Current through Reg. 50, No. 187; September 24, 2024
(1) Field Wells. Wells drilled in existing
fields shall be spaced in accordance with the special field rules adopted as
orders by the Department. Where no such orders exist, general spacing
subsections 62C-26.004(2) through
(5), F.A.C., shall apply.
(2) Exploratory Wells. Exploratory oil wells
drilled to a depth of less than 7, 000 feet shall be located on 40 acre units;
exploratory oil wells drilled to a depth greater than 7, 000 feet shall be
located on 160 acre units. All gas test wells, regardless of depth, shall be
located on 640 acre units.
(3)
Drilling Units. Routine drilling units shall be based on the U.S. Government
Surveyed Township and Range system. This system will be utilized to space wells
as specified in subsection
62C-26.004(4),
F.A.C.
(a) No drilling unit shall contain more
than one currently producing well in the same pool or be attributed in whole or
in part to any other producing well in the same reservoir except where provided
for by special field Rules or by subsection
62C-26.004(5),
F.A.C.
(b) All routine drilling
units shall be shaped so that all diagonals lie wholly within the unit with the
length of the longest diagonal not exceeding 125% of the length of a diagonal
of a square containing the same number of acres as the unit. All other drilling
units shall be created in accordance with subsection
62C-26.004(5),
F.A.C.
(4) Well Locations
within Drilling Units: Surface locations shall be determined by surface
conditions and shall be located where they cause the least surface disturbance
and do not result in drainage or other environmental problems.
(a) Routine oil test wells drilled to a depth
of less than 7, 000 feet shall have a bottom hole location no closer than 460
feet to the nearest drilling unit boundary; oil test wells drilled to more than
7, 000 feet shall have a bottom hole location no closer than 920 feet to the
nearest drilling unit boundary.
(b)
Routine gas test wells or gas condensate wells shall have a bottom hole
location no closer than 1, 320 feet to the nearest drilling unit
boundary.
(c) Should the bottom
hole location of any producing well not meet the spacing requirements in Rule
62C-26.004, F.A.C, and where
such location was not approved as a condition of the drilling permit, the well
shall be considered a nonroutine location as defined in subsection
62C-26.004(5),
F.A.C., and the operator shall apply for a nonroutine location as outlined
therein. No such well shall be produced, except for testing, prior to meeting
the criteria defined in subsection
62C-26.004(5),
F.A.C.
(5) Horizontal
Wells and Associated Drilling Units (Wells Deeper Than 7, 000 Feet).
(a) No producing section of any well may be
closer than 1, 840 feet to another productive well.
(b) All ten acre blocks, each being
one-sixteenth of a routine 160 acre drilling unit, whose nearest boundary is
within 920 feet of the productive section of a horizontal well shall be
included in the unit. Horizontal wells with productive sections penetrating the
400 foot square in the center of a routine drilling unit shall include the
entire 160 acre unit.
(c)
Productive horizontal wells shall be unitized as soon as possible after testing
is completed.
(d) Horizontal wells
shall be numbered according to the quarter section of the entrance to the
producing formation.
(e) A
Directional Survey shall be run from the surface casing shoe to total depth and
shall be filed with the Administrator within 30 days after logging.
(f) The special requirements for non-routine
drilling units and wells shall apply to horizontal wells.
(6) Nonroutine Drilling Units and Wells. The
Department may grant drilling permits within shorter distances to adjacent
drilling unit boundaries or on different drilling units than those prescribed
in this rule whenever the Department determines that such steps are necessary
to protect correlative rights or to prevent waste.
(a) Applicants seeking permits for nonroutine
wells or drilling units must include in the application the names and addresses
of all substantially affected parties (offsetting mineral-interest owners,
operators, and lessees).
(b) The
Department shall determine whether the nonroutine well or unit is necessary to
prevent waste as defined in Section
377.19(10),
F.S., or to protect correlative rights, and shall grant, deny or condition the
permit on that basis.
(c) The
Department shall advise all substantially affected parties, whose names and
addresses appear on the application or who have so requested in writing to the
Department, of its proposed final agency action. Such notice shall be given to
the affected parties no later than 28 days prior to final agency action by the
Department.
(d) In addition to the
documents required for a routine application, the applicant shall submit a
letter explicitly stating what action the applicant wishes the Department to
take and why. Supporting material shall include any studies, data, cross
sections, maps, plats, or other available documents which support or explain
the request. All interpreted geologic data shall be signed by a geologist
licensed under Chapter 492, F.S.
Rulemaking Authority
377.20,
377.22 FS. Law Implemented
377.25,
377.26,
377.27
FS.
New 11-26-81, Formerly 16C-26.04, Amended 6-4-89, 5-12-93,
Formerly 16C-26.004, Amended 3-24-96.
