Canada–Nova Scotia Offshore Area Petroleum Operations Framework Regulations (SOR/2024-26)

Marginal note:Notice before disposal

65 Before disposing of any drill cutting or fluid samples, cores or evaluation data, an operator must ensure that the Board is notified in writing and given an opportunity to request delivery of the samples, cores or data.

Marginal note:Depth measurements

66 An operator must ensure that no record is made of any depth in a well unless the depth is measured from the rotary table of the drilling rig.

Marginal note:Directional and deviation surveys

67 An operator must ensure that

• The following provision is not in force.

  (a) directional and deviation surveys are taken at intervals that allow the position of the well-bore to be accurately known during drilling;

• The following provision is not in force.

  (b) the directional and deviation surveys are adequate to permit the management, in relation to the well-bore, of identified geohazards, the intersection of the geological targets for the well and the intersection of the well-bore in the event that a relief well is required; and

• The following provision is not in force.

  (c) except in the case of a relief well, every well is drilled in compliance with internationally recognized well-bore collision avoidance practices and procedures and in a manner that does not intersect an existing well.

Marginal note:Well control

• The following provision is not in force.

  68 (1) An operator must ensure that adequate procedures, materials and equipment are in place and used throughout the life cycle of the well to prevent the loss of well control.

• The following provision is not in force.

  Marginal note:Reliable well control equipment

  (2) The equipment referred to in subsection (1) must include reliable well control equipment to detect and control kicks, prevent blowouts and safely conduct all well operations.

• The following provision is not in force.

  Marginal note:Shallow hazards

  (3) During well operations conducted without a riser, the operator must ensure that measures are implemented to reduce the risk of shallow hazards while drilling.

• The following provision is not in force.

  Marginal note:Surface casing

  (4) The operator must ensure that the surface casing of the well is installed to a sufficient depth, and in a competent formation, to establish well control for the continuation of the drilling operations.

• The following provision is not in force.

  Marginal note:Blowout preventer and barrier envelopes

  (5) After the surface casing has been installed and cemented, the operator must ensure that

  • The following provision is not in force.

    (a) a blowout preventer is installed before the casing shoe is drilled out; and

  • The following provision is not in force.

    (b) there are at least two independent barrier envelopes — each of which is to be verified by the operator — in place throughout the life cycle of the well.

• The following provision is not in force.

  Marginal note:Barrier envelope failure

  (6) If there is a failure in a barrier envelope, the operator must ensure that no well operation, other than one that is intended to replace or restore the barrier envelope, takes place until the barrier envelope is replaced or restored.

• The following provision is not in force.

  Marginal note:Replacement or restoration of barrier envelope

  (7) The operator must ensure that

  • The following provision is not in force.

    (a) the barrier envelope is replaced or restored as soon as the circumstances permit;

  • The following provision is not in force.

    (b) every effort is made for the replacement or restoration to conform to the original design specifications; and

  • The following provision is not in force.

    (c) the barrier envelope is verified after its replacement or restoration.

• The following provision is not in force.

  Marginal note:Drilling fluid column

  (8) The operator must ensure that, during well operations, one of the two barrier envelopes is the drilling fluid column, except when drilling under-balanced or if, when a completion or test string is run, the other barrier envelope has already been installed downhole and tested.

• The following provision is not in force.

  Marginal note:Pressure control equipment

  (9) The operator must ensure that all pressure control equipment associated with well operations is pressure-tested on installation and as often as necessary to ensure its continued safe operation.

• The following provision is not in force.

  Marginal note:Corrective measures

  (10) If well control is lost or if safety, the protection of the environment or resource conservation is at risk, the operator must ensure that any necessary corrective measures are taken without delay.

Marginal note:Casing and wellhead system

• The following provision is not in force.

  69 (1) An operator must ensure that a casing and wellhead system is designed, taking into account the wellhead’s fatigue life, so that, throughout the life cycle of the well,

  • The following provision is not in force.

    (a) the well can be drilled safely, targeted formations can be evaluated and developed and waste can be prevented;

  • The following provision is not in force.

    (b) the maximum conditions, forces and stresses to which the casing and wellhead system may be subjected are withstood; and

  • The following provision is not in force.

    (c) the integrity of gas hydrate and permafrost zones is protected.

• The following provision is not in force.

  Marginal note:Barrier analysis

  (2) The operator must ensure that, during the design of the casing and wellhead system, if the annulus is to be used for fluid production or injection, a barrier analysis is conducted to confirm that two barrier envelopes can be maintained in place throughout the life cycle of the well.

• The following provision is not in force.

  Marginal note:Casing depth

  (3) The operator must ensure that each casing is installed at a depth that provides for adequate kick tolerance and safe well control.

• The following provision is not in force.

  Marginal note:Wellhead fatigue life

  (4) The operator must ensure that well operations do not continue beyond the wellhead’s fatigue life.

• The following provision is not in force.

  Marginal note:Cement slurry

  (5) The operator must ensure that the cement slurry is designed and installed so that, throughout the life cycle of the well,

  • The following provision is not in force.

    (a) the movement of formation fluids is prevented and, when required for safety, resource evaluation or waste prevention, the isolation of the petroleum and water zones is ensured;

  • The following provision is not in force.

    (b) support for the casing is provided;

  • The following provision is not in force.

    (c) corrosion of the casing over the cemented interval is minimized; and

  • The following provision is not in force.

    (d) the integrity of gas hydrate and permafrost zones is protected.

• The following provision is not in force.

  Marginal note:Cement integrity and placement

  (6) The operator must ensure that the cement integrity and placement are verified, subject to subsection (7), through pressure-testing and, if the cement is a common barrier element of the two barrier envelopes or if confirmation of zonal isolation is required, also through logging.

• The following provision is not in force.

  Marginal note:Other methods of verification

  (7) The cement integrity and placement may be verified using other methods if the operator demonstrates that those methods provide a level of verification that is equivalent to those referred to in subsection (6).

• The following provision is not in force.

  Marginal note:Cement design and slurry analysis

  (8) The operator must ensure that the cement design is subjected to comprehensive laboratory testing and pre-cementing quality control, under all foreseeable conditions that could have an impact on cementing, so that the cement provides the expected isolation and can be efficiently installed.

• The following provision is not in force.

  Marginal note:Waiting on cement time

  (9) The operator must ensure that, after cementing any casing or casing liner and before drilling out the casing shoe, the cement reaches the minimum compressive strength sufficient to support the casing and provide zonal isolation.

• The following provision is not in force.

  Marginal note:Casing pressure testing

  (10) The operator must ensure that, after any casing is installed and cemented and before the casing shoe is drilled out, the casing is pressure-tested to the value required to confirm its integrity for maximum anticipated operating pressure throughout the life cycle of the well.

Marginal note:Formation leak-off or integrity test

• The following provision is not in force.

  70 (1) An operator must ensure that a formation leak-off test or a formation integrity test is conducted

  • The following provision is not in force.

    (a) before drilling more than 10 m of new formation below the shoe of any casing other than the conductor casing; and

  • The following provision is not in force.

    (b) before drilling more than 10 m when sidetracking from the previous casing string.

• The following provision is not in force.

  Marginal note:Pressure

  (2) The formation leak-off test or formation integrity test must be conducted at a pressure that allows for safe drilling to the next casing depth and for the adequacy of the cement at the level of the shoe to be verified before drilling ahead.

Marginal note:Completion, testing and operation of development wells

• The following provision is not in force.

  71 (1) The operator of a development well must ensure that

  • The following provision is not in force.

    (a) the well is completed, tested and operated in a safe manner that allows for maximum recovery of petroleum without waste or pollution throughout the life cycle of the well;

  • The following provision is not in force.

    (b) except in the case of commingled production, each completion interval is isolated from any other porous or permeable interval penetrated by the well;

  • The following provision is not in force.

    (c) if applicable, the production of sand, carbonate or other solids is controlled and does not create a safety hazard or cause waste;

  • The following provision is not in force.

    (d) the setting depth of each packer is as deep as possible and is such that any leak through the production casing below the packer will be contained by the barrier envelope outside the casing;

  • The following provision is not in force.

    (e) the formation and any annulus seal can withstand the pressures and temperatures expected throughout the life cycle of the well;

  • The following provision is not in force.

    (f) if practicable, any mechanical well condition that may have an adverse effect on the production of petroleum from, or the injection of fluids into, the well is corrected;

  • The following provision is not in force.

    (g) the injection or production profile of the well is improved or the completion interval of the well is changed if it is necessary to do so to prevent waste;

  • The following provision is not in force.

    (h) if different pressure and inflow characteristics of two or more pools might adversely affect the recovery of petroleum from any of those pools, the well is operated as a single pool well or as a segregated multi-pool well;

  • The following provision is not in force.

    (i) during completion operations and before the removal of pressure control equipment and handover for operations, all barrier elements are tested to the maximum pressure to which they are anticipated to be subjected and, if possible, pressure testing is in the direction of flow; and

  • The following provision is not in force.

    (j) following any workover or intervention, any affected barrier elements are pressure-tested.

• The following provision is not in force.

  Marginal note:Segregated multi-pool well

  (2) If the development well is a segregated multi-pool well, the operator must also ensure that

  • The following provision is not in force.

    (a) after the well is completed, segregation within and outside the well casing is verified; and

  • The following provision is not in force.

    (b) if there is reason to doubt that segregation is being maintained, a segregation test is conducted as soon as the circumstances permit.

• The following provision is not in force.

  Marginal note:Definition of multi-pool well

  (3) In this section, multi-pool well means a well that is completed in more than one pool.

Marginal note:Production tubing

72 An operator must ensure that the production tubing used in a well is designed and maintained to be compatible with the fluids to which it will be exposed, to withstand the maximum conditions, forces and stresses to which it may be subjected and to maximize recovery of petroleum from the pool.

Marginal note:Safe operations and production

73 An operator must ensure that equipment and procedures are in place to recognize and control normal and abnormal operating conditions, for the purposes of allowing for safe and controlled well operations and production and of preventing pollution.

Marginal note:Flow and volume

• The following provision is not in force.

  74 (1) Subject to subsection (2), an operator must ensure that the following are measured:

  • The following provision is not in force.

    (a) the rate of flow and the volume of the fluid that is produced from each well;

  • The following provision is not in force.

    (b) the rate of flow and the volume of the fluid or waste material that is injected into each well; and

  • The following provision is not in force.

    (c) the volume of the fluid that is produced from each well that is used, flared, vented, burned or otherwise disposed of.

• The following provision is not in force.

  Marginal note:Alternate measurements

  (2) Alternate measurements may be conducted if approved by the Board under section 14.

• The following provision is not in force.

  Marginal note:Method

  (3) The operator must ensure that all measurements are conducted using the flow system, flow calculation procedure and flow allocation procedure approved under subsection 14(2).