§ 14-37-8-8 — Delay or deferral of plugging and abandonment of well; temporary abandonment of well

(a) An owner or operator may delay the
plugging and abandoning of a well that has been drilled, completed,
and cased for production if the owner or operator satisfies the
requirements for:
(1) deferring abandonment of the well under subsection (b); or
(2) temporarily abandoning the well under subsection (c).
(b) An owner or operator of a well may defer abandoning the well
for not more than one (1) year, or any lesser period prescribed by the
division, if the well conforms to the requirements of this article and
rules adopted under this article. To defer abandoning a well under this
subsection, the owner or operator of the well must notify the
department in writing that the owner or operator intends to defer
abandonment of the well. The notice must be given to the department
not more than sixty (60) days after the later of the following:
(1) The date of the completion and casing of the well.
(2) The date on which the operation of the well is terminated.
(c) An owner or operator of a well may temporarily abandon the
well if the well conforms to the requirements of this article and rules
adopted under this article. To temporarily abandon a well under this
subsection, the owner or operator must file with the division, on a form
prescribed by the division, an application for temporary abandonment.
The application must be filed not more than sixty (60) days after any
of the following:
(1) The date on which the drilling of the well is completed.
(2) The date on which the operation of the well is terminated.
(3) The expiration of the period during which the owner or
operator defers abandoning the well under subsection (b).
[Pre-1995 Recodification Citation: 13-8-10-8.]

Legislative History

As added by P.L.1-1995, SEC.30.