16 Tex. Admin. Code § 3.16 - Log and Completion or Plugging Report
(a) Definitions. The following words and
terms, when used in this section, shall have the following meanings, unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
(1)
Electric log--A density, sonic, or resistivity (except dip meter) log run over
the entire wellbore.
(2) Drilling
operation--A continuous effort to drill or deepen a wellbore for which the
commission has issued a permit.
(3)
Operator--A person who assumes responsibility for the regulatory compliance of
a well as shown by a form the person files with the commission and the
commission approves.
(4) Well--A
well drilled for any purpose related to exploration for or production or
storage of oil or gas or brine or geothermal resources, including a well
drilled for injection of fluids to enhance hydrocarbon recovery, injection of
spent brine return fluids, disposal of produced fluids, disposal of waste from
exploration or production activity, or brine mining.
(b) Completion and plugging reports.
(1) The operator of a well shall file with
the commission the appropriate completion report within 90 days after
completion of the well or within 150 days after the date on which the drilling
operation is completed, whichever is earlier.
(2) The operator of a well shall file with
the Commission an amended completion report within 30 days of any physical
changes made to the well, such as any change in perforations, or openhole or
casing records.
(3) If the well is
a dry hole, the operator shall file with the commission an appropriate plugging
report within 30 days after the well is plugged.
(c) Electric logs. Except as otherwise
provided in this section, not later than the 90th day after the date a drilling
operation is completed, the operator shall file with the commission a legible
and unaltered copy of an electric log, except that where a well is deepened, a
legible and unaltered copy of an electric log shall be filed if such log is run
over a deeper interval than the interval covered by an electric log for the
well already on file with the commission. In the event an electric log, as
defined in this section, has not been run, subject to the commission's
approval, the operator shall file a lithology log or gamma ray log of the
entire wellbore. In the event no log has been run over the entire wellbore,
subject to the commission's approval, the operator shall file the log which is
the most nearly complete of the logs run. An electric log shall be filed with
the commission electronically in a digital format acceptable to the commission,
when the commission has the technological capability to receive the electronic
filing. Nothing in this subsection requires an operator to run an electric log
in conjunction with the drilling or deepening of a well.
(d) Delayed filing based on confidentiality.
Each log filed with the commission shall be considered public information and
shall be available to the public during normal business hours. If the operator
of a well desires a log to be confidential, on or before the 90th day after the
date a drilling operation is completed, the operator must submit to the Oil and
Gas Division in Austin a written request for a delayed filing of the log. If a
well is drilled on land submerged in state water, when filing such a request,
the operator must retain the log and may delay filing such log for five years
beginning from the date the drilling operation was completed. For any other
well, the operator must retain the log and may delay filing such log for three
years beginning from the date the drilling operation was completed. Logs must
be filed with the commission within 30 days after the expiration of the
confidentiality period.
(e)
Sanctions. If an operator fails to file a completion report or log in
accordance with the provisions of this section, the commission may refuse to
assign an allowable to a well, set the allowable for such well at zero, and/or
initiate penalty action pursuant to the Texas Natural Resources Code, Title
3.
Notes
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