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 4 - State-Wide Geothermal Regulations
Article 8 - Plugging and Abandonment
Section 1981 - General Requirements
Current through Register 2024 Notice Reg. No. 38, September 20, 2024
The following are general requirements which are subject to review and modification for individual wells or field conditions. The Division may require the witnessing of any or all of the field operations listed below.
(a) Notice of Intention to plug and abandon Geothermal Resources Well, is required for all wells.
(b) History of Geothermal Resources Well shall be filed within 60 days after completion of the plugging and abandonment.
(c) The Division's Report of Well plugging and abandonment, will not be issued until all records have been filed and the site inspected for final cleanup by a Division engineer.
(d) Subsequent to the plugging and abandonment of the hole, all casings shall be cut off at least 2 meters (6 feet) below the surface of the ground, all concrete cellars and other structures shall be removed, and the surface location restored, as near as practicable, to original conditions. The landowner has the option to assume legal responsibility for a well; however, to do so he or she must have legal clearance from the Division.
(e) Good quality, heavy drilling fluid approved by the Supervisor shall be used to replace any water in the hole and to fill all portions of the hole not plugged with cement.
(f) All cement plugs, with the possible exception of the surface plug, shall be pumped into the hole through drill pipe or tubing.
(g) All open annuli shall be filled solid with cement to the surface.
1. Amendment of subsection (b) filed 12-3-76 as procedural and organizational; effective upon filing (Register 76, No. 49).
2. Change without regulatory effect amending subsections (a)-(d) filed 9-3-96 pursuant to section 100, title 1, California Code of Regulations (Register 96, No. 36).
3. Change without regulatory effect amending first paragraph and subsections (c)-(e) filed 12-26-2006 pursuant to section 100, title 1, California Code of Regulations (Register 2006, No. 52).
