R 299.2319 Directional redrilling.

(1) A permittee of a well, which has reached drilling completion, who desires to directionally redrill the well to a bottom hole location which is less than 165 feet from the existing bottom hole location, shall file an application to change well status as required in R 299.2384.

(2) If a permittee of an existing well desires to directionally redrill the well to a new bottom hole location that is more than 165 feet from the current location, then all of the following shall apply:

(a) The permittee shall file an application for a new permit. The application shall describe the new bottom hole location and identify the plug-back depth of the existing well. The application shall be filed under R 299.2311.

(b) If the well has reached drilling completion, but the drilling rig is still on location, a permittee may obtain approval to begin redrilling by contacting the supervisor of mineral wells or the authorized representative of the supervisor of mineral wells in person, or by telephone, and providing pertinent details of the proposed directional redrilling. Approval may be granted immediately if both of the following conditions are met:

(i) The existing drilled hole is plugged back before starting the new directional hole, as provided by these rules, if plugging back is required by the supervisor of mineral wells.

(c) If approval to directionally redrill a well is granted, the permittee shall file an application for a new permit to drill and operate and pay an additional fee within 5 business days at the offices of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, Office of Geological Survey, P.O. Box 30256, Lansing, Michigan 48909. In addition to other enforcement actions, failure to comply with this subrule shall be cause for immediate suspension of any or all components of the operations of the well. A permittee of a well who desires to directionally redrill an existing well to a different bottom hole location that is more than 165 feet from the current bottom hole location shall file an application for a new permit. The application shall describe the new bottom hole location and identify the plug-back depth of the existing well and shall be filed under R 299.2311. The directional redrilling shall not begin until the application is approved by the supervisor of mineral wells or authorized representative of the supervisor of mineral wells, except as provided in this subrule. A new permit and an additional fee shall be required.

(3) Records as required in R 299.2369 to R 299.2372 and the plugging record shall be filed on the plugged-back hole as provided by these rules.

These administrative rules are provided as a free service of the State Bar of Michigan Environmental Law Section. The administrative rules, which were re-formatted for consistency, are not intended to replace official versions and are subject to revision and/or repeal. The Environmental Law Section presents this information, without warranties, express or implied, regarding the accuracy of the information, timeliness, or completeness. If you believe the information is inaccurate, out-of-date, or incomplete or if you have problems accessing or reading the information, please send your concerns to the Section.