Idaho Admin. Code r. 20.07.02.100

Current through September 2, 2024

Section 20.07.02.100 - GEOPHYSICAL OPERATIONS

01.Permit Required. Before beginning seismic operations in the state of Idaho, a representative of the client company and the seismic contractor will meet with the staff of the Department, file an application for a permit to conduct seismic operations, and pay an application fee. No seismic operation may be conducted without such a permit. The Department has discretion to waive the requirement of the pre-permit meeting for the client company. The permit for seismic operations may be revoked or suspended or the application for the permit denied by the Department for failure to comply with the Commission's rules, statutes, and orders. The Department may revoke, suspend, or deny the application for a seismic permit without a hearing; provided that the seismic contractor will be given an opportunity for a hearing at the next regularly scheduled Commission meeting. The fact that a permit is revoked or suspended does not excuse the seismic contractor or client company from properly plugging existing seismic holes but does prohibit the person(s) from drilling any more. The application for a permit for seismic operations must include:

a. The proposed route of the seismic line on a topographic or recent air photo base map at a sufficient scale to show roads, buildings, surface waters, and Section, Township, and Range lines. The map must also show additional area as needed for any alternative routing. The alternative routing must be within at least one-half (1/2) mile of the proposed route. Reapplication must be made if the final route strays from the proposed route and outside the designated alternative routing areas; and

b. The energy sources proposed to be used for the seismic operation, such as vibroseis, shot holes, surface shot, or others.

c. The approximate number, depth, and location of the seismic holes and the size of the explosive charges. The application must be accompanied by a map with a scale of one inch equaling two (2) miles that shows the depth and location of the shotholes.

d. The name and permanent address of the client company the Department may contact about the seismic operation.

e. The name, permanent address, and phone number of the seismic contractor and his local representative whom the Department may contact about the seismic activity.

f. The name, phone number, and permanent address of the hole plugging contractor, if different from the seismic contractor.

g. A detailed description of the hole plugging procedures, and a description of the surface reclamation procedures, if such reclamation is needed.

h. The anticipated starting date of seismic operations.

i. The anticipated completion date of seismic operations, and the anticipated date of any required reclamation or hole plugging.

j. A description of the identifying mark that will be on the hat or nonmetallic plug to be used in the plugging of the seismic hole.

02.Operating Requirements. All geophysical operations must comply with the following requirements:

a. All vehicles utilized by the permit holder, or its agents or contractors, shall be clearly identified by signs or markings utilizing letters or numbers, or a combination thereof, a minimum of three (3) inches in height and one-half (1/2) inch wide, indicating the name of such agent.

b. No seismic source generation from vibroseis, shot holes, surface shot, or other method shall be conducted within two hundred (200) feet of any residence, water well, oil well, gas well, injection well or other structure without having first secured the express written authority of the owner(s) thereof and the permit holder shall be responsible for any resulting damages.

c. Written authority from the owner of a residence, water well, oil well, gas well, injection well or other structure must also be obtained from the owner(s) if any explosive charge exceeds the maximum allowable charge within the scaled distance below:

DISTANCE TO STRUCTURE (Feet)*	MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE CHARGE WEIGHTS (Pounds)*
50	0.5
100	2.0
150	4.5
200	8.0
250	12.0
300	18.0
350	25.0
* Based upon a charge weight of seventy (70) Foot/Pound1/2

d. The maximum allowable charge weight is twenty-five (25) pounds, unless the permit holder requests and secures the prior written authorization from the Department.

e. All seismic sources placed for detonation shall contain additives to accelerate the biodegradation thereof and shall be handled with due care in accordance with industry standards. The cap leads for any seismic sources that fail to detonate shall be buried at least three (3) feet deep.

f. All vegetation cleared to the ground shall be cleared in a competent and workmanlike manner in the exercise of due care.

g. Unless otherwise consented to by the surface owner in writing, permit holder shall not cut down any tree measuring six (6) inches or more in diameter, as measured at a height of three (3) feet from the ground surface, unless there are no reasonable alternatives to the removal of such tree(s) available to permit holder. Permit holder shall compensate surface owner the value of all such trees.

h. All excessive rutting or soil disturbances shall be repaired or restored to the original condition and contour to the extent reasonable, unless otherwise agreed to by the permit holder and the surface owner in writing.

i. All fences removed shall be replaced, unless otherwise agreed to by the permit holder and the surface owner in writing.

j. All debris associated with the seismic activity shall be removed and properly disposed.

03.Bond Required.

a. Before beginning geophysical operations, the geophysical contractor must file and have approved by the Department a bond in the amount of at least ten thousand dollars ($10,000). The Department may increase this bonding requirement for geophysical contractors based on the amount of potential damage from the contemplated operation. The condition of such bond shall comply with the Act, the rules and orders of the Commission, and orders of the Department. The obligation of the bond shall not be discharged until one (1) year from completion of the survey or until the geophysical contractor has complied with the Oil and Gas Conservation Law, the Commission's rules, and the orders of the Commission and the Department.

b. Persons or other entities who engage in the plugging of seismic holes and are not a regular full-time employee of the seismic company, owner, or operator shall have posted with the director a surety bond in favor of the Department. Said bond shall be on a form prescribed by the Department and in the amount of five thousand dollars ($5,000). The condition of the bond shall comply with the Oil and Gas Conservation Law and the regulations and orders of the Commission and the Department.

04.Newspaper Notice. Before a geophysical contractor conducts the geophysical operation, the contractor shall publish a legal notice in a newspaper of general circulation in the county where the survey will be conducted. The notice shall state the nature and approximate time period of the seismic operations. These requirements do not apply to operations conducted within a well or conducted by aerial surveys.

05.Owner and Occupant Notification. No entry shall be made by any person to conduct seismic operations, upon the lands where such seismic operations are to be conducted, without the permit holder having first given notice at least thirty (30) calendar days prior to commencement of field seismic operations.

a. The notice shall be in writing and given either personally or by certified United States mail to the following persons:

i. Surface owners reflected in the tax records of the counties where the lands are located, at the mailing addresses identified for such surface owners in such records;

ii. Occupants residing on the lands who are not the surface owners, if it can be reasonably ascertained that there are such occupants; and

iii. Owners or operators of oil and gas wells within the seismic survey area, as reflected in Department records.

b. The notice shall contain the following:

i. Name of the person or entity that is conducting the seismic operations;

ii. Proposed location of the seismic operations; and

iii. Approximate date the person or entity proposes to commence seismic operations.

06.Department Notifications.

a. The permit holder shall also notify the Department within five (5) business days of the commencement and completion of each seismic operation.

b. Before beginning geophysical operations other than seismic operations, the geophysical contractor shall file a notice of intention to do so with the Department. Said notice shall describe the geophysical method to be used and be accompanied by a map of a scale of one (1) inch equals two (2) miles showing the location of the project.

07.Reports and Notices Required.

a. Activity Report. Upon completion of the seismic activity or at thirty (30) day intervals after the work has commenced, whichever occurs first, the seismic contractor shall file with the Department a report of the completion or progress of the seismic project. The final completion report shall be in affidavit form and shall include a seven and one-half (7.5) - or fifteen (15) minute United States Geological Survey topographic quadrangle map (at a scale of one (1) inch equals two thousand (2,000) feet or one (1) inch equals four thousand (4,000) feet that shows section, township, and range) and the location of each survey so that the shotholes and other potential impacts can be easily located. The final completion report shall also include a statement that all work has been performed in compliance with the application for a permit to perform seismic activity, Section 100 of these rules, and permit provisions. Said maps, applications, and reports shall be kept confidential by the Department for a period of one (1) year from the date of receipt, subject to the needs of the Department to use them to enforce these regulations, the Act, and the orders of the Commission or the Department. Also, the owner of the surface of the land may be advised of the location of seismic lines or seismic holes on his land and of the exploration method used.

b. Plugging Notice. Seismic contractors shall give the Department at least twenty-four (24) hours advance notice of shothole plugging operations, provided that notice of plugging operations planned for Sunday or Monday may be given on the previous Friday.

08.Client-Contractor Responsibility. The client company may be held responsible along with the seismic contractor for conducting the operation in compliance with the Commission's rules and orders, the Department's orders, and the Act for the seismic contractor's failure to comply with such rules, statutes, and orders. The hats used in the plugging of seismic holes shall be imprinted with the name of the contractor responsible for the plugging of the hole.

09.Plugging. Unless the seismic contractor can prove to the satisfaction of the Department that another method will provide better protection to ground water and long-term land stability, seismic shothole operations shall be conducted in the following manner:

a. When water is used in conjunction with the drilling of seismic shotholes and artesian flow is not encountered at the surface, seismic holes are to be filled with a high grade bentonite/water slurry mixture. Said slurry shall have a density that is at least four percent (4%) greater than the density of fresh water; said slurry shall also have a Marsh funnel viscosity of at least sixty (60) seconds per quart. Density and viscosity are to be measured prior to adding cuttings to the slurry. Cuttings not added to the slurry are to be disposed of in accordance with Paragraph 100.09.f. of this rule. Any other suitable plugging material commonly used in the industry may be substituted for the bentonite/water slurry as long as the physical characteristics of said substitute are at least comparable to those of the bentonite/water slurry. Between November 1 and May 1, coarse ground bentonite approved by the Department shall be used as a plugging material.

b. The hole will be filled with the slurry from the bottom up to a depth of three (3) feet (three (3) feet below ground level). A nonmetallic plug will be set at this depth of three (3) feet, and the remaining hole will be filled and tamped to the surface with cuttings and native soil.

c. When drilling with air and nonartesian water is encountered, the hole shall be plugged with the slurry mixture, or coarse ground bentonite, as specified in Paragraph 100.09.a., supra.

d. When drilling with air only and in completely dry holes, plugging may be accomplished by returning the cuttings to the hole, tamping the returned cuttings to the above-referenced depth of three (3) feet, and setting the permaplug topped with more cuttings and soil as per Paragraph 100.09.b. above. A small mound will be left over the hole for settling allowance. Auger holes twenty (20) feet or less in depth may be plugged in this same manner.

e. The foregoing seismic holes shall be properly plugged and abandoned as soon as practical after the shot has been fired; however, a shot hole shall not be left unplugged for more than thirty (30) days without approval of the Department.

f. Any slurry, drilling fluid, or cuttings which are deposited on the surface around the seismic hole will be raked or otherwise spread out to at least within one (1) inch of the surface, so that the growth of the natural grasses or foliage will not be impaired.

g. The requirements of Paragraphs 100.09.a. through 100.09.f. of this rule may be modified by any reasonable written agreement between the seismic company and the surface owner.

h. If artesian flow (water flowing at the surface) is encountered in the drilling of any seismic hole, cement will be used to seal off the water flow thereby preventing cross-flow, erosion, and/or contamination of freshwater supplies. Said holes shall be cemented immediately.

i. After completing the plugging of seismic shot holes and spreading the cuttings as required by this rule, the seismic contractor shall record the GPS location of the seismic hole, and the contractor shall provide the location data to the Department.

10.Forfeiture of Geophysical Exploration Bond. The Department may forfeit the bond submitted under Subsection 100.03 of this rule upon failure of the owner or operator to conduct the seismic survey and complete reclamation in conformance with Section 100 of this rule. The owner or operator will be given an opportunity to address compliance issues prior to the Department taking action against the bond.

Idaho Admin. Code r. 20.07.02.100

Effective March 18, 2022