26 Miss. Code. R. 2-1.6 - WELL SIGNAGE - IDENTIFICATION OF WELL AND RESTRICTIONS TO ACCESS

1. Every well permitted by the Oil and Gas Board shall have posted at the entrance to the location during drilling, in a conspicuous place near the well bore after completion, a sign in reasonably large and clear lettering with the following information:

a) DANGER (in white lettering on a red background)

b) NO TRESPASSING

c) AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY

d) Operator of Record as carried at the Oil and Gas Board;

e) API number as assigned by the Oil and Gas Board;

f) Field name as designated by Oil and Gas Board and/or designation as a wildcat;

g) Section, Township and Range;

h) Well name and number as carried at the Oil and Gas Board;

i) Currently active telephone number answering 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for any emergency associated with the well and/or facility

j) The latitude and longitude of the well location expressed in decimal degrees (carried out to five (5) decimal places) utilizing NAD 83 coordinates

2. If not located on a well location, each tank and/or tank battery (both active and inactive), if equipped with a staircase or ladder, and each compressor station shall have posted at a conspicuous place at the location of such facility a sign in reasonably large and clear lettering with, at a minimum, the following information (Operator may add additional lettering it deems appropriate):

a) DANGER (In white lettering on a red background)

b) NO TRESPASSING

c) AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY

d) Currently active telephone number answering 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for any emergency associated with the tank and/or tank battery or compressor station

e) Operator of Record as carried at the Oil and Gas Board

f) The latitude and longitude of the tank and/or tank battery or compressor station expressed in decimal degrees (carried out to five (5) decimal places) utilizing NAD 83 coordinates

Additionally, in the event a tank battery serves multiple wells producing from a fieldwide unit, the name of such fieldwide unit (not individual well names) shall be indicated on the sign applicable to such tank battery.

3. An additional road sign and/or signs must be posted at the nearest exit or turn-off from either a public road and/or private, field or lease road leading to or providing entry and access to a well location, tank and/or tank battery or compressor station, such additional sign(s) to be in reasonably large and clear lettering with, at a minimum, the following information (Operator may add any additional lettering it deems appropriate):

a) DANGER (In white lettering on red background)

b) NO TRESSPASSING

c) AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY

d) Currently active telephone number answering 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for any emergency associated with the well, tank and/or tank battery, compressor station or facility

e) Operator of Record as carried at the Oil and Gas Board

f) The latitude and longitude of such road sign(s) placed at the nearest exit or turn off from the public, private, field or lease road expressed in decimal degrees (carried out to five (5) decimal places) utilizing NAD 83 coordinates

4. All flow lines (i. e., pipelines which transport liquids or gas from a well location to a storage tank, tank battery or other storage facility or from any facility to a well (oil, gas or SWD) shall have posted along said flow lines signs in reasonably large and clear lettering with the following information:

(a) WARNING (no color requirements since many Operators already have signs/ markers in various colors)

(b) High pressure, flammable, saltwater, etc. (as appropriate)

(c) Operator of Record as carried at Oil and Gas Board

(d) Currently active telephone number answering 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for any emergency associated with such flow line

Such signs shall be placed along all flow lines at such intervals as to insure that each sign is clearly visible from the next nearest sign, Spacing between signs may vary depending upon such factors as terrain, vegetation and other obstructions but in no event may such signs be located more than 500.0 feet apart. Such signs shall at all times be maintained clear of vegetation or any other obstructions which would prevent each sign from being clearly visible from the next nearest sign,

5. Any changes and/or corrections in the sign information required to be posted in accordance with this rule shall be made to such sign(s) within sixty (60) days after the change occurs, or in the case of a transfer of ownership, within sixty (60) days after a change of operator is approved by the Oil and Gas Board.

6. The operator's field personnel shall be charged with the duty of observing the signs posted in accordance with this rule on a regular basis to ensure they are in place and in compliance with the rule.

7. All stairways and ladders leading to storage tanks shall be equipped with a gate restricting access. A sign shall be posted on the gate which contains, at a minimum, the following (Operator may add any additional lettering it deems appropriate):

DANGER

NO TRESSPASSING

AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY

All gates on stairways and ladders leading to storage tanks shall remain locked at all times except when such facility is manned.

8. Wells, tanks and/or tank batteries, compressor stations and related facilities in existence at the time of passage of this rule shall be brought into compliance with this rule within 180 days of passage.

9. Perimeter Fencing and Restricted Access

(a) No oil or gas wells, tanks, tank batteries or related oil and gas exploration and production facilities shall have restricted access, locked gates or entrances, or shall be enclosed or otherwise encompassed or restricted by perimeter fencing with or without locked gates or entrances except upon the approval of the Supervisor or where otherwise required by other rules and regulations.

(b) This rule is promulgated for the purpose of insuring that this agency's Field Inspectors and other agency personnel have unrestricted access to all oil and gas wells, tanks, tank batteries and related oil and gas exploration and production facilities on a 24-hour a day, 7-day a week basis for inspection and regulatory enforcement purposes, as well as insuring that first-responders (fire, sheriffs, emergency medical personnel, etc.) have ready access to such facilities in the event of emergencies (fires, explosions, etc.) and that oil and gas field and contractor personnel have a ready means of egress or escape from such facilities in the event of emergencies.

(c) The Supervisor is authorized, on a case-by-case basis, with the approval of the Mississippi State Oil and Gas Board, to require or permit restricted access, or the installation of locked gates or entrances, or perimeter fencing with or without locked gates or entrances around oil and gas wells, tanks, tank batteries and related oil and gas exploration and production facilities where such perimeter fencing is deemed by the Supervisor to be in the public interests and necessary to effectively enforce other laws relating to the conservation of oil and gas.

Notes

26 Miss. Code. R. 2-1.6

MCA Section 53-1-17(3) (1972)

Amended 7/15/2015