(a) A proposal for further well operations shall be submitted by the operator on Form 3160-5 for approval by the authorized officer prior to commencing operations to redrill, deepen, perform casing repairs, plug-back, alter casing, recomplete in a different interval, perform water shut off, commingling production between intervals and/or conversion to injection. If there is additional surface disturbance, the proposal shall include a surface use plan of operations. A subsequent report on these operations also will be filed on Form 3160-5. The authorized officer may prescribe that each proposal contain all or a portion of the information set forth in §3162.3-1 of this title.

(b) Unless additional surface disturbance is involved and if the operations conform to the standard of prudent operating practice, prior approval is not required for routine fracturing or acidizing jobs, or recompletion in the same interval; however, a subsequent report on these operations must be filed on Form 3160-5.

(c) No prior approval or a subsequent report is required for well cleanout work, routine well maintenance, or bottom hole pressure surveys.

(d) For details on how to apply for approval of a facility measurement point; approval for surface or subsurface commingling from different leases, unit participating areas and communitized areas; or approval for off-lease measurement, see 43 CFR 3173.12, 3173.15, and 3173.23, respectively.

[47 FR 47765, Oct. 27, 1982. Redesignated and amended at 48 FR 36583, Aug. 12, 1983, further amended at 52 FR 5391, Feb. 20, 1987; 53 FR 17363, May 16, 1988; 53 FR 22847, June 17, 1988; 80 FR 16218, Mar. 26, 2015; 81 FR 81419, Nov. 17, 2016; 82 FR 61949, Dec. 29, 2017]