PURPOSE: Water flooding, a type of secondary recovery, utilizes water, including produced salt water by injecting this water into a depleted or nearly depleted oil reservoir to flush out a secondary crop of oil. In many cases, where the oil is difficult to flush with water, certain chemicals are often added to increase the efficiency of water as an oilrecovery agent. This practice helps maintain reservoir pressure and increases the ultimate amount of oil that can be obtained from a particular reservoir, thereby preventing the waste of natural resources. This rule provides for the protection of groundwater by requiring approval of the state geologist concerning pertinent details of the project and the submittal of monthly reports to the state geologist. Also the correlation rights of the owners are protected by the prior approval of well spacing and lease line requirements by the state geologist.

1. (1) Fluid injection projects, not otherwise classified as research or development projects by the council, may be approved as units within themselves. Unit approval may be requested by submitting to the state geologist a project report specifying all pertinent details of the proposed project.
2. (2) Fluid injection projects shall be governed by well-spacing and lease-line requirements under 10 CSR 50-2.070.
3. (3) Monthly reports shall be submitted in accordance with 10 CSR 50-2.080. Additional monthly operating reports may be requested in the future by written order of the council.

AUTHORITY: sections 259.060 and 259.070, RSMo 1986.* Original rule filed Oct. 11, 1966, effective Oct. 21, 1966. Amended: Filed Sept. 12, 1973, effective Sept. 22, 1973. *Original authority: 259.060, RSMo 1965, amended 1972 and 259.070, RSMo 1965, amended 1972.