Record Retention and Reporting

PURPOSE: A history of the production of an oil or gas well is important in the evaluation of a particular well or pool. Reservoir characteristics, fluid behavior, and production can be used for studies and estimates of production on future pools. Use of production data and reservoir analyses included on monthly reports can be correlated with recovery techniques to promote conservation and to prevent waste in the oil industry. This rule provides for the filing of monthly status, production, and water disposal reports, with certain waivers. (1) Record Retention. (A) For all wells, each operator shall maintain legible documentation of the cementing operations across all strata and provide this documentation to the state geologist upon request. The documentation may consist of invoices, job logs, job descriptions, or other similar service company reports. (B) Each operator of an injection well shall keep current, accurate, and legible records of the amount and kind of fluid injected into the injection well and preserve these records for five (5) years. (C) Each operator of an observation well shall keep current, accurate, and legible records of the data collected and preserve these records for five (5) years. (2) Monthly Reporting. Each operator shall prepare in full the following monthly reports on a form provided by the department and submit to the state geologist no later than forty-five (45) calendar days after the end of each calendar month: (A) Well status of each open well in a unit; (B) Well production, which may be presented for each unit unless requested otherwise by the state geologist or the council; (C) Disposal of produced water, including the amount, type, and method of disposal of all fluids produced from oil wells, gas wells, or underground gas storage reservoirs; and (D) The monthly gas well status and production reports may be waived by the state geologist upon application by the operator of the well when production from the well is for the owner’s sole and non-commercial use. (3) Annual reporting. Each operator shall submit an annual report completed in full on a form provided by the department for the following: (A) An annual injection well monitoring report for the previous calendar year, submitted to the state geologist on or before March 1 of the following year; (B) A complete inventory report of all open wells as of December 31, submitted to the state geologist on or before January 31; and (C) An annual financial assurance report providing documentation of sufficient financial assurance for all open wells, pursuant to Chapter 259, RSMo, and implementing regulations, submitted to the state geologist on or before January 31 of each year and including a signed and notarized statement from any applicable surety or issuer of a letter of credit or certificate of deposit documenting that the referenced instruments are valid and in full force. (4) All monthly and annual reports will be on file at the office of the state geologist and will be retained and available for at least five (5) years. AUTHORITY: section 259.070, RSMo 2016.* Original rule filed Oct. 11, 1966, effective Oct. 21, 1966. Amended: Filed Sept. 12, 1973, effective Sept. 22, 1973. Amended: Filed Dec. 12, 1975, effective Dec. 22, 1975. Amended: Filed Oct. 14, 1981, effective Feb. 11, 1982. Amended: Filed Sept. 15, 2015, effective March 30, 2016. Amended: Filed June 27, 2018, effective Feb. 28, 2019. *Original authority: 259.070, RSMo 1965, amended 1972, 1983, 1987, 1993, 1995, 2012, 2015.