561—17.2(458A) Definitions.

For the purpose of this chapter, the following terms shall have the meaning indicated in this chapter.

“Artesian water” means underground water that is confined by impervious material under pressure sufficient to raise it above the upper level of the saturated material in which it lies if this is penetrated by wells or natural fissures.

“Barrel of oil” means 42 United States gallons of oil measured at 60 degrees Fahrenheit and atmospheric pressure at sea level, after deductions for the full amount of basic sediment, water, and other impurities present, ascertained by centrifugal or other recognized and customary test.

“Blowout” means a sudden or violent escape of oil or natural gas, as from a drilling well when high formational pressure is encountered.

“Blowout preventer” means a heavy casinghead control fitted with special gates or rams that can be closed around the drill pipe, or that completely closes the top of the casing.

“Casinghead gas” means any gas or vapor, or both gas and vapor, indigenous to an oil stratum and produced from such stratum with oil.

“Certificate of compliance and authorization to transport oil or gas from lease” means a form prescribed by the department, which, when executed by an operator or producer, certifies that the operation of the wells involved, and the production of oil or gas therefrom, has been in compliance with the orders and rules of the department. This certificate also authorizes a purchaser of oil or gas to transport the same from the lease. Thereby, the department is informed of the purchaser, and the purchaser is informed that the oil or gas purchased has been produced legally. The certificate of clearance by the department is included on the bottom of the producer’s compliance form.

“Common source of supply” is synonymous with pool.

“Cubic foot of gas” means the volume of gas contained in one cubic foot of space at a standard pressure base and a standard temperature base. The standard pressure base shall be 14.65 pounds per square inch absolute, and the standard temperature base shall be 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

“Developed area” means a spacing unit on which a well has been completed that is capable of producing oil or gas, or the acreage that is otherwise attributed to a well by the department for allowable purposes.

“Development” means any work that actively looks toward bringing in production.

“Gas-oil ratio” means the ratio of the gas produced in cubic feet to the number of barrels of oil concurrently produced during any stated period.

“Lease” means a tract or tracts of land that, by virtue of an oil, gas, or metallic minerals lease, fee or mineral ownership, a drilling, pooling, or other agreement, a rule, or order of governmental authority, or otherwise, constitutes a single tract or leasehold estate for the purpose of the development or operation thereof for oil or gas or both, or for the exploration for or production of metallic minerals.

“Oil and gas” means oil or gas or both.

“Oil well” means any well capable of producing oil in paying quantities.

“Operator” means any person who, duly authorized, is in charge of the development of a lease, or the operation of a producing well.

“Purchaser” means any person who directly or indirectly purchases, transports, takes, or otherwise removes production to the person’s account from a well, wells, or pool.

“Storer” means every person as herein defined who stores, terminals, retains in custody under warehouse or storage agreements or contracts, oil that comes to rest in the person’s tank or other receptacle under control of said storer, but excluding the ordinary lease stocks of producers.

“Transporter” means and includes any common carrier by pipeline, barge, boat, or other water conveyance or truck or other conveyance except railroads, and any other person transporting oil by pipeline, barge, boat or other water conveyance, or truck and other conveyance.

“Well,” in addition to the definition in Iowa Code chapter 458A, means any boring into the ground for the purpose of oil, gas, or metallic mineral production or to obtain geological information relating to oil, gas, or metallic mineral production or storage.

“Well log” means the written record progressively describing the strata, water, oil, gas or metallic minerals encountered in drilling a well with such additional information as to give volumes, pressures, rate of fill-up, water depths, caving strata, casing record, etc., as is usually recorded in normal procedure of drilling. The well log includes any electrical or other geophysical logging, detail of all cores, and all drill-stem tests, including depth tested, cushion used, time pool open, flowing and shut-in pressures and recoveries.

[ARC 9442C, IAB 7/23/25, effective 8/27/25]