Form W 3C – Fill Out and Use This PDF

Reference: Statewide Rule 15

Instructions:

File Form W-3C as required by Oil & Gas Statewide Rule 15 (16 Tex. Admin. Code §3.15) to certify that an operator has fulfilled the requirements related to surface equipment removal for an inactive well. A person with personal knowledge of the physical condition of the inactive well must state the following:

A.for wells that have been inactive for 12 months or longer, that the operator has physically terminated electric service to the well’s production site;

B.if the operator does not own the surface of the land where the well is located, and the well has been inactive for at least five years but for less than 10 years as of the date of renewal of the operator's organization report, that the operator has emptied or purged of production fluids all piping, tanks, vessels, and equipment associated with and exclusive to the well;

C.if the operator does not own the surface of the land where the well is located, and the well has been inactive for at least 10 years as of the date of renewal of the operator's organization report, that the operator has removed all surface equipment and related piping, tanks, tank batteries, pump jacks, headers, fences, and firewalls; has closed all open pits; and has removed all junk and trash, as defined by Commission rule, associated with and exclusive to the well.

All items on this form should be typed or clearly printed in blue or black ink.

Detailed Item Instructions:

Items 4 through 10:

If you are filing Form W-3C for a single well, then enter all information for Items 4 through 10. Item 11 should be left blank when filing for a single well.

If you wish to certify multiple wells on a single filing, then please prepare the listing of wells to be attached as shown below. Items 4 through 10 should be left blank; the number of wells and the number of pages for the attached listing should be entered in Item 11.

Item 11: Attached Listing.

If you prefer to attach a listing showing the wells to which the certification applies, then the listing must conform to the following requirements

A.The listing should be clearly typed or printed in blue or black ink, and should be double-spaced.

B.The listing should identify wells by API Number, RRC District, Oil Lease/Gas ID Number, Well Number, and County.

C.Each page of the listing should indicate that it is “Page ____ of _____” where the first blank indicates the page number, and the second blank should show the total number of pages.

D.The person making the certification should personally initial each page of the listing in the bottom right corner.

Physical termination of electric service to the well's production site: disconnection of the electric service to an inactive well site at a point on the electric service lines most distant from the production site toward the main supply line in a manner that will not interfere with electrical supply to adjacent operations, including cathodic protection units.

Temporary exemption to requirement: An operator may be eligible for a temporary exception to the surface equipment removal requirements if the operator is unable to comply with the requirements because of safety concerns or required maintenance of the well site. THE OPERATOR MUST INCLUDE A WRITTEN AFFIRMATION OF THE FACTS REGARDING THE SAFETY CONCERNS OR MAINTENANCE. Pursuant to Tex. Nat. Res. Code §81.0521, a $150 non-refundable fee is required for each exception to a Commission rule.

Special Notice Regarding Surface Equipment Removal for wells identified as inactive for 10 years or longer as of September 1, 2010:

With respect to the surface equipment removal requirement for 10-year inactive wells in an operator’s inventory as of September 1, 2010, the requirement is phased in over the next five years. This will require an operator to remove the surface equipment for 20% of its 10-year inactive wells as of September 1, 2010, in each year until all of the 10-year inactive wells in an operator’s inventory have been addressed. The population of all 10-year inactive wells in Texas as of September 1, 2010, has been identified by the Commission and will be posted on the Commission’s website. Wells that become 10-year inactive wells after September 1, 2010, or that are acquired by a new operator after September 1, 2010 are not subject to the 5-year phase in period.

!"#

$