199. Identification of wells and tank farms. The operator shall mark each well and tank farm with a sign in large and discernible letters, of a type and size acceptable to the Senior Petroleum Technologist. Such sign shall state the name of the field and the well or tank farm number.
200. Protection of completed wells. All completed oil and gas wells and all other operational wells including injection and observation wells shall be suitably protected and a notice warning persons of the danger that exists shall be prominently displayed. ·
201. Gauging facilities. Suitable tanks or meters shall be provided to measure the quantities of oil and gas from each producing well.
Unless otherwise approved by the Senior Petroleum Technologist, each well on extended production during any one month shall be gauged at least once during such month.
Any meters or tapes used to measure production of oil and gas shall be checked and certified as to accuracy in a manner approved by the Senior Petroleum Technologist.
202. Measurement of production for royalty purposes. ( 1) The Senior Petroleum Technologist may for the purposes of measurement of production for royalty, seal or cause to be sealed with a metallic seal, any valve or meter installed at a well or on a pipeline, tank or other receptacle used for the storage or transportation of oil, gas or other fluid produced or withdrawn from the well.
(2) The Person-in-Charge shall be notified verbally in advance by an inspector of his intention to affix a seal stating his reasons therefor and such verbal notification shall be confirmed in writing.
62 reg. 203 THE PETROLEUM REGULATIONS (LAND), 1966 reg. 204
(3) Except in case of emergency a seal so affixed shall not be tampered with or removed without written permission from the Senior Petroleum Technologist.
PRODUCTION LINES AND EQUIPMENT
203. (1) Production lines and equipment shall be in accordance with the applicable A.P.I. Standard or to specifications acceptable to the State Mining Engineer.
(2) When the operator desires to equip any oil or gas well, gathering system, tank battery or pump station with special equipment such as an automatic or semi-automatic metering device, he shall make application in writing to the Senior Petroleum Engineer, giving full details of installation and its method of operation.
Heading inserted by regulations published Gazette 15 March 1969, pp. 884-885.
Reg. 203 substituted by regulations published Gazette 15 March 1969, pp. 884-885.
204. Production tests. ( 1) On all newly completed flowing oil wells and on all recompleted flowing oil wells a production test shall be made for not less than four consecutive hours and the Person-in-Charge shall as soon as practicable after the completion of the test send to the Senior Petroleum Technologist a report on a form approved by him showing-
( a) completion interval and details of perforation;
(b) oil, water, and gas production with gasjoil ratio;
(c) the choke size;
(d) the A.P.I. gravity of the oil;
(e) casing and tubing pressures;
(f) duration of test.
(2) Each non-flowing new or recompleted oil well shall be given an initial production test of not less than eight consecutive hours and the Person-in-Charge shall as soon as is practicable after the completion of the test send a report to the Senior Petroleum Technologist on a form approved by him, showing-
(a) completion interval and details of perforation;
(b) oil, water, and gas production with gasjoil ratio;
(c) the A.P.l. gravity of the oil;
(d) casing and tubing pressures where applicable;
(e) method of artificial lift;
(f) duration of test.
(3) On all newly completed gas wells and on all recompleted gas wells a potential test shall be made using-
(a) the multi-point back pressure method; or
(b) any other method approved by the Senior Petroleum Technologist.
The Person-in-Charge shall as soon as is practicable after the completion of the test send a report on this test to the Senior Petroleum Technologist.
( 4) On all wells where equipment installation permits, closed-in and flowing bottom hole pressure shall be measured as soon as possible after completion of the well, and the Person-in-Charge shall as soon as possible after completion of the surveys send particulars thereof to the Senior Petroleum Technologist.
205. Multiple completion well. A well shall not be allowed to produce oil, gas or water from different pools at the same time from the same string unless approval in writing has been obtained from the Senior Petroleum Technologist.
The operator shall when required by the Senior Petroleum Technologist conduct interference tests between the various zones of a multiple completion well to ensure that isolation of the various zones is being maintained to his satisfaction.
206. Commingling of production prohibited. The production from a pool shall not be commingled with that from another pool before measurement, without the approval in writing of the Senior Petroleum Technologist.
207. Waste liquid disposal. All formation water and other waste liquids produced from a well shall be disposed ofby a method satisfactory to the State Mining Engineer and in no case shall the disposal of formation water, drilling fluid, waste oil or ·refuse from tanks or wells be allowed to constitute a hazard to public health or safety or contaminate fresh water or any land not designated for such purpose.
208. Routine monthly production report. (1) All production of oil and gas from all producing wells in a field and the disposal and handling of the total amounts of oil and gas produced during the month shall be reported monthly to the Senior Petroleum Technologist on forms approved by him.
(2) The monthly production report shall include the month's production and the cumulative production, the average gauge, the number of producing days during the month and the status at the end of the month for each well in the field, providing that the Senior Petroleum Technologist may require daily production gauges to be reported to him on wells of special interest.
209. Annual production report. An annual report on total production from a field shall be submitted by the operator to the Senior Petroleum Technologist on a form approved by him.
210. Reservoir data. (1) Unless otherwise approved by the Senior Petroleum Engineer routine reservoir measurements, conforming to normally accepted practices of producing a field in a sound and efficient
64 reg. 211 THE PETROLEUM REGULATIONS (LAND), 1966 reg. 214
manner, shall be taken, and the results shall within one month thereafter be reported to the Senior Petroleum Engineer.
Such routine reservoir measurements shall include:- (a) For gas wells in a producing field:-
(1) Water production from each zone through a separator half yearly;
(2) Salinity of water produced from each zone half yearly;
(3) A bottom hole pressure survey or static gradient yearly;
and
(4) Gas and condensate analyses every two years;
(b) For oil wells in a producing field:-
(1) A flowing or static pressure gradient survey yearly;
(2) Salinity of water produced from each zone yearly; and (3) An oil analysis every two years.
(2) The Senior Petroleum Technologist may from time to time require that such other reservoir measurements as he may consider necessary to ensure the establishment of efficient reservoir control shall be carried out and reported to him.
(3) All available reservoir data and the results of allied laboratory studies necessary for the estimation of reserves of oil and gas in a field shall be submitted without delay to the Senior Petroleum Technologist.
As amended by regulations published Gazette 8 July 1978, p. 1209; 20 February 1982, pp. 609-610.
211. Secondary recovery. Secondary recovery shall not be commenced in any field without the approval of the Senior Petroleum Technologist.
An application to the Senior Petroleum Technologist to commence secondary recovery shall be accompanied by all the necessary data to enable the Senior Petroleum Technologist to assess fully the merits of the proposal.
212. Artificial lift. Before a system of artificial lift is commenced in any field, particulars of the system proposed to be installed shall be supplied to the Senior Petroleum Technologist.
213. Use of direct well pressure prohibited. Direct well pressure shall not be used for any purpose except for the operation of gas operated valves, regulators or chemical injection pumps or such other purposes as may be approved in writing by the Senior Petroleum Technologist.
214. Tanks and storage. (1) Oil shall not be stored in unprotected earthen sumps except as an emergency measure.
(2) All permanent tanks for petroleum liquids, or batteries of tanks, shall be designed and constructed in accordance with the applicable API Standard for design and construction, and Australian Standard 1940, the SAA Flammable and Combustible Liquids Code for installation,
or such other Standards or Codes or Specifications as the State Mining Engineer may from time to time approve in writing.
(3) An oil storage tank shall not be placed within one hundred feet of any well, nor sited within one hundred feet of any occupiable dwelling house, school, or church, unless otherwise approved by the State Mining Engineer.
As amended by regulations published Gazette 2 July 1977, p. 1345.
215. Tank batteries control valves. All field tank battery installations shall be so arranged and provided with control valves as to permit the ready shut off of oil or gas in the event of fire.
216. Separators, Siting of. A separator shall not be enclosed within the dyke and ditch or firewall surrounding a lease storage tank installation nor sited within one hundred feet of any surveyed road, railway, dwelling house, industrial plant, school or church unless otherwise approved by an inspector.
217. Entering tanks or other production vessels. (1) A tank or other closed vessel which has previously contained flammable or toxic substances shall not be entered by any person until the tank or vessel has been declared free of such substances by an authorized person. All lines leading to such tank or vessel shall be either disconnected or isolated and be made harmless to human life prior to the entry of any person.
(2) If in an emergency it is necessary for a tank or vessel which previously contained flammable or toxic substances to be entered by a person, such person shall wear breathing apparatus and shall be supplied with a life-line held by some responsible person outside such tank or
vessel. ·
218. Production hoists and service rigs. Every production hoist and service rig shall be equipped with guy wires in accordance with the manufacturer's specifications.
219. Reporting on routine production operations. (1) The Senior Petroleum Technologist shall be notified of all routine well operations such as cleanouts, pump changes, stimulation treatments using oil, acid wash or other proprietary chemicals in a supplement to the Monthly Production Report. Such supplement shall indicate only the well number, type of operation or treatment and the date it was carried out.
(2) Reports on more significant production stimulation operations such as sand or water frac jobs, re-perforating operations, and acidizations shall be submitted separately to the Senior Petroleum Technologist on forms approved by him.
220. Swabbing at night. Unless otherwise exempted by the Senior Petroleum Technologist in the case of routine production operations on producing wells in a known field, an oil or gas well shall not be swabbed into production during the hours of darkness.
66 reg. 221 THE PETROLEUM REGULATIONS (LAND), 1966 reg. 222
221. Acidizing, fracturing and other similar stimulation operations.
In any acidizing, fracturing or stimulation operations in which high pressure pumping equipment is used to inject fluid into or to circulate fluid over the formation in a well, the following provisions shall apply:-
( a) All surface lines shall be adequately secured;
(b) All well connections shall be checked to ensure that they are of adequate pressure rating for the purpose for which they are to be used;
(c) All surface lines, connections and ·the wellhead shall be pretested before the start of operations to a pressure sufficiently above the operational maximum expected to ensure safety during the operation;
(d) If crude oil is to be used in such operations, it shall be weathered in well site or other tanks for a sufficient period to ensure. that the more volatile components have escaped before the crude is so used;
(e) Pump vehicles and other pumping equipment shall be located cross wind from the well and at least one hundred feet from the well whenever possible and all vehicles shall be stationed in such a position as to provide the persons operating such vehicles with a clear view of the wellhead and to permit them to drive such vehicles directly away from the well in case of emergency;
(f) Injection lines or manifolds shall not be laid beneath vehicles or pumping equipment;
(g) High pressure injection operation shall not take place during the hours of darkness without the prior permission of the Person-in-Charge who shall afterwards notify an inspector of the operation so permitted;
(h) All unnecessary electrical equipment shall be shut down during an injection operation;
(i) Smoking or naked lights shall not be permitted within a distance of one hundred and fifty feet of a well nor on nor close to any of the pumping equipment or storage tanks being used in an injection operation;
(j) Only persons, vehicles and equipment necessary for the operation shall be permitted within one hundred and fifty feet of the well;
(k) "Danger" and "No Smoking" signs shall be positioned around the well site at a distance of one hundred and fifty feet from the well to delineate the prohibited area;
(I) In any acidization an adequate source of water shall be available on location.