[Code of Federal Regulations]

[Title 43, Volume 2]

[Revised as of October 1, 2006]

From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access

[CITE: 43CFR3162.3-4]



[Page 434-435]

 

                    TITLE 43--PUBLIC LANDS: INTERIOR

 

    CHAPTER II--BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

 

PART 3160_ONSHORE OIL AND GAS OPERATIONS--Table of Contents

 

   Subpart 3162_Requirements for Operating Rights Owners and Operators

 

Sec.  3162.3-4  Well abandonment.



    (a) The operator shall promptly plug and abandon, in accordance with 

a plan first approved in writing or prescribed by the authorized 

officer, each newly completed or recompleted well in which oil or gas is 

not encountered in paying quantities or which, after being completed as 

a producing well, is demonstrated to the satisfaction of the authorized 

officer to be no longer capable of producing oil or gas in paying 

quantities, unless the authorized officer shall approve the use of the 

well as a service well for injection to recover additional oil or gas or 

for subsurface disposal of produced water. In the case of a newly 

drilled or recompleted well, the approval to abandon may be written or 

oral with written confirmation.

    (b) Completion of a well as plugged and abandoned may also include 

conditioning the well as water supply source for lease operations or for 

use by the surface owner or appropriate Government Agency, when 

authorized by the authorized officer. All costs over and



[[Page 435]]



above the normal plugging and abandonment expense will be paid by the 

party accepting the water well.

    (c) No well may be temporarily abandoned for more than 30 days 

without the prior approval of the authorized officer. The authorized 

officer may authorize a delay in the permanent abandonment of a well for 

a period of 12 months. When justified by the operator, the authorized 

officer may authorize additional delays, no one of which may exceed an 

additional 12 months. Upon the removal of drilling or producing 

equipment from the site of a well which is to be permanently abandoned, 

the surface of the lands disturbed in connection with the conduct of 

operations shall be reclaimed in accordance with a plan first approved 

or prescribed by the authorized officer.



[47 FR 47765, Oct. 27, 1982. Redesignated and amended at 48 FR 36583-

36586, Aug. 12, 1983, further amended at 53 FR 17363, May 16, 1988; 53 

FR 22847, June 17, 1988]