| (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 geothermal
resources, including a well drilled for injection of fluids to enhance
hydrocarbon recovery, 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.
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| Source Note: The provisions of this §3.16 adopted to be effective January 1, 1976; amended to be effective February 20, 1986, 11 TexReg 545; amended to be effective January 30, 2006, 31 TexReg 477; amended to be effective April 28, 2015, 40 TexReg 2273; amended to be effective February 23, 2016, 41 TexReg 1226 |
