Wyo. Code R. 055-0001-2
Effective Date: 03/12/1993 to 02/09/1996
Rule Type: Superceded Rules & Regulations
Reference Number: 055.0001.2.03121993
Date Filed 03/12/93
Expr Date
Supr Date
Repeal Date
Document Type RULES
Section 1. Effective Scope of Rules and Regulations. All rules and regulations of a general nature herein promulgated to prevent waste and to conserve oil and gas in the State of Wyoming shall be effective throughout the State of Wyoming and be in force in all pools except as may be amended, modified, altered or enlarged generally or in specific individual pools by orders hereafter issued by the Commission.
These rules are intended to protect human health and the environment through the utilization of proven methods which are designed to avoid contamination of the soils, groundwater, and surface water at a drilling or producing location. Compliance with these rules does not relieve the owner or operator of the obligation to comply with applicable federal, local or other state permits or regulatory requirements.
Section 2. Duties of Supervisor. In addition to the duties prescribed by law it shall also be the duty of the Supervisor to aid the Commission in the administration of the Wyoming Conservation Law and under the direction of the commission aid in the enforcement of all the rules and regulations of the Commission relating to oil and gas.
Section 3. General Functions of Supervisor. The Supervisor and his authorized agents shall also have the right at all reasonable times to go upon and inspect any oil and gas properties and wells for the purpose of making any investigation or tests to ascertain whether the provisions of the Wyoming Conservation Law or these rules or any individual pool rules are being complied with and shall report any violation thereof to the Commission.
Section 4. Designation of Agent or Operator (Form 6). A Designation of Agent or Operator shall be submitted to the Supervisor prior to the commencement of operations. A Designation of Agent or Operator will be accepted as authority of agent to fulfill the obligations of the owner and to sign any papers or reports required under these oil and gas operating regulations, and all authorized orders or notices given by the Supervisor when given in the manner hereinafter provided shall be deemed service of such orders or notices upon the owner and the lessee. All changes of address and any termination of the agent's or operator's authority shall be immediately reported in writing to the Supervisor and in the latter case the designation of a new agent or operator shall be immediately made. If the designated agent or operator shall at any time be incapacitated for duty or absent from his or their address, the owner shall designate in writing a substitute to serve in his or their stead and in the absence of such owner or of notice of appointment of a substitute then in such case notices may be given by the Supervisor by delivering a registered letter to the United States Post Office at Casper, Wyoming, directed to the agent or operator at the address shown on the current Designation of Agent or Operator on file in the Supervisor's office, and such notice will be deemed service upon the owner and lessee.
Section 5. Access to Records. The Supervisor and his authorized agents shall have access to all well records wherever located. All owners, drilling contractors, drillers, service companies, or other persons engaged in drilling or servicing wells, shall permit the Supervisor, or authorized agents, to come upon any lease, property or well operated or controlled by them, and to inspect the record and operation of such wells and to have access at all times to any and all records of wells. Information so obtained shall be kept confidential or may be released in accordance with the Wyoming Public Records Act.
W.S. 16-4-201, et seq. and the Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Law, W.S. 30-5-101, et seq., provided, however, that owners, etc., who want to have information so obtained kept confidential by the Commission shall stamp the information confidential or otherwise indicate in writing to the Commission that the information is to be kept confidential.
Section 6. Reports, Forms, and Notices. The Commission shall prescribe the manner in which records of all operations, reports, forms, and notices shall be made and which reports, forms, and notices shall be filed with the Supervisor. These forms, Forms 1 through 17 and OG001, are attached to these Rules and are hereby adopted and made a part of these Rules for all purposes and shall be used in accordance with the rules and instructions printed thereon, which instructions are part of this rule. United States Bureau of Land Management forms, which contain substantially the same information, shall be substituted for wells drilled on federal or indian lands. All such records, reports, forms and notices so filed shall be matters of public record; provided however that information on exploratory wells marked confidential shall be kept confidential for six (6) months after the date said information is required by these Rules to be filed, unless the owner gives written permission to release such information at an earlier date; provided further, that in the event special experimental projects are authorized, then such authorization and all reports pertinent to the projects may be kept confidential for the time specified in the authorization.
Section 7. Tests and Surveys. When deemed necessary or advisable, the Supervisor is authorized to 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 Wyoming Conservation Law. Directional, deviation, and/or measurement - while - drilling (MWD) surveys must be run on horizontal wells and submitted in accordance with Rule 321 as amended for horizontal wells.
The Supervisor is also authorized to require testing necessary for the regulation of oilfield pits and wastes. Sampling procedures and protocol are subject to review by the Supervisor.
Section 8. Damage to Mineral Deposits. The Supervisor shall require correction, in a manner to be prescribed or approved by him, of any condition which is causing or is likely to cause damage to any formation containing oil, gas, or water or which is wasteful of oil or gas or reservoir energy; and require the proper plugging and abandonment of any well or wells no longer used or useful in accordance with such reasonable plan as may be prescribed or approved by him.
Notwithstanding any other provision of these rules, the Supervisor has discretion to require the owner or operator to promptly plug and abandon any well that has been dormant, shut-in or temporarily abandoned for twenty-four (24) consecutive months, or that is causing waste or pollution.
Section 9. Naming of Pools. All oil and gas pools in the State shall be named by the Commission upon recommendation of the Supervisor. The Supervisor shall cooperate with a Field Names Advisory Committee in the selection of names for all oil and gas pools. The Advisory committee shall be composed of a representative of the United States Bureau of Land Management and a representative appointed by associations representing a crosssection of the oil and gas industry in the State.