W. Va. Code R. § 38-18-17

Current through Register Vol. XLI, No. 44, November 1, 2024

Section 38-18-17 - Preventing Waste

17.1. Equipment - All well owners or operators, contractors, drillers, pipeline companies, or gas distributing companies producing or transporting oil or gas for any purpose, shall use every possible precaution in accordance with accepted and approved methods to prevent waste of oil or gas, and to prevent the pollution of the waters of the State in drilling and producing operations, or in transporting or distributing such products, and shall not wastefully utilize oil or gas or allow the same to leak or escape from natural reservoirs, wells or pipelines.

17.2. Commercial Well Properly Equipped - Whenever oil or natural gas in commercial quantities, in a well-defined oil or gas bearing stratum, known to contain oil or natural gas in such quantities, is encountered in any well drilled for oil or gas in this State, all such strata shall be adequately protected from infiltrating waters.

17.3. Protection of High Pressure Wells - On all wells where high pressure and large volume can be reasonable expected, properly working pressure blowout preventer equipment shall be used on the inner string of casing at all times. When the inner string of casing has been placed in the well and cemented in, said casing and blow-out equipment (both blind and pipe rams, or equivalent) shall be installed and tested by operation and pressure to a minimum pressure which is commensurate with the objective formation pressure before drilling is continued.

17.4. Preparation for Drilling In - Equipment for conserving oil and gas shall be provided before drilling in. In all proved or well-defined oil or gas fields or where it can be reasonably expected that oil or gas in commercial quantities will be encountered, adequate preparations shall be made for the conservation of oil or gas before drilling any well.

17.5. Multi-Zone Production - So far as it is practical to do so, gas being produced at a high pressure should be separated in the well from that being produced at a substantially lower pressure by means of casing, tubing, casing heads and packers, in order to eliminate the flow of high pressure gas into the low pressure sands.

17.6. Drilling Deeper - Nothing in this rule shall be construed to prevent or discourage drilling deeper in search for oil or gas in any well.

W. Va. Code R. § 38-18-17