Current through Register Vol. XLI, No. 50, December 13, 2024
Section 35-8-13 - Preventing Waste13.1. Equipment - All well owners or operators, contractors, drillers, pipeline companies or gas distributing companies producing or transporting oil or natural gas for any purpose shall use every reasonable precaution in accordance with accepted and approved methods to prevent waste of oil or natural gas and to prevent the pollution of the waters of the State in drilling, producing, transporting or distributing the oil or natural gas and shall not wastefully utilize oil or natural gas or allow the same to leak or escape from natural reservoirs, wells or pipelines.13.2. Commercial Well Properly Equipped - Whenever oil or natural gas in commercial quantities in a well-defined oil or natural gas bearing stratum, which stratum are known to contain oil or natural gas in commercial quantities, is encountered in any well drilled for oil or natural gas in this State, all oil or natural gas bearing strata shall be adequately protected from infiltrating waters.13.3. Preparation for Drilling In - Equipment for conserving oil and natural gas shall be provided before drilling in. In all proved or well-defined oil or natural gas fields or where it can be reasonably expected that oil or natural gas in commercial quantities will be encountered, adequate preparations shall be made for the conservation of oil or natural gas before drilling any well.13.4. Multi-Zone Production - So far as it is practical to do so, natural gas being produced at a high pressure should be separated in the well from that being produced at a substantially lower pressure by means of casing, tubing, casing heads, and packers in order to eliminate the flow of high pressure natural gas into the low pressure sands.