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 Utah Administrative Code (Current through November 1, 2019)
 R649. Natural Resources, Oil, Gas and Mining; Oil and Gas
 R649-2. General Rules
 

  R649-2. General Rules  

R649-2-1. Scope of Rules
Latest version.

1. The following general rules adopted by the board pursuant to Chapter 6 of Title 40 shall apply to all lands in the state in order to conserve the natural resources of oil and gas in the state, to protect human health and the environment, to prevent waste, to protect the correlative rights of all owners and to realize the greatest ultimate recovery of oil and gas.

2. Special rules and orders have been and will be issued by the board when required and shall prevail as against the general rules and orders of the board if in conflict therewith.

3. Exceptions to the general rules may also be granted by the director or authorized agent for good cause shown and shall prevail as against the general rules.

4. No exceptions granted by the board, director, or authorized agent to the rules applicable to the Underground Injection Control Program will be effective without the consent of the federal Environmental Protection Agency.
R649-2-2. Application of Rules to Lands Owned or Controlled By the United States
Latest version.

These general rules shall apply to all lands in the state including lands of the United States and lands subject to the jurisdiction of the United States to the extent lawfully subject to the state's power.
R649-2-3. Application of Rules to Unit Agreements
Latest version.

1. The board may suspend the application of the general rules or orders or any part thereof, with regard to any unit agreement approved by a duly authorized officer of the appropriate federal agency, so long as the conservation of oil or gas and the prevention of waste is accomplished thereby.

2. Such suspension shall not relieve any operator from making such reports as are otherwise required by the general rules or orders, or as may reasonably be requested by the board or the division in order to keep the board and the division fully informed as to operations under such unit agreements.
R649-2-4. Designation of Agent or Operator
Latest version.

1. A designation of agent or operator shall be submitted to the division prior to the commencement of operations.

2. A designation of agent or operator will, for purposes of the general rules and orders, be accepted as evidence of authority of agent to fulfill the obligations of the owner, to sign any required documents or reports on behalf of the owner, and to receive all authorized orders or notices given by the board or the division.

3. All changes of address and any termination of the designated agent's or operator's authority shall be promptly reported in writing to the division, and in the latter case a designation of a new agent or operator shall be promptly made.
R649-2-5. Right to Inspect
Latest version.

1. The director or authorized agent shall have the right at all reasonable times to go upon and inspect any oil or gas properties and wells for the purpose of making any investigations or tests reasonably necessary to ensure compliance with the provisions of the statutes, the general rules and orders of the board or any special field rules and orders. The director or authorized agent shall report any observed violation to the board.

2. The documentation of off lease transportation of crude oil required by R649-2-6, Access to Records, shall be carried in the motor vehicle during transportation and shall be available for examination and inspection by the director or an authorized agent upon request.
R649-2-6. Access to Records
Latest version.

1. Any person who produces, operates, sells, purchases, acquires, stores, transports, refines, or processes oil or gas or who injects fluids for cycling, pressure maintenance, secondary or enhanced recovery, or disposal of salt water or oil field waste within the state, shall make and keep appropriate books and records covering his operations in the state from which he shall be able to make and substantiate all reports required by the board or the division.

1.1. Such books and records, together with copies of all reports and notices submitted to the board or the division shall be kept on file and available for inspection by the director or an authorized agent at all reasonable times for a period of at least six years.

1.2. The director or the authorized agent shall also have access to all pertinent well records wherever located.

2. Each owner or operator shall permit the director or authorized agent at his sole risk and expense, in the absence of negligence on the part of the owner or operator, to come upon any lease, property or well operated or controlled by him; to inspect the records pertaining to and the manner of operation of such property or well; and to have access at all reasonable times to any and all records pertaining to such well. All information so obtained by the director or authorized agent shall be kept confidential and shall be reported only to the division or its authorized agent, unless the owner or operator gives written permission to the director to release such information.

3. All off lease transportation of oil by motor vehicle shall be accompanied by a run ticket or equivalent document. The documentation shall identify the name and address of the transporter, the name of the operator, the lease or facility from which the oil was taken, the date of removal, the API gravity of the oil, the calculated percentage of BS and W, the volume of oil or the opening and closing tank gauges or meter readings, and the destination of the oil.
R649-2-7. Naming of Oil and Gas Fields or Pools
Latest version.

1. The division shall name oil and gas fields or pools within the state in cooperation with a Fields Names Advisory Committee and with due regard and consideration for any recommendation from the owners or operators of such fields or pools. The Field Names Advisory Committee shall be composed of a representative of the United States Bureau of Land Management and representatives of appropriate state agencies and the oil and gas industry.
R649-2-8. Measurement of Production
Latest version.

1. The volume of oil production shall be computed in barrels of clean oil, on the basis of acceptable meter measurements, tank measurements, or with such greater accuracy as may be required by the division. Computations of the volume of oil production shall be subject to the following corrections:

1.1. The gross volume of oil shall be corrected to exclude the entire volume of impurities not constituting a natural component part of the oil.

1.2. The observed volume of oil after correction for impurities shall be further corrected to the standard volume at 60 degrees Fahrenheit, in accordance with Table 6A of the API/ASTM D-1250, Chapter 11.1, Manual of Petroleum Measurement (1980), or any revisions or supplements, or any alternative publication or tables approved by the division.

1.3. The observed gravity of oil shall be corrected to the standard API gravity at 60 degrees Fahrenheit in accordance with Table 5A of API/ASTM, D-1250, Chapter 11.1, Manual of Petroleum Measurement (1980), or any revisions or supplements, or any alternative publication or tables approved by the division.

2. All gas shall be measured by an orifice type meter unless otherwise authorized by the division.

2.1. In computing the volumes of all gas produced, sold, or injected, the standard pressure base shall be 14.73 pounds per square inch absolute (psia), and the standard temperature base shall be 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

2.2. All measurements of gas shall be adjusted by computation to these standards, regardless of the pressure and temperature at which the gas was actually measured, unless otherwise authorized by the division.
R649-2-9. Refusal to Agree
Latest version.

  1. An owner shall be deemed to have refused to agree to bear his proportionate share of the costs of the drilling and operation of a well under Section 40-6-6.5 if:

  1.1. The operator of the proposed well has, in good faith, attempted to reach agreement with such owner for the leasing of the owner's mineral interest or for that owner's voluntary participation in the drilling of the well.

  1.2. The owner and the operator have been unable to agree upon terms for the leasing of the owner's interest or for the owner's participation in the drilling of the well. For purposes of Utah Code Sections 40-6-2(4) and -2(11), the consent and agreement required of an owner shall be manifested by the owner agreeing in writing, within thirty (30) days from the date the notice required by Utah Code Section 40-6-2(11) is received, to bear that owner's proportionate share of the costs of drilling, testing, completion, equipping and operation of the well.

  2. If the operator of the proposed well shall fail to attempt, in good faith, to reach agreement with the owner for the leasing of that owner's mineral interest or for voluntary participation by that owner in the well prior to the filing of a Request for Agency Action for involuntary pooling of interests in the drilling unit under Section 40-6-6.5 then, upon written request and after notice and hearing, the hearing on the Request for Agency Action for involuntary pooling may, at the discretion of the board or its designated hearing examiner, be delayed for a period not to exceed 30 days, to allow for negotiations between the operator and the owner.
R649-2-10. Notification of Lease Sale or Transfer
Latest version.

The owner of a lease shall provide notification to any person with an interest in such lease, when all or part of that interest in the lease is sold or transferred.
R649-2-11. Confidentiality of Well Log Information
Latest version.

1. Well logs marked confidential shall be kept confidential for one year after the date on which the log is required to be filed with the division, unless the operator gives written permission to release the log at an earlier date.

2. Information on a newly permitted well will be held confidential only upon receipt by the division of a written request from the owner or operator.

3. The period of confidentiality may begin at the time the APD is submitted for approval if a request for confidentiality is received at that time. The information on the application itself will not be considered confidential.

4. Information that shall be held confidential includes well logs, electrical or radioactivity logs, electromagnetic, electrical, or magnetic surveys, core descriptions and analysis, maps, other geological, geophysical, and engineering information, and well completion reports that contain such information.

5. The owner or operator shall clearly mark documents as confidential. Such marking shall be in red and be clearly visible.

6. Confidential wells or information shall be reported separately from wells or information that is not in confidential status.
R649-2-12. Tests and Surveys
Latest version.

1. When deemed necessary or advisable the Director or authorized agent can require that tests or surveys be made to determine the presence of waste of oil, gas, water, or reservoir energy; the quantity of oil, gas or water; the amount and direction of deviation of any well from the vertical; formation, casing, tubing, or other pressures; or any other test or survey deemed necessary to carry out the purposes of the Oil and Gas Conservation Act.

2. Directional, deviation, and/or measurements-while-drilling (MWD) surveys must be run on horizontal wells and submitted in accordance with R649-3-21, Well Completion and Filing of Well Logs, as amended for horizontal wells.