California Code of Regulations › Title 14 - Natural Resources › Division 2 - Department of Conservation › Chapter 4 - Development, Regulation, and Conservation of Oil and Gas Resources › Subchapter 4 - State-Wide Geothermal Regulations › Article 2 - Definitions › Section 1920.1 - Definitions

Current through Register 2024 Notice Reg. No. 28, July 12, 2024
(a) "Observation
					 Well" means a well drilled strictly for monitoring purposes.
(b) "Exploratory Geothermal Well" means a
					 well other than a development well drilled to discover or evaluate the presence
					 of either low-temperature or high-temperature geothermal fluids, including
					 steam, where the surface location of the well is at least .8 km or one-half
					 mile from the surface location of an existing well capable of producing
					 geothermal fluids in commercial quantities.
(c) "Development Well" means a well, other
					 than an exploratory well, drilled for the purpose of producing either
					 high-temperature or low-temperature geothermal fluids in commercial
					 quantities.
(d) "Abandoned Well"
					 means a well the Supervisor so designates after it has been demonstrated that
					 all steps have been taken to protect underground or surface water suitable for
					 irrigation or other domestic uses from the infiltration or addition of any
					 detrimental substance, and to prevent the escape of all fluids to the
					 surface.
(e) "Injection Well" is a
					 service well drilled or converted for the purpose of injecting
					 fluids.
(f) "High-Temperature
					 Geothermal Fluid" means a naturally heated subterranean fluid with a surface
					 temperature equal to or higher than the boiling point of water.
(g) "High-Temperature Well" means a well
					 drilled to discover, evaluate, produce, or utilize high-temperature geothermal
					 fluids.
(h) "High-Temperature
					 Geothermal Field" means an area so designated by the Supervisor for
					 administrative purposes. The area shall contain at least one well capable of
					 producing high-temperature geothermal fluids in commercial
					 quantities.
(i) "Low-Temperature
					 Geothermal Fluid" means naturally heated subterranean fluid with a surface
					 temperature below the boiling point of water at ambient atmospheric
					 pressure.
(j) "Low-Temperature
					 Geothermal Well" means a well drilled to discover, evaluate, produce, or
					 utilize low-temperature geothermal fluids where the fluids will be used for
					 their heat value.
(k)
					 "Low-Temperature Geothermal Field" means an area the Supervisor so designates
					 for administrative purposes. The area shall contain at least one well capable
					 of producing low-temperature geothermal fluids in commercial
					 quantities.
(l) "Idle Well" means a
					 well, other than a suspended well, that has not been officially plugged and
					 abandoned, on which the operator has ceased all activity, including but not
					 limited to drilling, production or injection.
(m) "Production Tested" means a well that the
					 operator has tested for temperature, flow rate, and pressure.
(n) "A well capable of producing geothermal
					 fluid in commercial quantities" means a well:
(1) Supplying geothermal fluid to an existing
					 power plant or other facility for the purpose of generating electricity;
					 or
(2) Production tested and
					 scheduled to supply geothermal fluid to a power plant or other facility for the
					 purpose of generating electricity for which:
(A) An application is pending before the
					 California Energy Commission or the California Public Utilities Commission;
					 or
(B) The California Energy
					 Commission or California Public Utilities Commission has approved a site;
					 or
(C) A contract has been executed
					 between the supplier and a user and conditions have been fulfilled that commit
					 the user to build a facility; or
(3) Supplying geothermal fluid or completed
					 and scheduled to supply geothermal fluid to facilities existing, under
					 construction, or committed for construction, for any nonelectric use of
					 geothermal resources, including but not limited to space heating or food
					 processing; or
(4) Production
					 tested and, in the operator's opinion, able to supply sufficient geothermal
					 energy to justify construction of a facility to utilize the energy, and
					 designated capable of production by the Supervisor; or
(5) Production tested and found by the
					 Supervisor, after a public hearing, to be capable of producing sufficient
					 geothermal energy to be a commercially viable geothermal development
					 project.