Document Citation: N.D. Admin Code 43-02-03-28

Header:
NORTH DAKOTA ADMINISTRATIVE CODE
TITLE 43. INDUSTRIAL COMMISSION
ARTICLE 2. MINERAL EXPLORATION AND DEVELOPMENT
CHAPTER 3. OIL AND GAS CONSERVATION

Date:
01/28/2014

Document:
43-02-03-28. Safety regulation.

During drilling operations all oil wells shall be cleaned into a pit or tank, not less than forty feet 12.19 meters from the derrick floor and one hundred fifty feet 45.72 meters from any fire hazard.

All flowing oil wells must be produced through an approved oil and gas separator or emulsion treater of ample capacity and in good working order. No boiler, portable electric lighting generator, or treater shall be placed nearer than one hundred fifty feet 45.72 meters to any producing well or oil tank. Placement as close as one hundred twen-ty-five feet 38.10 meters may be allowed if a flame arrestor is utilized on the equipment. Any rubbish or debris that might constitute a fire hazard shall be removed to a distance of at least one hundred fifty feet 45.72 meters from the vicinity of wells and tanks. All waste shall be burned or disposed of in such manner as to avoid creating a fire hazard. All vegetation must be removed to a safe distance from any production equipment to eliminate a fire hazard.

The director may require remote operated or automatic shutdown equipment to be installed on, or shut in for no more than forty days, any well that is likely to cause a serious threat of pollution or injury to the public health or safety.

No well shall be drilled nor production or injection equipment installed less than five hundred feet 152.40 meters from an occupied dwelling unless agreed to in writing by the owner of the dwelling or authorized by order of the commission.

Subsurface pressure must be controlled during all drilling, completion, and well-servicing operations with appro-priate fluid weight and pressure control equipment.