11 AAC 87.150. Deviation

(a) Any well which is not intentionally deviated must be surveyed to determine the inclination from the vertical with surveys starting at 500 feet and no more than 500 feet apart to total depth. The commissioner will, in his discretion, require a complete continuous multi-shot directional survey if the validity of single shot data is questioned.

(b) Any well which will be intentionally deviated is subject to the following procedure:

(1) If drilling is in progress, the operator shall notify the commissioner immediately of the intention to deviate and obtain verbal or written approval, or proceed at the operator's own risk. The operator shall file an application as soon as practical and obtain another drilling permit as required in 11 AAC 87.070.

(2) If the applicant is the only affected owner and the commissioner does not object to the application, the commissioner will approve the requested deviation immediately. If there are other affected owners, the commissioner will notify those owners and hold the application for 15 days unless a letter of nonobjection from each affected owner is filed with the commissioner. If no objection from affected owners is filed with the commissioner in 15 days, the commissioner will approve the application and issue a drilling permit.

(3) The operator must run a complete, continuous directional survey at intervals not more than 100 feet apart, beginning within 100 feet of the point of deviation of the well. Survey points in the undeviated portion of the well may not be more than 300 feet apart. The commissioner will, in his discretion, require a continuous multi-shot survey if the validity of single shot data is questioned.

(c) Within 30 days after the completion, abandonment, or suspension of the well, a complete copy of each inclination and directional survey obtained or a composite survey must be filed with the commissioner. If a composite survey is filed, the operator shall specify the portion of each survey used in the composite.

(d) If the proposed or final location of the producing interval of the deviated well is not in compliance with 11 AAC 87.140, the operator shall apply to the commissioner for a waiver.

(e) For the purpose of this section, an affected owner is an owner in a quarter section contiguous with or touching at any point any quarter section upon which the operation is proposed. In areas where irregularly shaped leases are being drilled, the commissioner will determine which owners are affected.

(f) Inclination and directional survey reports must contain, where applicable, the following information:

(1) the name of the surveying company;

(2) the name, title, and signature of the person actually performing the survey;

(3) the date on which the survey was performed;

(4) the type of survey conducted;

(5) the method used in calculating the survey;

(6) a complete identification of the well indicating the name of the operator, the lease name, the well number, and the field name;

(7) the depth interval over which the survey was conducted;

(8) a certified plat showing the surface location, the plotted well course, and the nearest lease lines or unit lines; and

(9) a tabulation of the depth and drift angles for all inclination survey points.

(g) Certification requirements for survey reports are as follows:

(1) each directional survey report required in (a) of this section must be dated and certified by the person who has personal knowledge of the facts of the survey; and

(2) a certified plat as required in (f)(8) of this section must be included in the survey report.

(h) The commissioner will, in his discretion, require the submittal of copies of the film, time sheets, charts, graphs, discs, and other data used to compile the survey.

(i) The willful filing of a false or incorrect inclination survey or directional survey is grounds for penalty action under the applicable statutes.

History: Eff. 5/8/83, Register 86

Authority: AS 41.06.040

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