2237 Certification of well plugging/reclassification; doc. no. M-2012-2288561

Certification of Well Plugging/Reclassification; Doc. No. M-2012-2288561

[43 Pa.B. 7051]
[Saturday, November 30, 2013]

 Under 58 Pa.C.S. §§ 2301—2318 (relating to unconventional gas well fee), known as Act 13, payment of the impact fee ceases upon certification (certification date) to the Department of Environmental Protection (Department) by a producer that the unconventional gas well has ceased production and has been plugged according to the Department regulations. See 58 Pa.C.S. § 2302(e) (relating to unconventional gas well fee). Consistent with Act 13, the certification date to the Department is the date an acceptable certificate of well plugging is filed with and time-stamped by the Department. The certification date is the date of the official Department time-stamp placed on the certificate of well plugging. Note that the date plugging was physically completed, as supplied by the producer on the certificate of well plugging, is not the certification date to the Department for purposes of 58 Pa.C.S. § 2302(e). The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (Commission) encourages producers to maintain time-stamped copies of all certificates of well plugging filed with the Department.

 Regarding reclassified unconventional wells, the date an acceptable reclassification document¹ amending a well's classification is filed with and time-stamped by the Department is the reclassification date. The reclassification date is the date of the official Department time-stamp placed on that document. The Commission encourages producers to maintain time-stamped copies of all documents amending well classifications filed with the Department.

 Direct questions to John Herzog, Assistant Counsel, Law Bureau at [phone].

ROSEMARY CHIAVETTA, 
Secretary

[Pa.B. Doc. No. 13-2237. Filed for public inspection November 27, 2013, 9:00 a.m.]

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¹  A producer must file with the Department a Well Record to reclassify an unconventional well from horizontal to vertical or a Permit Application to Drill and Operate an Unconventional Well to reclassify an unconventional well from vertical to horizontal.