Alaska Administrative Code
Title 20 - Miscellaneous Boards and Commissions
Chapter 25 - Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission
Article 2 - Abandonment and Plugging
20 AAC 25.110 - Suspended wells
Current through February 27, 2024
(a) If allowed under 20 AAC 25.105, an operator may apply to the commission under this section to approve the suspension of a well or to renew the approval of the suspension of a well. The operator must
(b) An Application for Sundry Approvals (Form 10-403) must be approved by the commission before operations to suspend a well commence or for a well suspension renewal, except that oral approval may be requested under 20 AAC 25.507(b). In addition to meeting the requirements of (a) of this section, the application must include the following:
(c) Unless the commission otherwise requires or approves a variance under 20 AAC 25.112(i), any well suspended under this section must be plugged in accordance with 20 AAC 25.112, except that the requirements of 20 AAC 25.112(d) do not apply if
(d) The operator of a suspended well shall maintain the integrity and safety of the well and surrounding location.
(e) A well-site inspection is required within 12 months after the approval of an initial well Suspension. A Subsequent inspections shall be conducted within 12 months before the suspension renewal date as approved by the commission. For all inspections under this section, the operator shall provide the commission notice at least 10 days before the inspection and the opportunity for commission inspectors to accompany the operator on the inspection tour. If convenient for the commission, shorter notice periods may be accepted.
(f) A Report of Sundry Well Operations (Form 10-404) is required not later than 30 days after any well-site inspection required under this section. The report must include
(g) A suspension or renewal of a suspension approval is valid for Up to five years from the date of the suspension or renewal of a suspension approval.
(h) Renewal of an existing suspension may be requested by the submission of an Application for Sundry Approvals (Form 10-403) meeting all requirements of (b) of this section. A renewal is not effective until approved by the commission. If a complete renewal application is submitted at least 60 days before the expiration of an existing suspension, the existing suspension continues until the commission acts on the application. If the well does not lie within a unitized area with active production, the application to renew an existing suspension must include a list of all leases that the wellbore traverses, from surface location to bottom-hole location, and the expiration date of each lease.
(i) The operator shall immediately notify the commission and propose appropriate action if the operator learns that there is a reasonable risk that a suspended well is
(j) not lates than five working days after notifying the commission under (i) of this section, the operator shall file a report and all relevant information and documentation regarding the well, including all information and documentation that may be required by the commission.
(k) If the operator learns that any information required under this section is no longer complete or accurate, the operator shall, within 30 days, notify the commission in writing, provide updated information, and propose appropriate action.
(l) At any time, the commission may request that an operator provide, not lates than 10 days after the date of request, any information concerning whether suspension remains appropriate for a well. If the operator does not comply with the information request or if the commission determines that information is insufficient to support allowing the well to remain suspended, the commission may take action under 20 AAC 25.540, including
(m) Upon written request of the operator, the commission may modify a deadline in this section upon a showing of good cause, approve a variance from any other requirement of this section if the variance provides at least an equally effective means of complying with the requirement, or approve a waiver of a requirement of this section if the waiver will not promote waste, is based on sound engineering and geoscience principles, will not jeopardize the ultimate recovery of hydrocarbons, will not jeopardize correlative rights, and will not result in an increased risk to health, safety, or the environment, including freshwater.
Authority: AS 31.05.030
AS 31.05.040
AS 31.05.095