West Virginia Code 22-6-22 – Well report, logs, core samples, and cuttings to be filed; confidentiality and permitted use; authority to promulgate rules; reporting of production data for horizontal wells
(a) Within a reasonable time after the completion of the drilling of a shallow well or deep well, the well operator shall file with the secretary and with the state Geological and Economic Survey a completion report containing the following:
Terms Used In West Virginia Code 22-6-22
- Chief: means the Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection, or his or her designee, who is also the chief executive officer of an office, division or section within the department. See West Virginia Code 22-1-2
- Deep well: means any well other than a shallow well or coalbed methane well, drilled to a formation below the top of the uppermost member of the "Onondaga Group". See West Virginia Code 22-6-1
- Gas: means all natural gas and all other fluid hydrocarbons not defined as oil in this section. See West Virginia Code 22-6-1
- in writing: includes any representation of words, letters, or figures, whether by printing, engraving, writing, or otherwise. See West Virginia Code 2-2-10
- Office: means any office, division, board, agency, unit, organizational entity or component thereof within the Department of Environmental Protection. See West Virginia Code 22-1-2
- Oil: means natural crude oil or petroleum and other hydrocarbons, regardless of gravity, which are produced at the well in liquid form by ordinary production methods and which are not the result of condensation of gas after it leaves the underground reservoirs. See West Virginia Code 22-6-1
- operator: means any person or persons, firm, partnership, partnership association or corporation that proposes to or does locate, drill, operate or abandon any well as herein defined. See West Virginia Code 22-6-1
- Secretary: means the Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection as established in article one of this chapter or other person to whom the secretary has delegated authority or duties pursuant to sections six or eight, article one of this chapter. See West Virginia Code 22-6-1
- Shallow well: means any gas well, other than a coalbed methane well, drilled no deeper than one hundred feet below the top of the "Onondaga Group": Provided, That in no event may the "Onondaga Group" formation or any formation below the "Onondaga Group" be produced, perforated or stimulated in any manner. See West Virginia Code 22-6-1
- State: when applied to a part of the United States and not restricted by the context, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories, and the words "United States" also include the said district and territories. See West Virginia Code 2-2-10
- Well: means any shaft or hole sunk, drilled, bored or dug into the earth or into underground strata for the extraction or injection or placement of any liquid or gas, or any shaft or hole sunk or used in conjunction with such extraction or injection or placement. See West Virginia Code 22-6-1
(1) The character, depth, and thickness of geological formations encountered, including fresh water, coal seams, mineral beds, brine, and oil and gas bearing formations; and
(2) Such other information as the secretary may require to effectuate the purposes of this chapter.
The secretary may promulgate such reasonable rules in accordance with § 29A-3-1 et seq. of this code, as may be considered necessary to ensure that the character, depth, and thickness of geological formations encountered are accurately logged: Provided, That the secretary shall not require logging by the use of an electrical logging device: Provided, however, That if electrical, mechanical, or geophysical logs are recorded in the well, the secretary may request copies of these logs: Provided further, That mechanical or geophysical logs may not include vertical seismic profiles or two-dimensional or three-dimensional seismic information.
(b) If a well operator takes core samples, that activity shall be noted within the report, and, within 60 days after filing the completion report, the operator shall, subject to the terms of this article, provide the state Geological and Economic Survey with a complete set of cores, consisting of at least quarter slabs, correctly labeled and identified according to depth. The core samples requested by and provided to the state Geological and Economic Survey may not contain any materials or documents made with regard to analyzing or interpreting the core samples.
(c) If a well operator catches cuttings during the drilling of any deep or shallow well, that activity shall be noted within the report and, within 60 days after filing the completion report, the operator shall, subject to the terms of this article, provide the state Geological and Economic Survey with a sample of the cuttings, correctly labeled and identified according to depth.
(d) Any information, reports, cuttings, and core samples requested by and provided to the state Geological and Economic Survey by the operator shall be kept confidential at the written request of the operator for a specified amount of time as follows:
(1) Except for core samples, any logs, drill cuttings, reports and other information or materials that reveal trade secrets or other confidential business information relating to the competitive interests of the operator or the operator’s privy may not be disclosed to the public for one year following delivery, unless the operator consents in writing to a shorter time. At the operator’s written request, the period of confidentiality may be extended in annual increments: Provided, That the total period of confidentiality may not exceed three years.
(2) Any core samples may not be disclosed to the public for five years following delivery to the state Geological and Economic Survey, unless the operator consents in writing to a shorter time. At the operator’s written request, the period of confidentiality may be extended for an additional five years: Provided, That the total period of confidentiality may not exceed 10 years.
(e) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (d) of this section, the state Geological and Economic Survey may store and process confidential information within its minerals mapping or geographic information systems; however, that confidential information may not be revealed to the public until the lapsing of the period of confidentiality created pursuant to subsection (d) of this section. After the period of confidentiality has lapsed, statistics or other information generated as the result of storage and processing may be disclosed in the aggregate through articles, reports, maps, or lectures presented in accordance with generally accepted academic or scientific practices and in a manner to preclude the identification of a particular well or operator.
(f) A quarterly report of the monthly volumes of oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids produced from any horizontal well drilled shall be filed with the Chief of the Office of Oil and Gas on a form prescribed by the Secretary of the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection. All reported data shall be made available to the public through the Office of Oil and Gas’ website within a reasonable time. The secretary has the express authority pursuant to this article, as well as pursuant to the powers enumerated in § 22-6-2 of this code, to promulgate rules and to amend the current rules to require timely quarterly reporting of production data as well as to establish a process for collecting such data.