Are there regulations that require disclosure of the drilling results? I have been following a well being drilled in Potter county Texas. A completion report has been filed. However, the report does not show whether any gas or oil was discovered. It Indicates that the well is a "shut in producer." Drilling logs are being held as "confidential". How long can the results of a drilling operation be kept out of the public domain?
§3.16. Log and Completion or Plugging Report.
(a) Definitions. The following words and terms, when used in this section, shall have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
(1) Basic electric log--A density, sonic, or resistivity (except dip meter) log run over the entire wellbore.
(2) Drilling operation--A continuous effort to drill or deepen a wellbore for which the Commission has issued a permit.
(3) Operator--A person who assumes responsibility for the regulatory compliance of a well as shown by a form the person files with the Commission and the Commission approves.
(4) Well--A well drilled for any purpose related to exploration for or production or storage of oil or gas or geothermal resources, including a well drilled for injection of fluids to enhance hydrocarbon recovery, disposal of produced fluids, disposal of waste from exploration or production activity, or brine mining.
(b) Completion and plugging reports. The operator of a well shall file with the Commission the appropriate completion report within 30 days after completion of the well or within 90 days after the date on which the drilling operation is completed, whichever is earlier. The operator of a well shall file with the Commission an amended completion report within 30 days of any physical changes made to the well, such as any change in perforations, or openhole or casing records. If the well is a dry hole, the operator shall file with the Commission an appropriate plugging report within 30 days after the well is plugged.
(c) Basic electric logs. Except as otherwise provided in this section, not later than the 90th day after the date a drilling operation is completed, the operator shall file with the Commission a legible and unaltered copy of a basic electric log, except that where a well is deepened, a legible and unaltered copy of a basic electric log shall be filed if such log is run over a deeper interval than the interval covered by a basic electric log for the well already on file with the Commission. In the event a basic electric log, as defined in this section, has not been run, subject to the Commission's approval, the operator shall file a lithology log or gamma ray log of the entire wellbore. In the event no log has been run over the entire wellbore, subject to the Commission's approval, the operator shall file the log which is the most nearly complete of the logs run.
(d) Delayed filing based on confidentiality. Each log filed with the Commission shall be considered public information and shall be available to the public during normal business hours. If the operator of a well desires a log to be confidential, on or before the 90th day after the date a drilling operation is completed, the operator must submit a written request for a delayed filing of the log. When filing such a request, the operator must retain the log and may delay filing such log for one year beginning from the date the drilling operation was completed. The operator of such well may request an additional filing delay of two years, provided the written request is filed prior to the expiration date of the initial confidentiality period. If a well is drilled on land submerged in state water, the operator may request an additional filing delay of two years so that a possible total delay of five years may be obtained. A request for the additional two-year filing delay period must be in writing and be filed with the Commission prior to the expiration of the first two-year filing delay. Logs must be filed with the Commission within 30 days after the expiration of the final confidentiality period, except that an operator who fails to timely file with the Commission a written request under this subsection for an extension of the period of log confidentiality shall file the log with the Commission immediately after the conclusion of the period for filing the request.
(e) Sanctions. If an operator fails to file a completion report or log in accordance with the provisions of this section, the Commission may refuse to assign an allowable to a well, set the allowable for such well at zero, and/or initiate penalty action pursuant to the Texas Natural Resources Code, Title 3
Hope that this helps. Now, the filing of logs is useless to the general public, unless they are well versed in log analysis interpretation, or have the financial ability to have a petroleum geologist read this log in comparison with the other logs in the vicinity.
The proof is in the production, which is reported monthly and will show up on royalty checks. Hope that this helps.
Buddy CottenBuddy,
Do you have any idea if the law is the same in Oklahoma? Thanks!
Thank you for your detailed response.
Buddy Cotten said:
§3.16. Log and Completion or Plugging Report.
(a) Definitions. The following words and terms, when used in this section, shall have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
(1) Basic electric log--A density, sonic, or resistivity (except dip meter) log run over the entire wellbore.
(2) Drilling operation--A continuous effort to drill or deepen a wellbore for which the Commission has issued a permit.
(3) Operator--A person who assumes responsibility for the regulatory compliance of a well as shown by a form the person files with the Commission and the Commission approves.
(4) Well--A well drilled for any purpose related to exploration for or production or storage of oil or gas or geothermal resources, including a well drilled for injection of fluids to enhance hydrocarbon recovery, disposal of produced fluids, disposal of waste from exploration or production activity, or brine mining.(b) Completion and plugging reports. The operator of a well shall file with the Commission the appropriate completion report within 30 days after completion of the well or within 90 days after the date on which the drilling operation is completed, whichever is earlier. The operator of a well shall file with the Commission an amended completion report within 30 days of any physical changes made to the well, such as any change in perforations, or openhole or casing records. If the well is a dry hole, the operator shall file with the Commission an appropriate plugging report within 30 days after the well is plugged.
(c) Basic electric logs. Except as otherwise provided in this section, not later than the 90th day after the date a drilling operation is completed, the operator shall file with the Commission a legible and unaltered copy of a basic electric log, except that where a well is deepened, a legible and unaltered copy of a basic electric log shall be filed if such log is run over a deeper interval than the interval covered by a basic electric log for the well already on file with the Commission. In the event a basic electric log, as defined in this section, has not been run, subject to the Commission's approval, the operator shall file a lithology log or gamma ray log of the entire wellbore. In the event no log has been run over the entire wellbore, subject to the Commission's approval, the operator shall file the log which is the most nearly complete of the logs run.
(d) Delayed filing based on confidentiality. Each log filed with the Commission shall be considered public information and shall be available to the public during normal business hours. If the operator of a well desires a log to be confidential, on or before the 90th day after the date a drilling operation is completed, the operator must submit a written request for a delayed filing of the log. When filing such a request, the operator must retain the log and may delay filing such log for one year beginning from the date the drilling operation was completed. The operator of such well may request an additional filing delay of two years, provided the written request is filed prior to the expiration date of the initial confidentiality period. If a well is drilled on land submerged in state water, the operator may request an additional filing delay of two years so that a possible total delay of five years may be obtained. A request for the additional two-year filing delay period must be in writing and be filed with the Commission prior to the expiration of the first two-year filing delay. Logs must be filed with the Commission within 30 days after the expiration of the final confidentiality period, except that an operator who fails to timely file with the Commission a written request under this subsection for an extension of the period of log confidentiality shall file the log with the Commission immediately after the conclusion of the period for filing the request.
(e) Sanctions. If an operator fails to file a completion report or log in accordance with the provisions of this section, the Commission may refuse to assign an allowable to a well, set the allowable for such well at zero, and/or initiate penalty action pursuant to the Texas Natural Resources Code, Title 3
Hope that this helps. Now, the filing of logs is useless to the general public, unless they are well versed in log analysis interpretation, or have the financial ability to have a petroleum geologist read this log in comparison with the other logs in the vicinity.
The proof is in the production, which is reported monthly and will show up on royalty checks. Hope that this helps.
"Date of completion" means:
(A) For an oil well, the date that the well first produces oil into the lease tanks through permanent wellhead equipment.
(B) For a gas well, the date of completion of a gas well is the date that gas is capable of being delivered to a pipeline purchaser.
(C) For a well, which does not produce either oil or gas, is the date on which attempts to obtain production from the well cease.
Form 1002A - Well completion report: Operator shall furnish a complete well record on Form 1002A within 30 days after completion of operations to drill, recomplete, re-enter, or convert to injection or disposal well. Effective for both dry hole and/or producer. If well is an oil or gas producer, list OTC assigned county and lease number. Gas-oil ratio must be shown when Form 1002A is filed. List on a 24-hour basis both oil and gas. [Reference 165:10-3-25]
Best
Buddy Cotten
Go Fast said:
Buddy,
Do you have any idea if the law is the same in Oklahoma? Thanks!
Buddy,
The specific well that I am interested in is identified as Permit status number 768821, API # 37531800. The completion report shows it as a "shut in producer" but does not state what they have found. Says that they are still evaluating well. Guess it could be several years before they reveal anything. Own a mineral interest approximately 3 miles southeast of subject well..
Thanks
Dalton W. Bordner said:
Thank you for your detailed response.
Buddy Cotten said:§3.16. Log and Completion or Plugging Report.
(a) Definitions. The following words and terms, when used in this section, shall have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
(1) Basic electric log--A density, sonic, or resistivity (except dip meter) log run over the entire wellbore.
(2) Drilling operation--A continuous effort to drill or deepen a wellbore for which the Commission has issued a permit.
(3) Operator--A person who assumes responsibility for the regulatory compliance of a well as shown by a form the person files with the Commission and the Commission approves.
(4) Well--A well drilled for any purpose related to exploration for or production or storage of oil or gas or geothermal resources, including a well drilled for injection of fluids to enhance hydrocarbon recovery, disposal of produced fluids, disposal of waste from exploration or production activity, or brine mining.(b) Completion and plugging reports. The operator of a well shall file with the Commission the appropriate completion report within 30 days after completion of the well or within 90 days after the date on which the drilling operation is completed, whichever is earlier. The operator of a well shall file with the Commission an amended completion report within 30 days of any physical changes made to the well, such as any change in perforations, or openhole or casing records. If the well is a dry hole, the operator shall file with the Commission an appropriate plugging report within 30 days after the well is plugged.
(c) Basic electric logs. Except as otherwise provided in this section, not later than the 90th day after the date a drilling operation is completed, the operator shall file with the Commission a legible and unaltered copy of a basic electric log, except that where a well is deepened, a legible and unaltered copy of a basic electric log shall be filed if such log is run over a deeper interval than the interval covered by a basic electric log for the well already on file with the Commission. In the event a basic electric log, as defined in this section, has not been run, subject to the Commission's approval, the operator shall file a lithology log or gamma ray log of the entire wellbore. In the event no log has been run over the entire wellbore, subject to the Commission's approval, the operator shall file the log which is the most nearly complete of the logs run.
(d) Delayed filing based on confidentiality. Each log filed with the Commission shall be considered public information and shall be available to the public during normal business hours. If the operator of a well desires a log to be confidential, on or before the 90th day after the date a drilling operation is completed, the operator must submit a written request for a delayed filing of the log. When filing such a request, the operator must retain the log and may delay filing such log for one year beginning from the date the drilling operation was completed. The operator of such well may request an additional filing delay of two years, provided the written request is filed prior to the expiration date of the initial confidentiality period. If a well is drilled on land submerged in state water, the operator may request an additional filing delay of two years so that a possible total delay of five years may be obtained. A request for the additional two-year filing delay period must be in writing and be filed with the Commission prior to the expiration of the first two-year filing delay. Logs must be filed with the Commission within 30 days after the expiration of the final confidentiality period, except that an operator who fails to timely file with the Commission a written request under this subsection for an extension of the period of log confidentiality shall file the log with the Commission immediately after the conclusion of the period for filing the request.
(e) Sanctions. If an operator fails to file a completion report or log in accordance with the provisions of this section, the Commission may refuse to assign an allowable to a well, set the allowable for such well at zero, and/or initiate penalty action pursuant to the Texas Natural Resources Code, Title 3
Hope that this helps. Now, the filing of logs is useless to the general public, unless they are well versed in log analysis interpretation, or have the financial ability to have a petroleum geologist read this log in comparison with the other logs in the vicinity.
The proof is in the production, which is reported monthly and will show up on royalty checks. Hope that this helps.
I found out yesterday that most horizontal well applications in Oklahoma have one of the wells that needs a 'location exception'. The emergency exception is usually granted so that the well can be drilled at the same time as the others on that pad. But....the completion report cannot be filed until the regular 'court approved exception' is finalized. Since the court is so busy, these are considered 'low priority' so they will usually be postponed several times before they are made final. That is why I've been unable to get results for a well that started selling products on 3/28/14. The other three on the location are filed, but the one we have interest in probably won't be filed much before we get division orders - in 6-8 months. :-(
It is rare for a company to start reporting results before the statutory deadline which may be six months or more. Part of that is simple logistics. Once production begins of oil, that oil has to be transported which won't happen until the tank is full. The tank may take a week or more to fill. That oil then goes to a buyer and the first buyer then has the task of sorting thru and paying everyone.
In the Bakken smaller publicly traded companies would shout a particularly successful well from the rooftops, newspapers and internet with 4 months of confidential staus left. I think they wanted to keep shareholders happy and to attract investors.