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The Florida Senate

2014 Florida Statutes

Title XXVIII NATURAL RESOURCES; CONSERVATION, RECLAMATION, AND USE
Chapter 377 ENERGY RESOURCES Entire Chapter
SECTION 22
Rules and orders.
F.S. 377.22
377.22 Rules and orders.—
(1) The department shall provide, by rule, for ratable takings in all pools on a reasonable and equitable basis.
(2) The department shall issue orders and adopt rules pursuant to ss. 120.536 and 120.54 to implement and enforce the provisions of this chapter. Such rules and orders shall ensure that all precautions are taken to prevent the spillage of oil or any other pollutant in all phases of the drilling for, and extracting of, oil, gas, or other petroleum products, or during the injection of gas into and recovery of gas from a natural gas storage reservoir. The department shall revise such rules from time to time as necessary for the proper administration and enforcement of this chapter. Rules adopted and orders issued in accordance with this section are for, but not limited to, the following purposes:
(a) To require the drilling, casing, and plugging of wells to be done in such a manner as to prevent the pollution of the fresh, salt, or brackish waters or the lands of the state and to protect the integrity of natural gas storage reservoirs.
(b) To prevent the alteration of the sheet flow of water in any area.
(c) To require that appropriate safety equipment be installed to minimize the possibility of an escape of oil or other petroleum products in the event of accident, human error, or a natural disaster during drilling, casing, or plugging of any well and during extraction operations.
(d) To require the drilling, casing, and plugging of wells to be done in such a manner as to prevent the escape of oil or other petroleum products from one stratum to another.
(e) To prevent the intrusion of water into an oil or gas stratum from a separate stratum, except as provided by rules of the division relating to the injection of water for proper reservoir conservation and brine disposal.
(f) To require a reasonable bond, or other form of security acceptable to the department, conditioned upon the performance of the duty to plug properly each dry and abandoned well and the full and complete restoration by the applicant of the area over which geophysical exploration, drilling, or production is conducted to the similar contour and general condition in existence prior to such operation.
(g) To require and carry out a reasonable program of monitoring or inspection of all drilling operations, producing wells, or injecting wells, including regular inspections by division personnel.
(h) To require the making of reports showing the location of all oil and gas wells; the making and filing of logs; the taking and filing of directional surveys; the filing of electrical, sonic, radioactive, and mechanical logs of oil and gas wells; if taken, the saving of cutting and cores, the cuts of which shall be given to the Bureau of Geology; and the making of reports with respect to drilling and production records. However, such information, or any part thereof, at the request of the operator, shall be exempt from the provisions of s. 119.07(1) and held confidential by the division for a period of 1 year after the completion of a well.
(i) To prevent wells from being drilled, operated, or produced in such a manner as to cause injury to neighboring leases, property, or natural gas storage reservoirs.
(j) To prevent the drowning by water of any stratum, or part thereof, capable of producing oil or gas in paying quantities and to prevent the premature and irregular encroachment of water which reduces, or tends to reduce, the total ultimate recovery of oil or gas from any pool.
(k) To require the operation of wells with efficient gas-oil ratio, and to fix such ratios.
(l) To prevent “blowouts,” “caving,” and “seepage,” in the sense that conditions indicated by such terms are generally understood in the oil and gas business.
(m) To prevent fires.
(n) To identify the ownership of all oil or gas wells, producing leases, refineries, tanks, plants, structures, and storage and transportation equipment and facilities.
(o) To regulate the “shooting,” perforating and chemical treatment of wells.
(p) To regulate secondary recovery methods, including the introduction of gas, air, water, or other substance into producing formations.
(q) To regulate gas cycling operations.
(r) To regulate the storage and recovery of gas injected into natural gas storage facilities.
(s) If necessary for the prevention of waste, as herein defined, to determine, limit, and prorate the production of oil or gas, or both, from any pool or field in the state.
(t) To require, either generally or in or from particular areas, certificates of clearance or tenders in connection with the transportation or delivery of oil or gas, or any product.
(u) To regulate the spacing of wells and to establish drilling units.
(v) To prevent, so far as is practicable, reasonably avoidable drainage from each developed unit which is not equalized by counterdrainage.
(w) To require that geophysical operations requiring a permit be conducted in a manner which will minimize the impact on hydrology and biota of the area, especially environmentally sensitive lands and coastal areas.
(x) To regulate aboveground crude oil storage tanks in a manner which will protect the water resources of the state.
(y) To act in a receivership capacity for fractional mineral interests for which the owners are unknown or unlocated and to administratively designate the operator as the lessee.
History.—s. 16, ch. 22819, 1945; ss. 25, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 2, ch. 72-394; s. 1, ch. 76-103; s. 1, ch. 80-283; s. 7, ch. 84-338; s. 1, ch. 87-183; s. 1, ch. 88-278; s. 5, ch. 89-117; s. 6, ch. 94-193; s. 310, ch. 94-356; s. 174, ch. 96-406; s. 88, ch. 98-200; s. 9, ch. 2013-205.