Section 390. Shut-in wells

A. If a well is shut-in or otherwise not produced for a period of 12 consecutive months, the permittee shall measure the shut-in pressure on the production string or strings and report such pressures to the division annually. If the well is producing on the backside or otherwise through the casing, the permittee shall measure the shut-in pressure on the annular space.

B. A report of the pressure measurements on the nonproducing well shall be maintained and reported to the director annually by the permittee for a maximum period of two years.

C. Should the well remain in a nonproducing status for a period of two years, the permittee shall submit a plan for future well production to the director. A nonproducing well shall not remain unplugged for more than a three-year period unless approved by the director.

Historical Notes

Derived from VR480-05-22.1 § 1.39, eff. September 25, 1991; amended, Volume 15, Issue 02, eff. November 11, 1998; Volume 29, Issue 03, eff. November 8, 2012; Volume 30, Issue 01, eff. October 10, 2013.

Statutory Authority

§§ 45.1-161.3 and 45.1-361.27 of the Code of Virginia.