250.1721—If I temporarily abandon a well that I plan to re-enter, what must I do?
You may temporarily abandon a well when it is necessary for proper development and production of a lease. To temporarily abandon a well, you must do all of the following:
(a)
Submit form MMS-124, Application for Permit to Modify, and the applicable information required by § 250.1712 to the appropriate District Manager and receive approval;
(b)
Adhere to the plugging and testing requirements for permanently plugged wells listed in the table in § 250.1715, except for § 250.1715 (a)(8). You do not need to sever the casings, remove the wellhead, or clear the site;
(c)
Set a bridge plug or a cement plug at least 100-feet long at the base of the deepest casing string, unless the casing string has been cemented and has not been drilled out. If a cement plug is set, it is not necessary for the cement plug to extend below the casing shoe into the open hole;
(d)
Set a retrievable or a permanent-type bridge plug or a cement plug at least 100 feet long in the inner-most casing. The top of the bridge plug or cement plug must be no more than 1,000 feet below the mud line. MMS may consider approving alternate requirements for subsea wells case-by-case;
(e)
Identify and report subsea wellheads, casing stubs, or other obstructions that extend above the mud line according to U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) requirements;
(f)
Except in water depths greater than 300 feet, protect subsea wellheads, casing stubs, mud line suspensions, or other obstructions remaining above the seafloor by using one of the following methods, as approved by the District Manager or Regional Supervisor:
(g)
Within 30 days after you temporarily plug a well, you must submit form MMS-124, Application for Permit to Modify (subsequent report), and include the following information:
(3)
A description of any remaining subsea wellheads, casing stubs, mudline suspension equipment, or other obstructions that extend above the seafloor; and
(h)
Submit certification by a Registered Professional Engineer of the well abandonment design and procedures; that there will be at least two independent tested barriers, including one mechanical barrier, across each flow path during abandonment activities; and that the plug meets the requirements in the table in § 250.1715. The Registered Professional Engineer must be registered in a State in the United States. You must submit this certification with your APM (Form MMS-124) required by § 250.1712.