43 C.F.R. Subpart 3262—Conducting Drilling Operations
Title 43 - Public Lands: Interior
(a) When drilling a well, you must: (1) Keep the well under control at all times; (2) Conduct training during your operation which ensures your personnel are capable of performing emergency procedures quickly and effectively; (3) Use properly maintained equipment; and (4) Use operational practices which allow for quick and effective emergency response. (b) You must use sound engineering principles and take into account all pertinent data when: (1) Selecting drilling fluid types and weights; (2) Designing a system to control fluid temperatures; (3) Designing blowout prevention equipment; and (4) Designing a casing and cementing program. (c) Your operation must always comply with the requirements of 43 CFR 3200.4. (a) You must conduct your operations to: (1) Protect the quality of surface and subsurface water, air, natural resources, wildlife, soil, vegetation, and natural history; (2) Protect the quality of cultural, scenic, and recreational resources; (3) Accommodate, as necessary, other land uses; (4) Minimize noise; and (5) Prevent property damage and unnecessary or undue degradation of the lands. (b) You must remove or, with BLM's approval, properly store all equipment and materials that are not in use. (c) You must retain all fluids from drilling and testing the well in properly designed pits, sumps, or tanks. (d) When you no longer need a pit or sump, you must abandon it and restore the site as we direct you to. (e) We may require you to give us a contingency plan showing how you will protect public health and safety, property, and the environment. Yes. Before you begin drilling a well, you must post a sign in a conspicuous place and keep it there throughout operations until the well site is reclaimed. Put the following information on the sign: (a) The lessee or operator's name; (b) Lease serial number; (c) Well number; and (d) Well location described by section, township, range, and quarter-quarter-section. Yes, if we determine that it is necessary for proper development. If we require well spacing, we will consider the following factors when we set well spacing: (a) Hydrologic, geologic, and reservoir characteristics of the field minimizing well interference; (b) Topography; (c) Interference with multiple use of land; and (d) Environmental protection, including ground water. (a) Yes, we may require you to take samples or to test or survey the well to determine: (1) The well's mechanical integrity; (2) The identity and characteristics of formations, fluids or gases; (3) Presence of geothermal resources, water, or reservoir energy; (4) Quality and quantity of geothermal resources; (5) Well bore angle and direction of deviation; (6) Formation, casing, or tubing pressures; (7) Temperatures; (8) Rate of heat or fluid flow; and (9) Any other necessary well information. (b) See 3264.11 for information reporting requirements.
Title 43: Public Lands: Interior
PART 3200—GEOTHERMAL RESOURCE LEASING
Subpart 3262—Conducting Drilling Operations
§ 3262.10 What operational requirements must I meet when drilling a well?
§ 3262.11 What environmental requirements must I meet when drilling a well?
§ 3262.12 Must I post a sign at every well?
§ 3262.13 May BLM require me to follow a well spacing program?
§ 3262.14 May BLM require me to take samples or perform tests and surveys?
