Section 3.16 - Log and Completion or Plugging Report(a) Definitions. The following words and terms, when used in this section, shall have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise: (1) Electric log--A density, sonic, or resistivity (except dip meter) log run over the entire wellbore.(2) Drilling operation--A continuous effort to drill or deepen a wellbore for which the commission has issued a permit.(3) Operator--A person who assumes responsibility for the regulatory compliance of a well as shown by a form the person files with the commission and the commission approves.(4) Well--A well drilled for any purpose related to exploration for or production or storage of oil or gas or geothermal resources, including a well drilled for injection of fluids to enhance hydrocarbon recovery, disposal of produced fluids, disposal of waste from exploration or production activity, or brine mining.(b) Completion and plugging reports. (1) The operator of a well shall file with the commission the appropriate completion report within 90 days after completion of the well or within 150 days after the date on which the drilling operation is completed, whichever is earlier.(2) The operator of a well shall file with the Commission an amended completion report within 30 days of any physical changes made to the well, such as any change in perforations, or openhole or casing records.(3) If the well is a dry hole, the operator shall file with the commission an appropriate plugging report within 30 days after the well is plugged.(c) Electric logs. Except as otherwise provided in this section, not later than the 90th day after the date a drilling operation is completed, the operator shall file with the commission a legible and unaltered copy of an electric log, except that where a well is deepened, a legible and unaltered copy of an electric log shall be filed if such log is run over a deeper interval than the interval covered by an electric log for the well already on file with the commission. In the event an electric log, as defined in this section, has not been run, subject to the commission's approval, the operator shall file a lithology log or gamma ray log of the entire wellbore. In the event no log has been run over the entire wellbore, subject to the commission's approval, the operator shall file the log which is the most nearly complete of the logs run. An electric log shall be filed with the commission electronically in a digital format acceptable to the commission, when the commission has the technological capability to receive the electronic filing. Nothing in this subsection requires an operator to run an electric log in conjunction with the drilling or deepening of a well.(d) Delayed filing based on confidentiality. Each log filed with the commission shall be considered public information and shall be available to the public during normal business hours. If the operator of a well desires a log to be confidential, on or before the 90th day after the date a drilling operation is completed, the operator must submit to the Oil and Gas Division in Austin a written request for a delayed filing of the log. If a well is drilled on land submerged in state water, when filing such a request, the operator must retain the log and may delay filing such log for five years beginning from the date the drilling operation was completed. For any other well, the operator must retain the log and may delay filing such log for three years beginning from the date the drilling operation was completed. Logs must be filed with the commission within 30 days after the expiration of the confidentiality period.(e) Sanctions. If an operator fails to file a completion report or log in accordance with the provisions of this section, the commission may refuse to assign an allowable to a well, set the allowable for such well at zero, and/or initiate penalty action pursuant to the Texas Natural Resources Code, Title 3.16 Tex. Admin. Code § 3.16
The provisions of this §3.16 adopted to be effective January 1, 1976; amended to be effective February 20, 1986, 11 TexReg 545; amended to be effective January 30, 2006, 31 TexReg 477; amended by Texas Register, Volume 40, Number 17, April 24, 2015, TexReg 2273, eff. 4/28/2015; Amended by Texas Register, Volume 41, Number 08, February 19, 2016, TexReg 1226, eff. 2/23/2016