SECTION 3.35. Procedures for Identification and Control of Wellbores in Which Certain Logging Tools Have Been Abandoned

(a) Abandonment of radioactive source.

(1) Immediate notice of the loss of a radioactive source shall be filed by the operator with the commission designating the location, by county, survey name and abstract number, lease name and well number, distances from survey boundaries and Lambert Coordinates.

(2) Procedures for recovery of the lost radioactive source will be furnished to the commission and such radioactive source shall not be declared abandoned until all reasonable effort has been expended to retrieve the tool.

(3) The operator shall erect, under supervision of the commission, a standardized permanent surface marker as a visual warning to any person who may reenter the hole for any reason, showing that it contains a radioactive source. This marker shall contain the following information: well name, commission number, surface location, name of the operator, name of the lease, the source or material abandoned in the well, the total depth of the well, the depth at which the source is abandoned, the plug back depth, the date of the abandonment of the source, the activity of the source, and a warning not to drill below the plug back depth.

(b) Abandonment procedures.

(1) Wells in which radioactive sources are abandoned shall be mechanically equipped so as to prevent either accidental or intentional mechanical disintegration of the radioactive source.

(A) Sources abandoned in the bottom of the well shall be covered with a substantial standard color dyed (red iron oxide) cement plug on top of which a whipstock or other approved deflection device shall be set. The dye is to alert the reentry operator prior to encountering the source.

(B) Upon abandoning the well in which a logging source has been cemented in place behind a casing string above total depth, a standard color dyed cement plug shall be placed opposite the abandoned source and a whipstock or other approved deflection device placed on top of the plug.

(C) In the event the operator finds that after expending a reasonable effort, because of hole conditions, it is not possible to abandon the source as prescribed in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of this paragraph, he shall seek commission approval to an alternate abandonment procedure.

(D) When a logging source must be abandoned in a producing zone, a standard color dyed cement plug shall be set and a whipstock or other approved deflection device placed above to direct the sidetrack at least 15 feet away from the source.

(2) Upon permanent abandonment of any well in which a radioactive source is left in the hole, and after removal of the wellhead, a permanent plaque shall be attached to the top of the casing left in the hole in such a manner that reentry cannot be accomplished without disturbing the plaque. This plaque shall serve as a visual warning to any person reentering the hole that a radioactive source has been abandoned in place in the well. The plaque shall contain the trefoil radiation symbol with a radioactive warning and shall be constructed of a long-lasting material such as monel, stainless steel, or brass, in accordance with specifications established by the commission. The plugging report filed with the commission shall identify the well as an abandoned radioactive source well, and shall show compliance with the procedures required by this section.

(3) The commission will maintain a current listing of all abandoned radioactive source wells, and each district office will keep such a list for radioactive source wells in that district.

Source Note: The provisions of this §3.35 adopted to be effective January 1, 1976.