R649-3-24. Plugging and Abandonment of Wells

1. Before operations are commenced to plug and abandon any well the owner or operator shall submit a notice of intent to plug and abandon to the division for its approval.

1.1. The notice shall be submitted on Form DOGM-9, Sundry Notice and Report on Wells.

1.2. A legible copy of a similar report and form filed with the appropriate federal agency may be used in lieu of the forms prescribed by the board.

1.3. In cases of emergency the operator may obtain verbal or telegraphic approval to plug and abandon.

1.4. Within five days after receiving verbal or telegraphic approval, the operator shall submit a written notice of intent to plug and abandon on Form 9.

2. Both verbal and written notice of intent to plug and abandon a well shall contain the following information:

2.1. The location of the well described by section, township, range, and county.

2.2. The status of the well, whether drilling, producing, injecting or inactive.

2.3. A description of the well bore configuration indicating depth, casing strings, cement tops if known, and hole size.

2.4. The tops of known geologic markers or formations.

2.5. The plugging program approved by the appropriate federal agency if the well is located on federal or Indian land.

2.6. An indication of when plugging operations will commence.

3. A dry or abandoned well must be plugged so that oil, gas, water, or other substance will not migrate through the well bore from one formation to another.

3.1. Unless a different method and procedure is approved by the division, the method and procedure for plugging the well shall be as follows:

3.2. The bottom of the hole shall be filled to, or a bridge shall be placed at, the top of each producing formation open to the well bore, and a cement plug not less than 100 feet in length shall be placed immediately above each producing formation open to the well bore.

3.3. A solid cement plug shall be placed from 50 feet below a fresh water zone to 50 feet above the fresh water zone, or a 100 foot cement plug shall be centered across the base of the fresh water zone and a 100 foot plug shall be centered across the top of the fresh water zone.

3.4. At least ten sacks of cement shall be placed at the surface in a manner completely plugging the entire hole. If more than one string of casing remains at the surface, all annuli shall be so cemented.

3.5. The interval between plugs shall be filled with noncorrosive fluid of adequate density to prevent migration of formation water into or through the well bore.

3.6. The hole shall be plugged up to the base of the surface string with noncorrosive fluid of adequate density to prevent migration of formation water into or through the well bore, at which point a plug of not less than 50 feet of cement shall be placed.

3.7. Any perforated interval shall be plugged with cement and any open hole porosity zone shall be adequately isolated to prevent migration of fluids.

3.8. A cement plug not less than 100 feet in length shall be centered across the casing stub if any casing is cut and pulled, a second plug of the same length shall be centered across the casing shoe of the next larger casing.

4. An alternative method of plugging, required under a federal or Indian lease, will be accepted by the division.

5. Within 30 days after the plugging of any well has been accomplished, the owner or operator shall file a subsequent report of plugging with the division. The report shall give a detailed account of the following items:

5.1. The manner in which the plugging work was carried out, including the nature and quantities of materials used in plugging and the location, nature, and extent by depths, of the plugs.

5.2. Records of any tests or measurements made.

5.3. The amount, size, and location, by depths of any casing left in the well.

5.4. A statement of the volume of mud fluid used.

5.5. A complete report of the method used and the results obtained, if an attempt was made to part any casing.

6. Upon application to and approval by the division, and following assumption of liability for the well by the surface owner, a well or other exploratory hole that may safely be used as a fresh water well need not be filled above the required sealing plugs set below the fresh water formation. The owner of the surface of the land affected may assume liability for any well capable of conversion to a water well by sending a letter assuming such liability to the division and by filing an application with and obtaining approval for appropriation of underground water from the Division of Water Rights.

7. Unless otherwise approved by the division, all abandoned wells shall be marked with a permanent monument showing the well number, location, and name of the lease. The monument shall consist of a portion of pipe not less than four inches in diameter and not less than ten feet in length, of which four feet shall be above the ground level and the remainder shall be securely embedded in cement. The top of the pipe must be permanently sealed.

8. If any casing is to be pulled after a well has been abandoned, a notice of intent to pull casing must be filed with the division and its approval obtained before the work is commenced.

8.1. The notice shall include full details of the contemplated work. If a log of the well has not already been filed with the division, the notice shall be accompanied by a copy of the log showing all casing seats as well as all water strata and oil and gas shows.

8.2. Where the well has been abandoned and liability has been terminated with respect to the bond previously furnished under R649-3-1, a $10,000 plugging bond shall be filed with the division by the applicant.