58 Pa. Stat. § 601.301

Current through P.A. Acts 2023-32
Section 601.301 - Reporting requirements for gas storage operations
(a) Any person who is injecting into or storing gas in a storage reservoir which underlies or is within 3,000 linear feet of an operating coal mine which is operating in a coal seam that extends over the storage reservoir or the reservoir protective area shall, within 60 days thereafter, file with the department a copy of a map and certain data in the form and manner provided in this subsection or as otherwise prescribed by regulation of the department.

Any person who is injecting gas into or storing gas in a storage reservoir which is not under or within 3,000 linear feet but is less than 10,000 linear feet from an operating coal mine which is operating in a coal seam that extends over the storage reservoir or the reservoir protective area shall file such map and data within such time in excess of 60 days as the department may fix or as otherwise prescribed by regulation.

Any person who proposes to inject or store gas in a storage reservoir located as above shall file the required map and data with the department not less than six months prior to the starting of actual injection or storage.

The map provided for herein shall be prepared by a competent engineer or competent geologist. It shall show the stratum or strata in which the existing or proposed storage reservoir is or is to be located, the geographic location of the outside boundaries of the said storage reservoir and reservoir protective area, the location of all known oil or gas wells within the reservoir or within 3,000 linear feet thereof, which have been drilled into or through the storage stratum indicating which of these wells have been or are to be cleaned out and plugged or reconditioned for storage and also indicating the proposed location of all additional wells which are to be drilled within the storage reservoir or within 3,000 linear feet thereof.

The following information, if available, shall be furnished for all known oil or gas wells which have been drilled into or through the storage stratum within the storage reservoir or within 3,000 linear feet thereof: name of the operator, date drilled, total depth, depth of production if the well was productive of oil or gas, the initial rock pressure and volume, the depths at which all coal seams were encountered and a copy of the driller's log or other similar information. At the time of the filing of the aforesaid maps and data, such person shall file a detailed statement of what efforts he has made to determine that the wells shown on said map are accurately located thereon and that, to the best of his knowledge, they are all the oil or gas wells which have ever been drilled into or below the storage stratum within the proposed storage reservoir or within the reservoir protective area. This statement shall also include information as to whether or not the initial injection is for testing purposes, the maximum pressure at which injection and storage of gas is contemplated and a detailed explanation of the methods to be used or which, theretofore, have been used in drilling, cleaning out, reconditioning and plugging wells in the storage reservoir or within the reservoir protective area. The map and data required to be filed hereunder shall be amended or supplemented semiannually in case any material changes have occurred. The department may require a storage operator to amend or supplement such map or data at more frequent intervals if material changes have occurred justifying such earlier filing.

(b) Any person who is injecting gas into or storing gas in a storage reservoir not then subject to subsection (a), by a process other than that of secondary recovery or gas recycling, shall, within such time in excess of 60 days as the department may fix, file with the department a copy of a map and certain data in the form and manner provided in this subsection or as prescribed by regulation of the department.

Any person who, after the effective date of this chapter, proposes to inject or store gas in a storage reservoir in an area not covered by subsection (a) by a process other than that of secondary recovery or gas recycling shall file the required map and data with the department not less than six months prior to the starting of actual injection or storage.

The map provided for herein shall be prepared by a competent engineer or competent geologist. It shall show the stratum or strata in which the existing or proposed storage reservoir is or is to be located, the geographic location of the outside boundaries of the said storage reservoir, the location of all known oil or gas wells within the reservoir or within 3,000 linear feet thereof, which have been drilled into or through the storage stratum, indicating which of these wells have been or are to be cleaned out and plugged or reconditioned for storage and also indicating the proposed location of all additional wells which are to be drilled within the storage reservoir or within 3,000 linear feet thereof.

The following information, if available, shall be furnished for all known oil or gas wells which have been drilled into or through the storage stratum within the storage reservoir or within 3,000 linear feet thereof: name of the operator, date drilled, total depth, depth of production if the well was productive of oil or gas, the initial rock pressure and volume and a copy of the driller's log or other similar information. At the time of the filing of the aforesaid maps and data, such person shall file a detailed statement of what efforts he has made to determine that the wells shown on said map are accurately located thereon and that, to the best of that person's knowledge, they are all the oil or gas wells which have ever been drilled into or below the storage stratum within the proposed storage reservoir. This statement shall also include information as to whether or not the initial injection is for testing purposes, the maximum pressure at which injection and storage of gas is contemplated and a detailed explanation of the methods to be used or which, theretofore, have been used in drilling, cleaning out, reconditioning and plugging wells in the storage reservoir. The map and data required to be filed hereunder shall be amended or supplemented semiannually in case any material changes have occurred. The department may require a storage operator to amend or supplement such map or data at more frequent intervals if material changes have occurred justifying such earlier filing.

(c) Storage operators shall give notice to the department of the name of each political subdivision and county in which said operator maintains and operates a gas storage reservoir.
(d) At the time of the filing of maps and data and the filing of amended or supplemental maps or data required by this section, the person filing the data shall give written notice of said filing to all persons who may be affected under the provisions of this act by the storage reservoir described in such maps or data. Such notices shall contain a description of the boundaries of such storage reservoir. When a person operating a coal mine or owning an interest in coal properties which are or may be affected by the storage reservoir requests, in writing, a copy of any map or data filed with the department, such copy shall be furnished by the storage operator.
(e) For all purposes of this act, the outside boundaries of a storage reservoir shall be defined by the location of those wells around the periphery of the storage reservoir which had no gas production when drilled in said storage stratum. The boundaries as thus defined shall be originally fixed or subsequently changed where, based upon the number and nature of such wells, and, upon the geological and production knowledge of the storage stratum, its character, permeability, distribution and operating experience, it is determined in a conference under section 501 that modification should be made.
(f) The requirements of this section shall not apply to the operator of an underground gas storage reservoir so long as said reservoir is located more than 10,000 linear feet from an operating coal mine. Such storage operator shall give notice to the department of the name of each political subdivision and county in which said operator maintains and operates a gas storage reservoir. In those political subdivisions and counties where both gas storage reservoirs and coal mines are being operated, the department may request the storage operator to furnish maps showing the geographical location and outside boundaries of such storage reservoirs. The department shall keep a record of such information and shall promptly notify the coal operator and the storage operator when notified by them that the coal mine and storage reservoir are within 10,000 linear feet of each other.

58 P.S. § 601.301

1984, Dec. 19, P.L. 1140, No. 223, § 301, effective in 120 days.