Wyo. Code R. 055-0001-2
Effective Date: 03/11/1998 to 05/22/2000
Rule Type: Superceded Rules & Regulations
Reference Number: 055.0001.2.03111998
(a) 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.
(b) 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.
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.
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.
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, Section 16-4-201, W.S. 1997, et seq., and the Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Law, Section 30-5-101, W.S. 1997, 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.
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 19 and OG-001, 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. However, the making and filing of reports, well logs, and directional surveys on exploratory or wildcat wells marked confidential shall be kept confidential for six (6) months after the filing due date as required by Chapter 3, Section 21, unless the owner gives written permission to release such logs 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. When a permit to drill is received marked 'Confidential, the Commission will release the first page of the Commission's Form 1 or the Bureau of Land Management's Form No. 3160-3 to the public and news media.
(a) 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 Chapter 3, Section 21, for horizontal wells.
(b) 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.
(a) 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 repair or 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.
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of these rules, the Supervisor has discretion to require the owner or operator to repair or 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.
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 representatives appointed by associations representing a cross section of the oil and gas industry in the State.