Authority: IC 14-10-2-4; IC 14-37-3

Affected: IC 14-37

Sec. 4. (a) An owner or operator of a well may temporarily abandon a well if the well otherwise meets the requirements of IC 14-37 and this article and the well conforms to the requirements of this section. To temporarily abandon a well, the owner or operator must file an application for temporary abandonment on a form prescribed by the division of reclamation within sixty (60) days after any of the following:

1. (1) The date on which the drilling and casing of the well is completed.
2. (2) The date on which the operation of the well is terminated.
3. (3) The expiration of the period during which the owner or operator defers abandoning the well under section 3 of this rule.

(b) The application for temporary abandonment shall include sufficient information to demonstrate that the engineering, geologic, or economic reasons for retaining the well on temporary abandonment status outweigh the potential benefit of either:

1. (1) operating the well; or
2. (2) plugging the well.

(c) The owner or operator shall ensure that the well has mechanical integrity or does not otherwise threaten an underground source of drinking water by doing the following:

1. (1) Installing tubing and packer or a mechanical bridge plug, cement, or other suitable plug placed within two hundred (200) feet above the perforated or open hole interval in the cemented portion of the casing, but no less than one hundred (100) feet below the base of the lowermost underground source of drinking water and either:

   1. (A) remove any fluid in the well to a level at least one hundred (100) feet below the base of the lowest underground source of drinking water; or
   2. (B) pressure test the casing above the packer or plug at least once every five (5) years at a pressure of at least three hundred (300) pounds per square inch gauge for a period of thirty (30) minutes with the pressure varying no more than three percent (3%) during the test period.

2. (2) Monitoring the fluid level in the well using acoustical or wireline measuring methods on an annual basis. Using this method requires the owner or operator to also comply with the following:

   1. (A) Report the results of monitoring annually on a form prescribed by the division of reclamation.

   2. (B) If the fluid level is closer than one hundred (100) feet to the base of the lowest underground source of drinking water, the owner or operator shall notify an inspector within twenty-four (24) hours and either:

      1. (i) verify at least one (1) time every two (2) years by analysis of a sample of the fluid in the well that the fluid is water that does not pose a threat to an underground source of drinking water; or
      2. (ii) use one (1) of the other methods in this subsection to demonstrate mechanical integrity of the well.

3. (3) Notwithstanding subdivisions (1) and (2) mechanical integrity for a gas well with a minimum well head pressure of one hundred (100) pounds per square inch may be established according to the following:

   1. (A) At least ten percent (10%) of the initial shut-in pressure shall be bled off, and the well shall be shut back in under the supervision of the inspector.
   2. (B) Once the well returns to the maximum shut-in pressure, the pressure must be maintained at a constant level for thirty (30) minutes in the presence of an inspector.
   3. (C) A pressure measuring device displaying a readout of the shut-in pressure shall be attached to the well head and shall be accessible at all times for inspection by the inspector.

(d) Temporary abandonment of a well under this section may be granted for a period not to exceed five (5) consecutive years.

(e) Upon the expiration of temporary abandonment status, the owner or operator shall do one (1) of the following:

1. (1) Operate the well for its permitted purpose.
2. (2) Plug and abandon the well in accordance with IC 14-37 and this rule.
3. (3) Submit a request for temporary abandonment renewal according to the requirements of subsections (b) and (c).

(f) In considering whether to extend the period of temporary abandonment beyond the initial five (5) year period, the division director may require the owner or operator to submit additional information to justify the need for continued temporary abandonment and to ensure protection of the environment and validate the likelihood that a well will be returned to active status or properly plugged and abandoned as required under this article. Such additional information may include, but is not limited to, the following:

1. (1) A list of all improvements or workovers that will be required to equip the well for active status.
2. (2) A description of other improvements or infrastructure that will be needed to return the well to active status.
3. (3) An itemized list of the costs associated with each of the improvements or workovers identified in subdivisions (1) and (2).
4. (4) A detailed time schedule for completing all of the workovers or improvements identified by the owner or operator.
5. (5) An estimate of the cost to plug and abandon the well by an independent plugging contractor.

(g) An owner or operator must notify the division of reclamation in writing within thirty (30) days of any change in the operational status of a well that has been granted temporary abandonment status under this section.

(h) Operation of a well that is subject to this section removes the well from temporary abandonment status.

(i) The authorization to inject granted under 312 IAC 29-28-1 is withdrawn upon the division of reclamation's grant of temporary abandonment status for any Class II well. Injection operations shall not recommence unless the requirements of 312 IAC 29-28-1(b) are met and the division of reclamation has issued a new authorization to inject.

(Natural Resources Commission; 312 IAC 29-33-4; filed Dec 1, 2017, 10:35 a.m.: 20171227-IR-312160230FRA; readopted filed Jan 17, 2023, 1:53 p.m.: 20230215-IR-312220328RFA; errata filed Mar 18, 2026, 9:59 a.m.: 20260325-IR-312260094ACA)