30 C.F.R. § 250.1721 If I temporarily abandon a well that I plan to re-enter, what must I do?
Title 30 - Mineral Resources
You may temporarily abandon a well when it is necessary for proper development and production of a lease. To temporarily abandon a well, you must do all of the following: (a) Submit form MMS–124, Application for Permit to Modify, and the applicable information required by §250.1712 to the appropriate District Manager and receive approval; (b) Adhere to the plugging and testing requirements for permanently plugged wells listed in the table in §250.1715, except for §250.1715 (a)(8). You do not need to sever the casings, remove the wellhead, or clear the site; (c) Set a bridge plug or a cement plug at least 100-feet long at the base of the deepest casing string, unless the casing string has been cemented and has not been drilled out. If a cement plug is set, it is not necessary for the cement plug to extend below the casing shoe into the open hole; (d) Set a retrievable or a permanent-type bridge plug or a cement plug at least 100 feet long in the inner-most casing. The top of the bridge plug or cement plug must be no more than 1,000 feet below the mud line. MMS may consider approving alternate requirements for subsea wells case-by-case; (e) Identify and report subsea wellheads, casing stubs, or other obstructions that extend above the mud line according to U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) requirements; and (f) Except in water depths greater than 300 feet, protect subsea wellheads, casing stubs, mud line suspensions, or other obstructions remaining above the seafloor by using one of the following methods, as approved by the District Manager or Regional Supervisor: (1) A caisson designed according to 30 CFR 250, subpart I, and equipped with aids to navigation; (2) A jacket designed according to 30 CFR 250, subpart I, and equipped with aids to navigation; or (3) A subsea protective device that meets the requirements in §250.1722. (g) Within 30 days after you temporarily plug a well, you must submit form MMS–124, Application for Permit to Modify (subsequent report), and include the following information: (1) Information included in §250.1712 with a well schematic; (2) Information required by §250.1717(b), (c), and (d); and (3) A description of any remaining subsea wellheads, casing stubs, mudline suspension equipment, or other obstructions that extend above the seafloor. [67 FR 35406, May 17, 2002; 67 FR 66049, Oct. 30, 2002]
Title 30: Mineral Resources
PART 250—OIL AND GAS AND SULPHUR OPERATIONS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF
Subpart Q—Decommissioning Activities
Temporary Abandoned Wells
§ 250.1721 If I temporarily abandon a well that I plan to re-enter, what must I do?
