commission will extend the 12-month period, if the operator shows
				that operational circumstances beyond the operator's control prevent resumption
				within the 12-month period.
Authority:
AS
					 31.05.030
Alaska Administrative Code › Title 20 - Miscellaneous Boards and Commissions › Chapter 25 - Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission › Article 1 - Drilling › 20 AAC 25.075 - Other wells in designated areas

Current through May 31, 2024
There are areas in the state where drilling operations could
				  unexpectedly encounter oil, gas, or hazardous substances at shallow depths. When
				  the commission obtains sufficient evidence to define a specific area and the
				  approximate depth range of the substances, it will issue an order that will
				  present the evidence, define the area, and stipulate a drilling depth. After the
				  issuance of such an order, any well drilled in the defined area, for any purpose,
				  that exceeds the stipulated depth will require a drilling permit and may be
				  subject to the other requirements of this chapter.
Authority:
AS
					 31.05.030
Alaska Administrative Code › Title 20 - Miscellaneous Boards and Commissions › Chapter 25 - Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission › Article 2 - Abandonment and Plugging › 20 AAC 25.105 - Abandonment of wells

Current through May 31, 2024
(a) All wells that have been permitted on a
				property under
				20 AAC 25.005 must
				be abandoned before expiration of the owner's rights in that property or if,
				after notice and hearing, the commission orders abandonment for safety reasons or
				because the operator has effectively abandoned operations prior to the expiration
				of the lease. If the owner is the landowner, all wells that have been permitted
				on a property by
				20 AAC 25.005 must
				be abandoned within one year following permanent cessation of the operator's oil
				and gas activity within the field where the wells are located or according to an
				abandonment schedule approved by the commission, unless the wells are earlier
				abandoned for safety reasons.
(b) A
				well drilled onshore or from a fixed offshore platform must be abandoned before
				removal of the drill rig unless the well is completed as an oil, gas, or service
				well or is suspended, or unless well operations are shut down in accordance with
				20 AAC 25.072. Each well drilled from a fixed offshore
				platform must be abandoned before the platform is removed or
				dismantled.
(c) A well drilled
				offshore from a mobile bottom-founded structure, jack-up rig, or floating
				drilling vessel must be abandoned before removal of the drill rig unless
(1) the well is completed as an oil, gas, or
				service well; or
(2) subsea equipment
				for well re-entry is properly installed and well operations are shut down in
				accordance with
				20 AAC 25.072.
Alaska Administrative Code › Title 20 - Miscellaneous Boards and Commissions › Chapter 25 - Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission › Article 2 - Abandonment and Plugging › 20 AAC 25.107 - Plugging well branches

Current through May 31, 2024
(a) An operator may plug a well branch before
				abandoning or suspending the well. If a well branch has not been completed, the
				operator shall plug the well branch before removal of the drill rig, unless well
				operations are shut down in accordance with
				20 AAC 25.072.
(b) An Application for Sundry Approvals (Form
				10-403) must be submitted to and approved by the commission before work is begun
				to plug a well branch, except that oral approval may be obtained from the
				commission if it is followed within three days by the submission of an
				Application for Sundry Approvals for final approval by the commission. The
				provisions of
				20 AAC 25.105(e) apply to the application,
				except that instead of including the reason for abandoning the well, the
				application must include the reason for plugging the well branch and the reason
				for not immediately abandoning or suspending the well.
(c) The provisions of
				20 AAC 25.112(a) - (c) and (e) - (i) apply
				to plugging a well branch.
(d) This
				section does not apply to the temporary plugging of a well branch for production
				control purposes.
Authority:
AS
					 31.05.030
Alaska Administrative Code › Title 20 - Miscellaneous Boards and Commissions › Chapter 25 - Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission › Article 2 - Abandonment and Plugging › 20 AAC 25.110 - Suspended wells

Current through May 31, 2024
(a) If allowed under
				20 AAC 25.105,
				an operator may apply to the commission under this section to approve the
				suspension of a well or to renew the approval of the suspension of a well. The
				operator must
(1) state the reasons the well
				should be suspended, and why the well should not be completed or
				abandoned;
(2) demonstrate to the
				commission's satisfaction that
(A) the well
(i) is mechanically sound;
(ii) will not allow the migration of
				fluids;
(iii) will not damage
				freshwater or producing or potentially producing formations;
(iv) will not impair the recovery of oil or
				gas;
(v) is secure, safe, and not a
				threat to public health;
(vi) is
				located on a valid lease that authorizes the operator to drill for oil, gas, coal
				bed methane, gas hydrates, or shale gas, or to evaluate underground coal
				gasification or geothermal resources; and
(vii) is in compliance with all provisions of
				AS 31.05, this chapter, and any order, stipulation, or permit issued by the
				commission; and in original please retain
(B) the well
(i) has future utility as an exploratory,
				development, or service well;
(ii) is
				a viable candidate for redrilling; or
(iii) in the case of initial suspensions only,
				is located on a pad or platform with active producing or service wells;
				and
(3) for a
				well that does not lie within a unitized area, with active production
(A) provide the commission with a list of the
				leases that the wellbore traverses, from surface location to bottom-hole
				location, and the expiration date of each lease; and
(B) notify the commission not later than 30
				days after the change, if the status of any lease changes.
Alaska Administrative Code › Title 20 - Miscellaneous Boards and Commissions › Chapter 25 - Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission › Article 2 - Abandonment and Plugging › 20 AAC 25.112 - Well plugging requirements

Current through May 31, 2024
(a) Plugging of the
				uncased portion of a wellbore must be performed in a manner that ensures that all
				hydrocarbons and freshwater are confined to their respective indigenous strata
				and are prevented from migrating into other strata or to the surface. The minimum
				requirements for plugging the uncased portion of a wellbore are as follows:
(1) by the displacement method, a cement plug
				must be placed
(A) from 100 feet below the base
				to 100 feet above the top of all hydrocarbon-bearing strata;
(B) from the well's total depth to 100 feet
				above the top of all hydrocarbon-bearing strata;
(C) from the well's plugged back total depth to
				100 feet above the top of all hydrocarbon-bearing strata, if all
				hydrocarbon-bearing, abnormally geo-pressured, and freshwater strata below are
				isolated; however, the commission will approve plugging from the top of fill or
				the top of junk instead of from the plugged back total depth, if the commission
				determines that the objectives of this subsection will be met; or
(D) from 100 feet below the base to 50 feet
				above the base of each significant hydrocarbon-bearing stratum and from 50 feet
				below the top to 100 feet above the top of each significant hydrocarbon-bearing
				stratum;
Alaska Administrative Code › Title 20 - Miscellaneous Boards and Commissions › Chapter 25 - Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission › Article 2 - Abandonment and Plugging › 20 AAC 25.115 - Shut-in wells

Current through May 31, 2024
(a) No later than March 31 of each year, an
				operator shall file with the commission a report on completed development or
				service wells that have been shut in for 365 days or longer as of January 1 of
				that year. The report must provide
(1) the
				current known mechanical condition of the well, including the condition of
				installed tubing and casing strings;
(2) the date the well was shut in and the
				circumstances surrounding the decision to shut in the well; and
(3) an analysis of the future utility of the
				well.
Alaska Administrative Code › Title 20 - Miscellaneous Boards and Commissions › Chapter 25 - Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission › Article 2 - Abandonment and Plugging › 20 AAC 25.120 - Well abandonment marker

Current through May 31, 2024
The exact surface location of an abandoned onshore well must be
				  shown by a well abandonment marker plate that
(1) is constructed of steel that is at least
				1/4 inch thick;
(2) is welded to, and
				covers, the outermost casing string, including the conductor casing;
(3) does not extend beyond the outermost casing
				string; and
(4) contains the
				following information bead-welded directly to the marker plate:
(A) The name of the operator that plugged and
				abandoned the well;
(B) the number
				assigned by the commission to the Permit to Drill (Form 10-401) for the well
				under 20 AAC 25.040(b);
(C) the name designated for the well by the
				operator under
				20 AAC 25.005(f);
(D) the API number for the well, with any
				suffix appended to the number under
				20 AAC 25.005(f).
Alaska Administrative Code › Title 20 - Miscellaneous Boards and Commissions › Chapter 25 - Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission › Article 2 - Abandonment and Plugging › 20 AAC 25.140 - Water wells

Current through May 31, 2024
If a well drilled onshore for oil or gas is to be abandoned,
				  but is safe for use as a freshwater well, a person who wishes to use the well as
				  a freshwater well must obtain written authorization to do so from the landowner
				  and the owner of the surface rights. The authorization must provide for the
				  authorized person's assumption of full responsibility for the final plugging of
				  the water well. This authorization must be filed with the commission and is
				  subject to commission approval, based upon the commission's determination that
				  the proposed use as a freshwater well is bona fide. After the commission's
				  approval of the plugging of the well to protect the freshwater bearing strata to
				  a depth approved by the commission for conversion to a water well, and after the
				  commission's approval of the location clearance for compliance with
				  20 AAC 25.170(a) (2) or (b) or
				  20 AAC 25.172(c) (2) or (d), the operator
				  is relieved of further obligation under the operator's bond.
Authority:
AS
					 31.05.030
Alaska Administrative Code › Title 20 - Miscellaneous Boards and Commissions › Chapter 25 - Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission › Article 2 - Abandonment and Plugging › 20 AAC 25.170 - Onshore location clearance

Current through May 31, 2024
(a) At or after the
				time that a well drilled onshore is abandoned and before the earlier of one year
				after well abandonment or the expiration of the owner's rights in the property,
(1) the operator shall remove the wellhead
				equipment and casing to a depth at least three feet below original ground level
				and install a well abandonment marker in accordance with
				20 AAC 25.120; and
(2) unless the operator demonstrates to the
				commission that the surface owner has authorized a different disposition to
				facilitate a genuine beneficial use, the operator shall
(A) remove all materials, supplies, structures,
				and installations from the location;
(B) remove all loose debris from the
				location;
(C) fill and grade all pits
				or close them in another manner approved by the commission as adequate to protect
				public health and safety; and
(D)
				leave the location in a clean and graded condition.
Alaska Administrative Code › Title 20 - Miscellaneous Boards and Commissions › Chapter 25 - Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission › Article 2 - Abandonment and Plugging › 20 AAC 25.172 - Offshore location clearance

Current through May 31, 2024
(a) No later than the
				time that all wells drilled from a fixed offshore platform are abandoned and the
				platform is removed or dismantled, the operator shall remove all well casing to a
				depth at least one foot below the mudline. The operator shall provide the
				commission with verification, using appropriate means approved by the commission,
				that the casing has been removed as required. If an agency acting on behalf of
				the state or federal government as lessor approves leaving the platform in place
				after well abandonment, the commission will accept that approval and waive
				requirements of this subsection.
(b)
				When a well is abandoned from a mobile bottom-founded structure, jack-up rig, or
				floating drilling vessel, the operator shall remove the wellhead equipment,
				casing, piling, and other obstructions to a depth at least five feet below the
				mudline before removing the drill rig, unless otherwise approved by the
				commission as adequate to protect public health and safety. The operator shall
				provide the commission with verification, using appropriate means approved by the
				commission, that the requirements of this subsection have been met.
(c) At or after the time that a well drilled
				from a location on a beach, artificial island, or shifting natural island is
				abandoned, and before the earliest of one year after well abandonment, the time
				that the operator stops activities necessary to ensure the integrity of the
				location, or the expiration of the owner's rights in the property,
(1) the operator shall remove the wellhead
				equipment and casing to a depth at least five feet below the mudline datum;
				and
(2) unless the operator
				demonstrates to the commission that the surface owner has authorized a different
				disposition to facilitate a genuine beneficial use, the operator shall
(A) remove all materials, supplies, structures,
				and installations from the location;
(B) remove all loose debris from the
				location;
(C) fill and grade all pits
				or close them in another manner approved by the commission as adequate to protect
				public health and safety; and
(D)
				leave the location in a clean and graded condition.
Alaska Administrative Code › Title 20 - Miscellaneous Boards and Commissions › Chapter 25 - Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission › Article 3 - Production Practices › 20 AAC 25.200 - Production equipment

Current through May 31, 2024
(a) Surface production equipment must be
				installed to control, separate, clean, gather, and carry to the point of custody
				transfer or other disposition in a safe manner all produced oil, gas, and water.
				All equipment must be installed, operated, and maintained in accordance with good
				oil field engineering practices.
(b)
				All equipment must be designed and protected to ensure reliable operation under
				the range of weather conditions expected for the specific location.
(c) Wellhead equipment must include appropriate
				gauges and valves installed on the tubing, casing-tubing annulus and
				casing-casing annuli to show surface pressures and to control the well flow for
				the range of conditions expected. Other alternatives will, in the commission's
				discretion, be approved for subsea completions.
(d) All producing wells capable of unassisted
				flow must be completed with downhole production equipment consisting of suitable
				tubing and a packer that effectively isolate the tubing-casing annulus from
				fluids being produced, unless the commission specifically approves production
				through the annulus to increase flow rate without jeopardizing ultimate recovery
				from the well.
Authority:
AS
					 31.05.030
AS
					 31.05.095
Alaska Administrative Code › Title 20 - Miscellaneous Boards and Commissions › Chapter 25 - Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission › Article 3 - Production Practices › 20 AAC 25.205 - Notification of uncontrolled release of oil or gas

Current through May 31, 2024
(a) The operator
				shall immediately notify the commission of any uncontrolled release exceeding 10
				barrels of oil or 1,000 mscf of gas from a well or production handling operation
				or any uncontrolled release that results in a shutdown of operations at a
				production facility.
(b) Within five
				days after the release, the operator shall submit a preliminary written report to
				the commission, followed by a final written report within 30 days, detailing the
				following facts:
(1) the time of the
				incident;
(2) the location where the
				incident took place;
(3) the volumes
				of oil and gas released and recovered;
(4) the cause of the release;
(5) responsive actions taken to prevent
				additional releases;
(6) plans,
				actions, equipment, or procedural changes to prevent or minimize the risk of
				future releases.
Alaska Administrative Code › Title 20 - Miscellaneous Boards and Commissions › Chapter 25 - Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission › Article 3 - Production Practices › 20 AAC 25.210 - Multiple completions of wells

Current through May 31, 2024
A well may not be completed in more than one pool without
				  approval of the commission. The commission will require evidence of complete
				  separation of flowstreams from separate pools, as ascertained by a pressure test
				  or other acceptable test conducted at the time the packers are set. Subsequently,
				  if packer leakage is suspected, the commission will require the operator to
				  provide proof of complete separation of the pools involved in the completions or
				  make a packer leakage test. At least 24 hours notice must be given so that the
				  packer leakage test may be witnessed by a representative of the
				  commission.
Authority:
AS
					 31.05.030
Alaska Administrative Code › Title 20 - Miscellaneous Boards and Commissions › Chapter 25 - Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission › Article 3 - Production Practices › 20 AAC 25.215 - Commingling of production and injection into two or more pools

Current through May 31, 2024
(a) On the surface,
				the production from one pool may not be commingled with that from another pool
				except if the quantities from each pool are determined by monthly well tests or
				by another method of determining pool production approved by the
				commission.
(b) Commingling of
				production within the same wellbore from two or more pools is not permitted
				unless, after request, notice, and opportunity for public hearing in conformance
				with 20 AAC 25.540, the commission
(1) finds that waste will not occur, and that
				production from separate pools can be properly allocated; and
(2) issues an order providing for commingling
				for wells completed from these pools within the field.
Alaska Administrative Code › Title 20 - Miscellaneous Boards and Commissions › Chapter 25 - Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission › Article 3 - Production Practices › 20 AAC 25.228 - Production measurement equipment for custody transfer

Current through May 31, 2024
(a) Hydrocarbon
				production must be measured in accordance with this section before severance from
				the property or unit where produced. Crude oil sample collection, handling, and
				analysis in connection with production measurement must be performed in
				conformance with relevant parts of the API
Manual of Petroleum
				Measurement Standards,
as revised as of November 30, 1998.
(b) Hydrocarbon measurement equipment must be
				fabricated, installed, and maintained in conformance with relevant parts of the
				API
Manual of Petroleum Measurement Standards,
as revised as of
				November 30, 1998. Before installing or altering hydrocarbon measurement
				equipment used for custody transfer purposes, the operator shall submit to the
				commission information demonstrating conformance and obtain commission approval
				of the proposed installation or alteration and the methodology proposed for
				determining hydrocarbon volumes. The submitted information must include sample
				calculations, with the underlying measured data, generated using the proposed
				methodology. The operator may not change an approved methodology without
				commission approval.
(c) If a
				totalizer system is microprocessor-based, it must be equipped with
(1) a backup battery or uninterruptible power
				supply that provides for operation during times of system power failures;
				or
(2) a backup pulse accumulator or
				other approved equivalent that counts and preserves meter pulses in the event of
				a power or computer failure.
Alaska Administrative Code › Title 20 - Miscellaneous Boards and Commissions › Chapter 25 - Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission › Article 3 - Production Practices › 20 AAC 25.230 - Measurement, allocation, and reporting of well production

Current through May 31, 2024
(a) Production from
				each well must be measured to determine the quantities of oil, gas, and water,
				using equipment and techniques acceptable to the commission as accurate and
				reliable. Production from a group of wells, property, or unit may be measured as
				a whole, if individual well test facilities and allocation methods acceptable to
				the commission are employed to test and allocate production to each well at least
				monthly.
(b) The volumes of produced
				gas, oil, and water must be reported monthly for each well on the Monthly
				Production Report (Form 10-405) or by an alternate format, including electronic
				means, acceptable to the commission. A well must be identified by its API number
				and the name designated by the operator under
				20 AAC 25.005(f). Production from a well
				with multiple well branches must be aggregated and reported under the API number
				and well name of the primary wellbore.
Authority:
AS
					 31.05.030
Alaska Administrative Code › Title 20 - Miscellaneous Boards and Commissions › Chapter 25 - Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission › Article 3 - Production Practices › 20 AAC 25.235 - Gas disposition

Current through May 31, 2024
(a) For each production facility the operator
				shall compile and report monthly gas disposition and acquisition on the Facility
				Report of Produced Gas Disposition (Form 10-422). If a facility's production
				comes from multiple pools, the operator shall allocate production between each
				producing pool as a percentage of the total volume of gas that the facility
				handled for the month. The operator shall report gas acquisition or disposition
				by category, as follows:
(1) gas sold;
(2) gas reinjected;
(3) gas flared or vented;
(4) gas used for lease operations other than
				flaring or venting;
(5) natural gas
				liquids (NGLs) produced;
(6) gas
				purchased;
(7) gas
				transferred;
(8) other.
Alaska Administrative Code › Title 20 - Miscellaneous Boards and Commissions › Chapter 25 - Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission › Article 3 - Production Practices › 20 AAC 25.240 - Gas-oil ratio limitations

Current through May 31, 2024
(a) An oil well may
				not be produced if the gas-oil ratio of the well exceeds the original solution
				gas-oil ratio of the crude within the producing pool by more than 100
				percent.
(b) Upon written application
				by an operator, the commission will, in its discretion, waive the limitation in
				(a) of this section if
(1) an enhanced recovery
				project operates in the pool from which the well is producing;
(2) produced gas is being returned to the same
				pool; or
(3) acquisition of pool
				performance data is necessary to determine an optimum reservoir management
				program.
Alaska Administrative Code › Title 20 - Miscellaneous Boards and Commissions › Chapter 25 - Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission › Article 3 - Production Practices › 20 AAC 25.265 - Well safety valve systems

Current through May 31, 2024
(a) A completed well
				must be equipped with a functional safety valve system unless the well is
(1) a water source well;
(2) a disposal injection well;
(3) an observation well;
(4) shut-in; or
(5) suspended.
Alaska Administrative Code › Title 20 - Miscellaneous Boards and Commissions › Chapter 25 - Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission › Article 3 - Production Practices › 20 AAC 25.270 - Reservoir properties

Current through May 31, 2024
(a) The operator
				shall determine the initial reservoir pressure in each new pool before regular
				production. The results must be reported to the commission on a Reservoir
				Pressure Report (Form 10-412).
(b)
				The operator shall obtain fluid samples from each new pool at the time of
				discovery or before regular production and determine
(1) crude oil composition;
(2) pressure, volume, and temperature
				properties of the crude oil; and
(3)
				solution or non-associated gas composition.
Alaska Administrative Code › Title 20 - Miscellaneous Boards and Commissions › Chapter 25 - Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission › Article 3 - Production Practices › 20 AAC 25.275 - Reservoir fluid properties (Repealed)

Current through May 31, 2024
Effective 11/7/99, Register 152, the substance of
					 20 AAC 25.275 was relocated to
					 20 AAC 25.270.
Alaska Administrative Code › Title 20 - Miscellaneous Boards and Commissions › Chapter 25 - Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission › Article 3 - Production Practices › 20 AAC 25.280 - Workover operations

Current through May 31, 2024
(a) An Application
				for Sundry Approvals (Form 10-403) must be submitted to and approved by the
				commission in order to enter a well and conduct one or more of the following
				types of well workover operations:
(1) the
				perforation or reperforation of casing;
(2) stimulation;
(3) the pulling of tubing;
(4) alteration of the casing;
(5) repairs to the well.
Alaska Administrative Code › Title 20 - Miscellaneous Boards and Commissions › Chapter 25 - Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission › Article 3 - Production Practices › 20 AAC 25.283 - Hydraulic fracturing

Current through May 31, 2024
(a) Before hydraulic fracturing, the operator
				must submit an Application for Sundry Approvals (Form 10-403) under
				20 AAC 25.280. Unless modified or altered by pool rules
				established under
				20 AAC 25.520, the application must include
(1) an affidavit stating that all owners,
				landowners, surface owners, and operators within a one-half mile radius of the
				current or proposed wellbore trajectory have been provided a notice of operations
				that is in compliance with the requirements of this paragraph; in the notice of
				operations, the operator must
(A) state that
				upon request a complete copy of the application is available from the operator;
				and
(B) include the operator contact
				information;