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Volume 62, No. 5

44/2019

The British Columbia Gazette,

Part II

March 12, 2019

B.C. Reg. 44/2019 , deposited March 8, 2019, under the GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES ACT [section 23]. Regulation of the board of the Oil and Gas Commission, dated March 7,

The board of the Oil and Gas Commission orders that the Geothermal Operations Regulation,

B.C. Reg. 79/2017, is amended as set out in the attached Appendix.

— D. NIKOLEJSIN, Chair, Board of Directors .

Appendix

Section 1 of the Geothermal Operations Regulation, B.C. Reg. 79/2017, is amended

(

a) in the definition of "ASME B31.1" by striking out " the the " and substituting " the ", and

(

b) by repealing the definition of "Enform" .

Section 9 is amended

(

a) in subsection (1) by adding " or artesian flows " after " blowouts ", and

(

b) by adding the following subsection:

(3) A well authorization holder must design and implement a pressure control system

capable of managing all anticipated pressure environments during well operations.

Section 10 (1) (

b) is amended by striking out " blowout prevention " and substituting " well control ".

Section 10 (2) is amended by striking out " blowout prevention " and substituting " well control " and by striking out " in accordance with the Blowout Prevention Manual issued by Enform ".

Section 13 is amended

(

a) by repealing subsections (2) and (3) and substituting the following:

(2) During drilling operations and well servicing operations, the following persons

must be trained in well control and in the operation of equipment installed for well

control:

(

a) the driller;

(

b) the rig manager;

(

c) the well authorization holder’s representative.

(3) The persons referred to in subsection (2) must provide evidence of the person’s

qualifications to the commission on the commission’s request. , and

(

b) by repealing subsection (4) .

Section 20 is amended by striking out " well control or ".

Section 31 (2) is repealed and the following substituted:

(2) A well authorization holder must use non-toxic drilling fluid during the drilling

of a well until, in the opinion of a qualified professional, all usable groundwater

has been isolated from the drilling fluid.

Section 31 (3) (

a) is amended by adding " at a depth sufficient to provide a competent anchor " after " competent formation ".

Section 31 (8) is repealed and the following substituted:

(8) A well authorization holder must ensure that a well is configured so that

the annulus between the surface casing and the next casing can freely vent.

Section 37 (1) (

d) is amended by striking out " or blowouts reported ".

11 The following

section is added:

Exemption

(1) An official may exempt a well authorization holder from complying with one or

more provisions of this regulation if the official is satisfied that, in the circumstances,

(

a) compliance with the provision or provisions is not reasonably practicable,

(

b) the exemption is in the public interest.

(2) In granting an exemption under subsection (1), the official may impose any

conditions on the exemption the official considers necessary.

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