§ 3233. General gas storage reservoir operations.
(a) General rule.--A person who operates or proposes to operate a storage reservoir, except one filled by the secondary recovery or gas recycling process, shall:
(1) Use every known method which is reasonable under the circumstances for discovering and locating all wells which have or may have been drilled into or through the storage reservoir.
(2) Plug or recondition, as provided in departmental regulations, all known wells drilled into or through the storage reservoir, except to the extent otherwise provided in subsections (b) and (c).
(b) Wells to be plugged.--To comply with subsection (a), wells which are to be plugged shall be plugged in the manner specified in section 3220 (relating to plugging requirements).
(b.1) Wells plugged prior to enactment of section.--If a well located in the storage reservoir area has been plugged prior to April 18, 1985, and on the basis of data, information and other evidence submitted to the department, it is determined that the plugging was done in the manner required by section 3220 or approved as an alternative method under section 3221 (relating to alternative methods) and the plugging is still sufficiently effective to meet the requirements of this chapter, the obligations under subsection (a) with regard to plugging the well shall be considered to have been fully satisfied.
(c) Wells to be reconditioned.--The following shall apply:
(1) To comply with subsection (a), wells which are to be reconditioned shall, unless the department by regulation specifies a different procedure, be cleaned out from the surface through the storage horizon, and the producing casing and casing strings determined not to be in good physical condition shall be replaced with new casing, using the same procedure as is applicable to drilling a new well under this chapter. In the case of wells to be used for gas storage, the annular space between each string of casing and the annular space behind the largest diameter casing to the extent possible shall be filled to the surface with cement or bentonitic mud or a nonporous material approved by the department under section 3221. At least 15 days prior to reconditioning, the storage operator shall give notice to the department, setting forth in the notice the manner in which it is planned to recondition the well and any pertinent data known to the storage operator which will indicate the condition of the well existing at that time. In addition, the storage operator shall give the department at least 72 hours' notice of the time when reconditioning is to begin. If no objections are raised by the department within ten days, the storage operator may proceed with reconditioning in accordance with the plan as submitted. If objections are made by the department, the department may fix a time and place for a conference under section 3251 (relating to conferences) at which the storage operator and department shall endeavor to agree on a plan to satisfy the objections and meet the requirements of this section. If no agreement is reached, the department may, by an appropriate order, determine whether the plan, as submitted, meets the requirements of this section or what changes, if any, are required. If, in reconditioning a well in accordance with the plan, physical conditions are encountered which justify or necessitate a change in the plan, the storage operator may request that the plan be changed. If the request is denied, the department shall fix a conference under section 3251 and proceed in the same manner as with original objections. An application may be made in the manner prescribed by section 3221 for approval of an alternative method of reconditioning a well. If a well located within the storage reservoir was reconditioned, or drilled and equipped, prior to April 18, 1985, the obligations imposed by subsection (a), as to reconditioning the well, shall be considered fully satisfied if, on the basis of the data, information and other evidence submitted to the department, it is determined that:
(i) The conditioning or previous drilling and equipping was done in the manner required in this subsection, in regulations promulgated under this chapter or in a manner approved as an alternative method in accordance with section 3221.
(ii) The reconditioning or previous drilling and equipping is still sufficiently effective to meet the requirements of this chapter.
(2) If a well requires emergency repairs, this chapter shall not be construed to require the storage operator to give any notice required by this subsection before making the repairs.
(d) Exception.--The requirements of subsection (a) shall not apply to injection of gas into a stratum when the sole purpose of injection, referred to in this subsection as testing, is to determine whether the stratum is suitable for storage purposes. Testing shall be conducted only in compliance with the following requirements:
(1) The person testing or proposing to test shall comply with section 3231 (relating to reporting requirements for gas storage operations) and verify the statement required to be filed by that section.
(2) The storage operator shall give at least six months' written notice to the department of the fact that injection of gas for testing purposes is proposed.
(3) If the department has objections, the department shall fix a time and place for a conference under section 3251, not more than ten days from the date of notice to the storage operator, at which time the storage operator and department shall attempt to resolve the issues presented. If an agreement cannot be reached, the department may issue an appropriate order.
(e) Failure to execute lawful order.--In a proceeding under this chapter, if the department determines that an operator of a storage reservoir has failed to carry out a lawful order issued under this chapter, the department may require the operator to suspend operation of the reservoir and withdraw the gas until the violation is remedied, in which case the storage operator, limited by due diligence insofar as existing facilities utilized to remove gas from the reservoir will permit, shall:
(1) if possible, remove the amount required by the department to be removed; or
(2) in any event, remove the maximum amount which can be withdrawn in accordance with recognized engineering and operating procedures.
(f) Duty of storage reservoir operator.--The following shall apply:
(1) A person owning or operating a storage reservoir subject to this chapter shall have a duty to:
(i) Maintain all wells drilled into or through the reservoir in a condition and operate them in a manner sufficient to prevent the escape of gas.
(ii) Operate and maintain the reservoir and its facilities as prescribed by departmental regulations and at a pressure which will prevent gas from escaping, but the pressure shall not exceed the highest rock pressure found to have existed during the production history of the reservoir or another high pressure limit approved by the department after holding a conference under section 3251 based on geological and production knowledge of the reservoir, its character, permeability distribution and operating experience.
(2) The duty under paragraph (1) shall not be construed to include inability to prevent the escape of gas when gas escapes as a result of an act of God or a person not under the control of the storage operator. In that instance, the storage operator shall have a duty to take action reasonably necessary to prevent the further escape of gas. This paragraph does not apply to a well which the storage operator failed to locate and make known to the department.
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