(a) “Observation Well” means a well drilled strictly for monitoring purposes.
(b) “Exploratory Geothermal Well” means a well other than a development well drilled to discover or evaluate the presence of either low-temperature or high-temperature geothermal fluids, including steam, where the surface location of the well is at least .8 km or one-half mile from the surface location of an existing well capable of producing geothermal fluids in commercial quantities.
(c) “Development Well” means a well, other than an exploratory well, drilled for the purpose of producing either high-temperature or low-temperature geothermal fluids in commercial quantities.
(d) “Abandoned Well” means a well the Supervisor so designates after it has been demonstrated that all steps have been taken to protect underground or surface water suitable for irrigation or other domestic uses from the infiltration or addition of any detrimental substance, and to prevent the escape of all fluids to the surface.
(e) “Injection Well” is a service well drilled or converted for the purpose of injecting fluids.
(f) “High-Temperature Geothermal Fluid” means a naturally heated subterranean fluid with a surface temperature equal to or higher than the boiling point of water.
(g) “High-Temperature Well” means a well drilled to discover, evaluate, produce, or utilize high-temperature geothermal fluids.
(h) “High-Temperature Geothermal Field” means an area so designated by the Supervisor for administrative purposes. The area shall contain at least one well capable of producing high-temperature geothermal fluids in commercial quantities.
(i) “Low-Temperature Geothermal Fluid” means naturally heated subterranean fluid with a surface temperature below the boiling point of water at ambient atmospheric pressure.
(j) “Low-Temperature Geothermal Well” means a well drilled to discover, evaluate, produce, or utilize low-temperature geothermal fluids where the fluids will be used for their heat value.
(k) “Low-Temperature Geothermal Field” means an area the Supervisor so designates for administrative purposes. The area shall contain at least one well capable of producing low-temperature geothermal fluids in commercial quantities.
(l) “Idle Well” means a well, other than a suspended well, that has not been officially plugged and abandoned, on which the operator has ceased all activity, including but not limited to drilling, production or injection.
(m) “Production Tested” means a well that the operator has tested for temperature, flow rate, and pressure.
(n) “A well capable of producing geothermal fluid in commercial quantities” means a well:
(1) Supplying geothermal fluid to an existing power plant or other facility for the purpose of generating electricity; or
(2) Production tested and scheduled to supply geothermal fluid to a power plant or other facility for the purpose of generating electricity for which:
(A) An application is pending before the California Energy Commission or the California Public Utilities Commission; or
(B) The California Energy Commission or California Public Utilities Commission has approved a site; or
(C) A contract has been executed between the supplier and a user and conditions have been fulfilled that commit the user to build a facility; or
(3) Supplying geothermal fluid or completed and scheduled to supply geothermal fluid to facilities existing, under construction, or committed for construction, for any nonelectric use of geothermal resources, including but not limited to space heating or food processing; or
(4) Production tested and, in the operator's opinion, able to supply sufficient geothermal energy to justify construction of a facility to utilize the energy, and designated capable of production by the Supervisor; or
(5) Production tested and found by the Supervisor, after a public hearing, to be capable of producing sufficient geothermal energy to be a commercially viable geothermal development project.
(o) “Usable Thermal Energy” means the usable heat energy contained in geothermal fluid, expressed in British Thermal Units or gigajoules.
(p) “Notice” means an application for permission to do work on a well.
(q) “Drilling Log” means the recorded description of the lithologic sequence encountered while drilling a well.
(r) “Drilling Operations” means the actual drilling or redrilling of a well for exploration, production, observation, or injection, including the running and cementing of casing and the installation of wellhead equipment. “Drilling Operations” do not include perforating, logging, or related operations after all the casing has been cemented.
(s) “Suspension” means the status assigned to a well that is temporarily abandoned pursuant to specified plugging requirements that are selected by the Division from the plugging and abandonment requirements contained in Sections 1980, 1981, 1981.1, and 1981.2 of this subchapter, and the operations necessary to cause temporary abandonment have been carried out by the operator and approved by the Division.
(t) With respect to well depth:
(1) “Shallow” means deeper than 25 feet (about 8 meters) but no deeper than 250 feet (about 76 meters);
(2) “Intermediate” means deeper than 250 feet (about 76 meters) but no deeper than 1,000 feet (about 305 meters);
(3) “Deep” means deeper than 1,000 feet (about 305 meters).
(u) “BOPE” is an acronym for blowout prevention equipment.
(v) “Mineral Extraction Well” means a well drilled, converted, or reworked for the purpose of discovering, evaluating, or producing minerals or other products in solution from naturally heated subterranean fluids. A low- or high-temperature geothermal well may also be a mineral extraction well.
Credits
Note: Authority cited: Sections 3712 and 3714, Public Resources Code. Reference: Section 3714, Public Resources Code.
History
1. Amendment of subsections (b) and (e), and new subsections (p) and (q) filed 9-19-75 as an emergency; effective upon filing. Certificate of Compliance included (Register 75, No. 38).
2. Amendment of subsection (p) and repealer of subsection (q) filed 4-13-76; effective thirtieth day thereafter (Register 76, No. 16).
3. Amendment filed 8-13-76 as procedural and organizational; effective upon filing (Register 76, No. 33).
5. Amendment filed 1-14-85; effective upon filing pursuant to Government Code Section 11346.2(d) (Register 85, No. 3).
6. Change without regulatory effect amending section heading, repealing first paragraph, and amending subsections (l) and (s) filed 9-3-96 pursuant to section 100, title 1, California Code of Regulations (Register 96, No. 36).
7. Change without regulatory effect amending subsections (d), (h), (k), (n)(4)-(5) and (s) filed 12-26-2006 pursuant to section 100, title 1, California Code of Regulations (Register 2006, No. 52).
This database is current through 4/19/24 Register 2024, No. 16.
