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Well type and status

Well type and status

The Geologic Resources Management Division regulates several types of wells both within the Oil and Gas (Part 615) program and the Mineral Well (Part 625) program. These wells have various statuses that change depending upon what activity is occurring. The coding for well type and well status corresponds to what is documented within our internal database and what is shared with the public through DataMiner and the GeoWebFace.

Current permitted type of well

Well Type Definition Coding
Brine Disposal Well A Part 615 disposal well disposing produced oil field brine BDW
CO2 Injection Well A well utilized to inject carbon dioxide for disposal purposes or as part of pressure maintenance or secondary recovery operations. COI
Domestic A gas well producing not for sales but exclusively for local use by the lessor. DOM
Dry Hole A wellbore that has not encountered hydrocarbons in economically producible quantities DH
Gas Condensate Well A natural gas producing well from which liquid hydrocarbons are condensed after the gas leaves the underground reservoir. Reservoir hydrocarbons are in the vapor phase. GC
Gas Injection Well A well utilized to inject natural gas (with or without inherent H2S) for disposal purposes or as part of pressure maintenance or secondary recovery operations. GIW
Gas Production and Brine Disposal A gas well constructed so that produced brine can be returned to the well and disposed into a nonproducing formation GBD
Gas Storage A well in a designated storage reservoir used for input/output of natural gas brought in from other fields. These wells may or may not produce liquids incidental to the storage operations. GS
Gas Storage Observation Well An observation well located within a natural gas storage project area to monitor pressures or fluid levels
GSO
Liquified Petroleum Gas Storage A well in a salt cavern utilized for storage of LPG. LPG
Location Location is a permitted Part 615 well that has not yet been drilled LOC
Lost Hole A wellbore that cannot be completed or further drilled because of mechanical difficulties, accidents of construction, or geological conditions. A lost hole always implies a change in surface location occurs LHL
Natural Gas Well A well capable of producing natural gas but not crude oil, includes domestic use, & lease fuel wells GAS
Observation Well An observation well typically used for either pressure or liquid level monitoring OBS
Oil Well A well capable of producing crude oil, includes "brine producing1' and wells producing both oil & gas regardless of brine production OIL
Other Injection Well A well utilized to inject fluids other than water or to inject gases other than natural gas or carbon dioxide into a producing reservoir as part of a secondary recovery operation (legacy well type). OTH
Part 625 Blanket Test Well 1 or more test wells that do not penetrate below the deepest freshwater stratum and are 250 feet or less in depth. Test well does not include holes drilled in the operation of a quarry, open pit, or underground mine, or any wells not related to mineral exploration or extraction. MBTW
Part 625 Disposal Well A well drilled or converted for subsurface disposal of waste products or processed brine and its related surface facilities. MDW
Part 625 Natural Brine A well drilled or converted for the purpose of producing naturally occurring mineralized water other than potable or fresh water MNB
Part 625 Solution Mining A well drilled for the purpose of injecting fluid to dissolve rock salt or other readily soluble rock or mineral, and the production of the resulting artificial brine MSM
Part 625 Storage Well A well drilled into a subsurface formation to develop an underground storage cavity for subsequent use in storage operations. MSW
Part 625 Individual Test Well An individual test well that penetrates below the deepest freshwater stratum or is greater than 250 feet. Test well does not include holes drilled in the operation of a quarry, open pit, or underground mine, or any wells not related to mineral exploration or extraction. MTW
Water Injection Well A well utilized to inject water as part of a pressure maintenance or secondary recovery. These wells inject produced brine or groundwater WIW

Current operating conditions of well

Well Status Definition Coding
Active A nonproducing well, such as any type of injection well, engaged in its intended function i.e. disposing, injecting, observing, storing, function i.e. disposing, injecting, observing, storing ACT
Drilling The well is being actively drilled, used only as observed status in Inspection notes. DRL

Drilling Completed

 The well has reached its permitted depth and a Record of Well Drilling or Deepening has been submitted by the Permittee DC
Injection Suspended An action by the UISCM to close down all components of operations on an injection well IS
Orphan A well listed for purposes of receiving response activity funding through Part 616, Orphan Well Fund, NREPA. OW
Permitted Well A Part 615 or 625 well that is permitted but not yet drilled PW
Plugged Back Plugged back means to plug off the producing, injecting, or other useable portion of a well but not to completely plug and abandon the well. Status PB is also used with type DH to identify a partially plugged drilled well. This status need not be used if a well is actively being reworked. PB
Plugging The well is actively being plugged, used only as observed status in Inspection notes PLG
Plugging Approved The well has been brought to final completion. By rule, "Final completion" means the time when locating, drilling, deepening, converting, operating, producing, reworking, plugging, and proper site restoration have been performed on a well in a manner approved by the supervisor, including the filing of the mandatory records, and when the conformance bond has been released PLA
Plugging Approved - Part 616 An orphan well that has been brought to final completion under Part 616 PLO
Plugging Completed Final abandonment to the surface. The surface plug is set. Surface restoration may or may not be completed. PLC
Plugging Completed - Part 616 An orphan well that has had final abandonment to the surface. The surface plug is set. Surface restoration may or may not be completed.
 PCO
Producing Producing status means the well produces oil, gas or brine. This does not mean the well is economically producing.

PR
Shut In "Shut-in" means an action by a permittee to close down a producing well, a well capable of producing, or an injection or "other" well SI
Suspended Operations An action by the Supervisor or authorized representative to close down all components of operations on a well SUS
Temporarily Abandoned A well whose operator has obtained an approved TA TA
Terminated Permit A permit terminated by the expiration date or terminated before the expiration date by written request of the permittee TP
Well Completed The time when a well has been equipped to perform the service for which it was intended, and a Record of Well Completion has been submitted by the Permittee WC