Rules & Regulations of the State of Tennessee
Title 0400 - Environment and Conservation
Subtitle 0400-52 - Drilling, Re-Entering, Plugging and Abandoning Exploratory and Exploitation Oil and Gas Wells (Transferred from 1040-02)
Chapter 0400-52-08 - Directional Drilling (Transferred from 1040-02-08)
Section 0400-52-08-.01 - LATERAL DEVIATION

(1) No operator shall drill a well in which the well bore deviates laterally a resultant distance greater than that determined by a 5 degree angle from a vertical line passing through the center of the surface location of the well bore, without running a directional survey. If the operator desires to directionally control and thereby intentionally deflect a hole from the vertical (whether more or less than 5 degrees and unless done to straighten the hole or to side-track junk in the hole or because of other mechanical difficulties) a letter of approval shall be first obtained from the Supervisor. Nothing herein shall be construed to permit the drilling of any well in such a manner that it crosses property lines.

(2) Whenever a well is deviated from vertical, the point at which the well bore intersects the producing formation (pool) shall be protected to the surface and become the location of the well in determining if it complied with the spacing rules.