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TITLE 16ECONOMIC REGULATION
PART 1RAILROAD COMMISSION OF TEXAS
CHAPTER 3OIL AND GAS DIVISION
RULE §3.31Gas Reservoirs and Gas Well Allowable

    (D) Except where a well is shut-in to make up overproduction or is producing at a reduced rate, overproduction existent as of any balancing date shall be made up at any time during the next period; i.e., a specified fractional part of the overproduction need not be made up during each month of that balancing period, so long as all of such overproduction is made up during that balancing period.

(j) Suspension of allocation formula.

  (1) The commission or a commission designee may administratively suspend the allocation formula for a particular gas field if:

    (A) each operator from that field has a market, for 100% of the deliverability, as determined by the deliverability tests on file with the commission, for its respective wells; and

    (B) all operators in the field consent to suspension of the formula.

  (2) Suspension of the allocation formula may be initiated by the commission or a commission designee, or by one of the operators in the field. The commission or a commission designee will determine which fields are appropriate for suspension utilizing the criteria of paragraph (1) of this subsection. The allocation formula may be administratively suspended if the applicant provides the commission with a declaration, subject to the false filing penalties provided for in the Natural Resources Code, §91.143, from all operators in the field stating that they have a market for 100% of the deliverability of their wells. If the commission or a commission designee declines to administratively suspend the allocation formula, the applicant may request a hearing as provided for in paragraph (4) of this subsection.

  (3) Reinstatement of the allocation formula may be initiated by the commission, commission designee, or by one of the operators in the field.

    (A) If, for any month, the market for gas production from a well in a field with a suspended allocation formula is less than 100% of the well's deliverability as determined by the deliverability tests on file with the commission, the operator of the field must inform the commission or a commission designee; upon such notification, the commission or commission designee will, with prior notice to the operators in the field, reinstate the allocation formula.

    (B) The allocation formula will be reinstated at the request of an operator from a field with a suspended allocation formula or at any time the commission deems reinstatement necessary to protect correlative rights or prevent waste.

  (4) If the commission or a commission designee reinstates the allocation formula or denies a request to suspend or reinstate the allocation formula in a particular field, the applicant may request a hearing. In addition to the criteria set forth in paragraph (1) of this subsection, the commission will consider whether suspension or reinstatement is necessary to prevent waste or protect correlative rights. An applicant may also request a hearing when unable to obtain written consent from all operators in a field pursuant to subparagraph (1)(B) of this subsection.

  (5) Suspension of the allocation formula will balance the field's production status at zero, and provide for a 100% capacity allowable.

(k) Administrative Special Allowable.

  (1) A well which has a deliverability, capability, and six consecutive months of production of 100 Mcf per day or less, and the well is not producing in a 49(b) field, will be assigned an administrative special allowable pursuant to subsection (h) of this section. Additionally, a well which has a deliverability, capability, and six consecutive months of production of 250 Mcf a day or less, and the well is producing in a prorated field without special field rules, will be assigned an administrative special allowable pursuant to subsection (h) of this section.

  (2) A well, other than an administrative special allowable well defined in paragraph (1) of this subsection, in a prorated field whose average monthly production during the last six consecutive months falls below the cutoff percentage (determined by the commission at the monthly statewide hearing) of the well's top allowable averaged over that six-month period, will be assigned an administrative special allowable pursuant to subsection (h) of this section. The initial cutoff percentage is 70% and will remain at 70% until changed in accordance with this subparagraph. Administrative special allowable wells under this subsection will remain administrative special allowable wells until:

    (A) they overproduce the top allowable available under the applicable allocation formula; or

    (B) they receive a substitute capability pursuant to subsection (e) of this section; or

    (C) the commission resets the cutoff percentage below the well's average production level for the last six consecutive months.


Source Note: The provisions of this §3.31 adopted to be effective September 1, 1986, 11 TexReg 3680; amended to be effective July 1, 1992, 17 TexReg 3236; amended to be effective September 20, 1993, 18 TexReg 5977; amended to be effective January 11, 1994, 19 TexReg 71; amended to be effective May 19, 1997, 22 TexReg 4065; amended to be effective October 20, 1997, 22 TexReg 10311; amended to be effective February 1, 2016, 41 TexReg 785

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