California Code of Regulations
Title 14 - Natural Resources
Division 2 - Department of Conservation
Chapter 4 - Development, Regulation, and Conservation of Oil and Gas Resources
Subchapter 1 - Onshore Well Regulations
Article 2 - Definitions
Section 1720 - Definitions

Universal Citation: 14 CA Code of Regs 1720

Current through Register 2024 Notice Reg. No. 38, September 20, 2024

(a) "Critical well" means a well within:

(1) 300 feet of the following:
(A) Any building intended for human occupancy that is not necessary to the operation of the well; or

(B) Any airport runway.

(2) 100 feet of the following:
(A) Any dedicated public street, highway, or nearest rail of an operating railway that is in general use;

(B) Any navigable body of water or watercourse perennially covered by water;

(C) Any public recreational facility such as a golf course, amusement park, picnic ground, campground, or any other area of periodic high-density population; or

(D) Any officially recognized wildlife preserve.

Exceptions or additions to this definition may be established by the Supervisor upon his or her own judgment or upon written request of an operator. This written request shall contain justification for such an exception.

(b) "Rework" means any operation subsequent to drilling that involves deepening, redrilling, plugging, or permanently altering in any manner the casing of a well or its function.

(c) "New pool" means, for the purpose of this subchapter, a pool discovered on or after January 1, 1974.

(d) "Directional survey" means a well survey that determines the deviation of the hole in degrees from the vertical and the direction (azimuth) and amount of horizontal deviation of the hole from the surface location.

(e) "Drift-only survey" means a well survey that determines the deviation of the hole in degrees from the vertical.

(f) "Operations" means any one or all of the activities of an operator covered by Division 3 of the Public Resources Code.

(g) "Onshore well" means a well located on lands that are not submerged under ocean waters or inland bays during mean high tide.

NOTE: Wells directionally drilled offshore from onshore locations shall fall within the scope of the Onshore Regulations and wells directionally drilled onshore from offshore locations shall fall within the scope of the Offshore Regulations (Subchapter 1.1).

(h) "Ultimate economic recovery" means the maximum physical amount of a substance, such as oil or gas, that can be recovered without economic loss.

(i) "Economic loss" means the loss that occurs when the lifetime discounted revenue after current dollar operating costs, including royalties and ad valorem, severance, and excise taxes, becomes less than the initial drilling and completion costs. The discount rate shall be equal to current prime lending rates plus two percent.

1. Amendment filed 2-21-75; effective thirtieth day thereafter (Register 75, No. 8).
2. Repealer of subsections (1)-(q), renumbering of subsections (r)-(t) to (l)-(n), and new subsection (o) filed 9-19-75 as an emergency; effective upon filing (Register 75, No. 38).
3. Certificate of Compliance filed 1-9-76 (Register 76, No. 2).
4. Amendment of subsection (a) and new subsections (p), (q), (r) and (s) filed 2-17-78; effective thirtieth day thereafter (Register 78, No. 7).
5. New subsections (t) and (u) filed 2-28-80; effective thirtieth day thereafter (Register 80, No. 9).
6. Amendment filed 12-28-84; effective thirtieth day thereafter (Register 84, No. 52).
7. Amendment of subsections (d), (f), (g) and NOTE filed 8-4-95; operative 9-3-95 (Register 95, No. 31).
8. Change without regulatory effect amending subsection (a)(2)(D) filed 9-3-96 pursuant to section 100, title 1, California Code of Regulations (Register 96, No. 36).
9. Change without regulatory effect amending subsection (a)(2)(D) filed 12-26-2006 pursuant to section 100, title 1, California Code of Regulations (Register 2006, No. 52).

Note: Authority cited: Sections 3013 and 3609, Public Resources Code. Reference: Sections 3000, 3013, 3106 and 3609, Public Resources Code.

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