Idaho Administrative Code › Title IDAPA 37 - Water Resources, Department of › Rule 37.03.04 - DRILLING FOR GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES RULES › Section 37.03.04.010 - DEFINITIONS

Current through August 31, 2023
For these rules, the following definitions apply.
				(3-30-23)
01.
Applicant
.
			 Any person applying to the Department of Water Resources for a permit for the
			 construction and operation of any well or injection well. (3-30-23)
02.
Board
. The Idaho Water
			 Resource Board. (3-30-23)
03.
BOPE
. An abbreviation for Blow Out Prevention Equipment which is
			 designed to be attached to the casing in a geothermal well to prevent a blow
			 out of the drilling mud. (3-30-23)
04.
Completion
. A well is
			 completed thirty (30) days after drilling operations have ceased unless a
			 suspension of operation is approved by the Director, or thirty (30) days after
			 it has commenced producing a geothermal resource, whichever occurs first,
			 unless drilling operations are resumed before the end of the thirty (30) day
			 period or at the end of the suspension. (3-30-23)
05.
Conductor Pipe
. The first
			 and largest diameter string of casing to be installed in the well. This casing
			 extends from land surface to a depth great enough to keep surface waters from
			 entering and loose earth from falling in the hole and to provide anchorage for
			 blow out prevention equipment prior to setting surface casing.
			 (3-30-23)
06.
Department
. The Idaho Department of Water Resources. (3-30-23)
07.
Director
. The Director of
			 the Idaho Department of Water Resources. (3-30-23)
08.
Drilling Logs
. The recorded
			 description of the lithologic sequence encountered in drilling a well.
			 (3-30-23)
09.
Drilling
			 Operations
. The actual drilling, redrilling, or recompletion of the well
			 for production or injection including the running and cementing of casing and
			 the installation of well head equipment. Drilling operations do not include
			 perforating, logging, and related operations after the casing has been
			 cemented. (3-30-23)
10.
Exploratory Well
. A well drilled for the discovery or evaluation of
			 geothermal resources. (3-30-23)
11.
Geothermal Area
. The same general land area which in its
			 subsurface is underlain or reasonably appears to be underlain by geothermal
			 resources from or in a single reservoir, pool, or other source or interrelated
			 sources, as such area or areas may be designated from time to time by the
			 Director. (3-30-23)
12.
Geothermal Field
. An area which contains a well or wells capable of
			 commercial production of geothermal resources. (3-30-23)
13.
Geothermal Resource
. The
			 natural heat energy of the earth, the energy in whatever form which may be
			 found in any position and at any depth below the surface of the earth, present
			 in, resulting from, or created by, or which may be extracted from such natural
			 heat and all minerals in solution or other products obtained from the material
			 medium of any geothermal resource. Groundwater having a temperature of two
			 hundred twelve (212) degrees Fahrenheit or more in the bottom of a well shall
			 be classified as a geothermal resource. Geothermal resources are found and
			 hereby declared sui generis, being neither a mineral resource nor a water
			 resource but they are also found and hereby declared closely related to and
			 possibly affecting and affected by water and mineral resources in many
			 instances. (3-30-23)
14.
Injection Well
. Any special well, converted producing well, or
			 reactivated or converted abandoned well employed for injecting material into a
			 geothermal area or adjacent area to maintain pressures in a geothermal
			 reservoir, pool, or other source, or to provide new material or to serve as a
			 material medium therein, or for reinjecting any material medium or the residue
			 thereof, or any by-product of geothermal resource exploration or development
			 into the earth. (3-30-23)
15.
Intermediate Casing
. The casing installed within the well to seal
			 out brackish water, caving zones, etc., below the bottom of the surface casing.
			 Such casings may either be lapped into the surface casing or extend to land
			 surface. (3-30-23)
16.
Material Medium
. Any substance including, but not limited to, naturally
			 heated fluids, brines, associated gasses and steam in whatever form, found at
			 any depth and in any position below the surface of the earth, which contains or
			 transmits the natural heat energy of the earth, but excluding petroleum, oil,
			 hydrocarbon gas, or other hydrocarbon substances. (3-30-23)
17.
Notice of Intent (NOI)
. A
			 written statement to the Director that the applicant intends to do work.
			 (3-30-23)
18.
Observation
			 Well
. A small diameter well drilled strictly for monitoring purposes. In
			 no case shall an observation well be completed for production of geothermal
			 resources or for use as an injection well. (3-30-23)
19.
Operator
. Any person
			 drilling, maintaining, operating, pumping, or in control of any well. The term
			 operator also includes owner when any well is or has been or is about to be
			 operated by or under the direction of the owner. (3-30-23)
20.
Owner
. The owner of the
			 geothermal lease or well and includes operator when any well is operated or has
			 been operated or is about to be operated by any person other than the owner.
			 (3-30-23)
21.
Permit
.
			 A permit issued pursuant to these rules for the construction and operation of
			 any well or injection well. (3-30-23)
22.
Person
. Any individual
			 natural person, general or limited partnership, joint venture, association,
			 cooperative organization, corporation, whether domestic or foreign, agency or
			 subdivision of this or any other state or municipal or quasi-municipal entity
			 whether or not it is incorporated. (3-30-23)
23.
Production Casing
. The
			 casing or tubing through which a geothermal resource is produced. This casing
			 extends from the producing zone to land surface. (3-30-23)
24.
Surface Casing
. The first
			 casing run after the conductor pipe to anchor blow out prevention equipment and
			 to seal out all existing groundwater zones. (3-30-23)
25.
Suspension of Operations
.
			 The cessation of drilling, redrilling, or alteration of casing before the well
			 is officially abandoned or completed. All suspensions must be authorized by the
			 Director. (3-30-23)
26.
Waste
. Any physical waste including, but not limited to: (3-30-23)
a. Underground waste resulting from
			 inefficient, excessive, or improper use, or dissipation of geothermal energy,
			 or of any geothermal resource pool, reservoir, or other source; or the
			 locating, spacing, constructing, equipping, operating, or producing of any well
			 in a manner which results, or tends to result in reducing the quantity of
			 geothermal energy to be recovered from any geothermal area in the state;
			 (3-30-23)
b. The inefficient
			 above-ground transporting and storage of geothermal energy; and the locating,
			 spacing, equipping, operating, or producing of any well or injection well in a
			 manner causing or tending to cause unnecessary or excessive surface loss or
			 destruction of geothermal energy; (3-30-23)
c. The escape into the open air from a well
			 of steam or hot water more than what is reasonably necessary in the efficient
			 development or production of a well. (3-30-23)