30 CFR §203.44
Verified against eCFR.gov as of June 20, 2026View official text on eCFR.gov ↗
- (a)You must notify the BSEE Regional Supervisor for Production and Development in writing of your intent to begin drilling operations on all deep wells and phase 1 ultra-deep wells; and
- (b)Within 30 days of the beginning of production from all wells that would become qualified wells by satisfying the requirements of this section, you must:
- (c)Before beginning production, you must meet any production measurement requirements that the BSEE Regional Supervisor for Production and Development has determined are necessary under 30 CFR part 250, subpart L.
- (d)You must provide the information in paragraph (b) of this section by January 20, 2009, if you produced before December 18, 2008, from a qualified deep well or qualified phase 1 ultra-deep well on a lease that is located entirely in water more than 200 meters and less than 400 meters deep.
- (e)The BSEE Regional Supervisor for Production and Development may extend the deadline for beginning production for up to one year for a well that cannot begin production before the applicable date prescribed in the definition of “qualified deep well” in § 203.0 if it meets all of the following criteria.
- (1)The well otherwise meets the criteria in the definition of a qualified deep well in § 203.0.
- (2)The delay in production occurred after reaching total depth in the well.
- (3)Production (other than test production) was expected to begin from the well before the applicable deadline in the definition of a qualified deep well in § 203.0. You must provide a credible activity schedule with supporting documentation.
- (4)The delay in beginning production is for reasons beyond your control, such as adverse weather and accidents which BSEE deems were unavoidable.