Section 601.203 - Well registration and identification(a) Within one year of the effective date of this amendatory act, every person who was the owner or operator of a well in existence prior to April 18, 1985, which well has not been registered with the department and for which no drilling permit has been issued by the department, shall register such well with the department. Any well owner or operator who registers a well pursuant to this subsection and any well owner or operator who has previously registered a well pursuant to this act shall, within one year of the effective date of this amendatory act, identify any abandoned well on property such well owner or operator owns or leases and request approval from the department for classification of the well as an orphan well. Information regarding wells to be registered or identified shall be provided on forms or in a manner prescribed by the department and shall include: (1) The name and address of the well operator and, if the well operator is a corporation, partnership or a person nonresident of the Commonwealth, there shall be designated on the well registration application the name and address of an agent for such operator upon whom notices, orders, process or other communications issued pursuant to this act may be served.(2) The well name of such well and the location of the well indicated by a point on a 7 1/2 minute United States Geological Survey topographic map or any other location description sufficient to enable the department to locate the well on the ground.(3) The approximate date of the drilling, completion of said well and the approximate depth of said well, the producing horizons, well construction information and driller's logs, if available.(4) An indemnity bond, an alternative fee in lieu of bonding or such other evidence of financial security submitted by the well operator and deemed appropriate by the department and satisfying the requirements of section 215. No bond, alternative fee or other evidence of financial security shall be required for identification of an orphan well. For those wells drilled prior to the effective date of the act of November 30, 1955 (P.L. 756, No. 225), known as the Gas Operations Well-Drilling Petroleum and Coal Mining Act, which have not been bonded, the well operator shall have five years to comply.(5) A registration fee of $15 per well or a blanket registration fee of $250 for multiple well registration applications which are submitted simultaneously. The registration fee shall be waived for a period of one year from the effective date of this amendatory act, and no fee shall be charged for identification of an orphan well.(a.1) After expiration of the one-year period provided in subsection (a), well owners or operators who discover abandoned wells on property purchased or leased by them shall identify such well to the department within 60 days of discovery and advise the department that they are seeking classification of such well as an orphan well. No fee shall be required for such identification.(a.2) Persons who are not well owners or operators and who discover an abandoned well on property owned or leased by them shall identify such well to the department within 60 days of discovery and advise the department that they are seeking classification for such well as an orphan well. No fee shall be required for such identification.(b) The department may extend the one-year time period provided in subsection (a) for good cause shown. However, such extension shall not exceed a period ending two years from the effective date of this act. The department may adopt and promulgate guidelines designed to insure a fair implementation of this section which recognizes the practical difficulties of locating unpermitted wells and complying with the reporting requirements of this act.(c) The well operator shall install the registration number issued by the department in a legible, conspicuous and permanent manner on the well within 60 days of issuance.1984, Dec. 19, P.L. 1140, No. 223, § 203, effective in 120 days. Amended 1992, July 2, P.L. 365, No. 78, § 3, effective in 30 days; 1995, July 6, P.L. 286, No. 41, § 1, imd. effective.