Enhanced Recovery Projects

PURPOSE: Enhanced recovery projects utilize fluids, including but not limited to, produced water, steam, or natural gas, by injection into an oil reservoir to recover additional oil. Where the oil is difficult to recover with water or steam, certain chemicals are often added to increase the efficiency of water as an oil-recovery agent. These enhanced recovery methods help maintain reservoir pressure and increase the ultimate amount of oil that can be obtained from a particular pool, thereby preventing the waste of natural resources. This rule provides for the protection of groundwater by requiring approval by the state geologist of certain details of the enhanced recovery project. In addition, this rule protects the correlative rights of the offset property owners by requiring the state geologist’s approval of well spacing and production unit line requirements prior to the commencement of operations. Enhanced recovery projects designed for the secondary or tertiary recovery of oil or gas may be approved as part of a proposed production unit. Production unit approval may be requested by submitting to the state geologist an application specifying all pertinent details of the proposed project as detailed in 10 CSR 50-3.020(2). AUTHORITY: section 259.070, RSMo Supp. 2015.* Original rule filed Oct. 11, 1966, effective Oct. 21, 1966. Amended: Filed Sept. 12, 1973, effective Sept. 22, 1973. Amended: Filed Sept. 15, 2015, effective March 30, 2016. *Original authority: 259.070, RSMo 1965, amended 1972, 1983, 1987, 1993, 1995, 2012, 2015.