26 Miss. Code. R. 3-1.4
All exploratory wells drilled for oil and gas shall be drilled in accordance with the provisions of this order. Initial development wells drilled for oil and gas shall be drilled in accordance with the provisions of this order which shall continue in effect until special field rules are issued. After special field rules have been established by the Board after notice and hearing, development wells shall be drilled in accordance with such rules.
Where sufficient geologic and engineering information is obtained through exploratory drilling, operators may petition the Board for a hearing to establish special field rules, but the operator(s) shall make such application before more than five (5) development wells have been drilled in the field. Each Application to Drill, submitted in duplicate, for exploratory wells and development wells not covered by special field rules shall include the following information:
Note: A company well prognosis, covering any of the above items, will be acceptable if attached to the application.
An Application to drill must be covered by an exploratory drilling or development plan for the lease. These plans shall be submitted to the Supervisor for approval. Each exploratory plan for the leased area shall include (1) a description of drilling vessels, platforms or other structures showing the location, the design and the major features thereof, including features pertaining to pollution prevention and control, and (2) the general location of each well drilled or to be drilled including surface and projected bottom-hole location. Where warranted and after consultation with the operator, the Supervisor may request additional information pertaining to any anticipated abnormal pressured formations, anticipated formation tops and structural data. Each development plan shall include the same type of information as prescribed for the exploratory plan, also incorporating necessary revisions.
In supplying the information for (1), refer to Rule OS-8 and OS-9 for guidance. To simplify submittals and to avoid duplication we suggest that every effort be made to incorporate the application for approval of platforms or fixed structures required by rule OS-9 in the development plans. Also, the filing of the emergency plan and the approval of pollution equipment and location as required for each lease under Rule OS-8 should be incorporated, likewise, in both the exploratory and development plans. We realize that the emergency plan and type and location of equipment may be a general company plan that will cover all leases. In this event, after the initial filing and approval, it could be referred to in subsequent submittals, modifying as necessary. In addition, an application for establishment of, or modification of, special field rules may be an appropriate part of the development plans. The Application to Drill and accompanying location plat would supply most of the information required under (2). Each plan should specify the time interval covered by such plan, and a revised plan shall be submitted and approved prior to the expiration of the existing plan.
In addition to the above, the Application to Drill shall include the integrated casing, cementing, mud and blowout prevention program for the well and shall comply with the following requirements:
The Application to Drill shall contain a statement that all zones which contain oil, gas or fresh water shall be fully protected by casing and cement. For the purpose of this rule, the several casing strings in order of normal installation are drive or structural casing, conductor casing, surface casing, intermediate casing and production casing. All depths refer to true vertical depth (TVD).
This casing shall be set by drilling, driving or jetting to a minimum depth of 100 feet below the waters' floor or to such greater depth required to support unconsolidated deposits and to provide hole stability for initial drilling operations. If drilled in, the drilling fluid shall be a type that will not pollute the waters, and a quantity of cement sufficient to fill the annular space back to the waters' floor must be used.
Determination of proper casing setting depths shall be based upon all geologic factors including the presence or absence of hydrocarbons and water depths on a well-for-well basis. The setting depths of all casing strings shall be determined by taking into account formation fracture gradients and hydrostatic pressure to be contained within the well bore. The conductor and surface casing shall be new pipe or reconditioned pipe that has been tested and inspected to verify a new condition.
This casing shall be set in accordance with the table below. A quantity of cement sufficient to fill the annular space back to the waters' floor must be used. The cement may be washed out or displaced to a depth of forty (40) feet below the waters' floor to facilitate casing removal upon well abandonment.
This casing shall be set at a depth in accordance with the table below and cemented in a manner necessary to protect all fresh water sands and provide well control until the next string of casing is set. This casing shall be cemented with a quantity sufficient to fill the calculated annular space back to the waters' floor. Whenever there are any indications of improper cementing, such as lost returns, cement channeling or mechanical failure of equipment, a temperature or cement bond survey shall be run, either before or after remedial cementing, to aid in determining whether the casing is properly cemented. Where warranted, the Supervisor may specify that a temperature or cement bond survey be run on any or all wells. If the annular space is not adequately cemented by the primary operation, the operator shall either squeeze cement or re-cement the shoe after drilling out.
Required Setting Depth Below Waters' Floor (TVD in feet)
| Proposed Total Depth of Well or Depth of First Full String of Intermediate Casing (TVD) Casing in Feet from Rotary Table | Surface CasingMinimum Maximum | Conductor Casing Minimum Maximum |
| 0 - 7,000 | 1,500 - 2,500 | 300 - 800 |
| 7,000 - 9,000 | 1,750 - 3,000 | 400 - 800 |
| 9,000 -11,000 | 2,250 - 3,500 | 500 - 900 |
| 11,000 - 13,000 | 3,000 - 4,000 | 600 - 900 |
| 13,000 - Below | 3,500 - 4,500 | 700 - 1,000 |
This string of casing shall be set when required by anticipated abnormal pressure, mud weights, sediment and other well conditions. The intermediate casing shall be new pipe or reconditioned pipe that has been tested and ins pected to verify a new condition. A quantity of cement sufficient to cover and isolate all hydrocarbon zones and to isolate abnormal pressure intervals from normal pressure intervals shall be used. If a liner is used as an intermediate string, the cement shall be tested by a fluid entry or pressure test to determine whether a seal between the liner top and next larger string has been achieved. The test shall be recorded on the driller's log. When such liner is used as production casing, it shall be extended to the surface and cemented to avoid surface casing being used as production casing.
This string of casing shall be set before completing the well for production. The production casing shall be new pipe or recondition ed pipe that has been tested and inspected to verify a new condition. It shall be cemented in a manner necessary to cover or isolate all zones which contain hydrocarbons, but in any case, a calculated volume sufficient to fill the annular space at least 5 00 feet above the uppermost producible hydrocarbon zone must be used. When a liner is used as production casing, the testing of the seal between the liner top and next larger string shall be conducted as in the case of intermediate liners.
Prior to drilling the plug after cementing, all casing strings, except the drive or structural casing, shall be pressure tested as shown in the table below. This test shall not exceed the working pressure of the casing. The surface casing shall be tested with water in the top 100 feet of the casing. If the pressure declines more than ten percent (10%) in thirty (30) minutes, or if there is other indication of a leak, the casing shall be recemented, repaired or an additional casing string run, and the casing shall be tested again in the same manner.
| Casing String | Minimum Pressure Test (psi) |
| Conductor | 200 |
| Surface | 1,000 |
| Intermediate | 1,500 or 0.2 psi/ft., whichever is greater |
| Liner | 1,500 or 0.2 psi/ft., whichever is greater |
| Production | 1,500 or 0.2 psi/ft., whichever is greater |
After cementing any of the above strings, drilling shall not be commenced until a time lapse of:
All casing pressure tests shall be recorded on the driller's log.
Blowout preventers and related well control equipment shall be installed, used and tested in a manner necessary to prevent blowouts. Prior to drilling below the conductor casing, blowout prevention equipment shall be installed and maintained ready for use until drilling operations are completed as follows:
Before drilling below this string, at least one (1) remotely controlled bag-type blowout preventer and equipment for circulating the drilling fluid to the drilling structure or vessel shall be installed. To avoid formation fracturing from complete shut-in of the well, a large diameter pipe with control valves shall be installed on the conductor casing below the blowout preventer so as to permit the diversion of hydrocarbons and other fluids; except that when the blowout preventer assembly is on the waters' floor, the choke and kill lines shall be equipped to permit the diversion of hydrocarbons and other fluids.
Before drilling below this string, the blowout prevention equipment shall include a minimum of :
Before drilling below this string, the blowout prevention equipment shall include a minimum of:
Ram-type blowout preventers and related control equipment shall be tested with water to the rated working pressure of the stack assembly or to the working pressure of the casing, whichever is the lesser, (1) when installed; (2) before drilling out after each string of casing is set; (3) not less than once each week while drilling; and (4) following repairs that require disconnecting a pressure seal in the assembly. The bag-type blowout preventer shall be tested to seventy percent (70%) of the above pressure requirements.
While drill pipe is in use, ram-type blowout preventers shall be actuated to test proper functioning once each trip, but in no event less than once each day. The bag-type blowout preventer shall be actuated on the drill pipe once each week. Accumulators or accumulators and pumps shall maintain a pressure capacity reserve at all times to provide for repeated operation of hydraulic preventers. A blowout prevention drill shall be conducted weekly for each drilling crew to insure that all equipment is operational and that crews are properly trained to carry out emergency duties. All blowout preventer tests and crew drills shall be recorded on the driller's log.
An inside blowout preventer assembly (back pressure valve) and drill string safety valve in the open position shall be maintained on the rig floor at all times while drilling operations are being conducted. Separate valves shall be maintained on the rig floor to fit all pipe in the drill string. A Kelly cock shall be installed below the swivel, and an essentially full opening Kelly cock shall be installed at the bottom of the Kelly of such design that it can be run through the blowout preventers.
The characteristics, use and testing of drilling mud and the conduct of related drilling procedures shall be such as are necessary to prevent the blowout of any well. Quantities of mud materials sufficient to insure well control shall be maintained readily accessible for use at all times.
Before starting out of hole with drill pipe, the mud shall be circulated with the drill pipe just off bottom until the mud is properly conditioned except under the conditions in subparagraph 3. A(2) below. When coming out of the hole with drill pipe, the annulus shall be filled with mud before the mud level drops below 100 feet, and a mechanical device for measuring the amount of mud required to fill the hole shall be utilized. The volume of mud required to fill the hole shall be watched, and any time there is an indication of swabbing, or influx of formation fluids, the necessary safety device(s) required in subparagraph 2(E) above shall be installed on the drill pipe, the drill pipe shall be run to bottom and the mud properly conditioned. The mud shall not be circulated and conditioned except on or near bottom, unless well conditions prevent running the pipe to bottom. The mud in the hole shall be circulated or reverse circulated prior to pulling drill stem test tools from the hole.
Mud testing equipment shall be maintained on the drilling platform at all times, and mud tests shall be performed daily, or more frequently as conditions warrant. Suitable mud test records must be kept and made available to the Supervisor's representative upon his request.
The following mud system monitoring equipment must be installed (with derrick floor indicators) and used throughout the period of drilling after setting and cementing the conductor casing:
26 Miss. Code. R. 3-1.4