(A) A well shall be constructed in a manner that is approved by the chief of the division of oil and gas resources management as specified in the permit using materials that comply with industry standards for the type and depth of the well and the anticipated fluid pressures that are associated with the well. In addition, a well shall be constructed using sufficient steel or conductor casing in a manner that supports unconsolidated sediments, that protects and isolates all underground sources of drinking water as defined by the Safe Drinking Water Act, and that provides a base for a blowout preventer or other well control equipment that is necessary to control formation pressures and fluids during the drilling of the well and other operations to complete the well. Using steel production casing with sufficient cement, an oil and gas reservoir shall be isolated during well stimulation and during the productive life of the well. In addition, sour gas zones and gas bearing zones that have sufficient pressure and volume to over-pressurize the surface production casing annulus resulting in annular overpressurization shall be isolated using approved cementing, casing, and well construction practices. However, isolating an oil and gas reservoir shall not exclude open-hole completion. A well shall not be perforated for purposes of well stimulation in any zone that is located around casing that protects underground sources of drinking water without written authorization from the chief in accordance with division (D) of this section. When the well penetrates the excavations of a mine, the casing shall remain intact as provided in section 1509.18 of the Revised Code and be plugged and abandoned in accordance with section 1509.15 of the Revised Code.

(B) The chief may adopt rules in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code that are consistent with division (A) of this section and that establish standards for constructing a well, for evaluating the quality of well construction materials, and for completing remedial cementing. In addition, the standards established in the rules shall consider local geology and various drilling conditions and shall require the use of reasonable methods that are based on sound engineering principles.

(C) An owner or an owner's authorized representative shall notify an oil and gas resources inspector each time that the owner or the authorized representative notifies a person to perform the cementing of the conductor casing, the surface casing, or the production casing. In addition, not later than sixty days after the completion of the cementing of the production casing, an owner shall submit to the chief a copy of the cement tickets for each cemented string of casing and a copy of all logs that were used to evaluate the quality of the cementing.

(D) The chief shall grant an exemption from this section and rules adopted under it for a well if the chief determines that a cement bond log confirms zonal isolation and there is a minimum of five hundred feet between the uppermost perforation of the casing and the lowest depth of an underground source of drinking water.

Amended by 129th General AssemblyFile No.28, HB 153, §101.01, eff. 9/29/2011.

Amended by 128th General AssemblyFile No.27, SB 165, §1, eff. 6/30/2010.

Effective Date: 06-14-2000 .