sec.55Additional safety requirements—removal from and loss of prescribed equipment in petroleum wells and bores

sec.55 Additional safety requirements—removal from and loss of prescribed equipment in petroleum wells and bores

If the operating plant is being used to drill a petroleum well or bore in the overlapping area, the operator of the operating plant must— ensure adequate equipment for the following purposes is available for use when drilling operations are being carried out— to prevent or mitigate the loss of prescribed equipment in the well or bore; to recover prescribed equipment lost in the well or bore; and use the operator’s best endeavours to ensure all prescribed equipment that is in, or immediately adjacent to, a coal seam in the well or bore at the plant is removed before the well or bore is plugged and abandoned. If prescribed equipment is lost in the petroleum well or bore, the operator must— within 24 hours after the equipment is lost—notify the site senior executive about the loss; and within 3 days after the equipment is lost—consult with the chief inspector about the period for which efforts to recover the lost equipment must be made; and ensure efforts are made to recover the lost equipment; and abandon the efforts under paragraph (c) only if the chief inspector consents to the efforts being abandoned. In this section— prescribed equipment means— metal equipment, other than casing; and other equipment or material that may create a hazard to coal mining operations. (sec.55-ssec.1) If the operating plant is being used to drill a petroleum well or bore in the overlapping area, the operator of the operating plant must— ensure adequate equipment for the following purposes is available for use when drilling operations are being carried out— to prevent or mitigate the loss of prescribed equipment in the well or bore; to recover prescribed equipment lost in the well or bore; and use the operator’s best endeavours to ensure all prescribed equipment that is in, or immediately adjacent to, a coal seam in the well or bore at the plant is removed before the well or bore is plugged and abandoned. (sec.55-ssec.2) If prescribed equipment is lost in the petroleum well or bore, the operator must— within 24 hours after the equipment is lost—notify the site senior executive about the loss; and within 3 days after the equipment is lost—consult with the chief inspector about the period for which efforts to recover the lost equipment must be made; and ensure efforts are made to recover the lost equipment; and abandon the efforts under paragraph (c) only if the chief inspector consents to the efforts being abandoned. (sec.55-ssec.3) In this section— prescribed equipment means— metal equipment, other than casing; and other equipment or material that may create a hazard to coal mining operations.

• (a) ensure adequate equipment for the following purposes is available for use when drilling operations are being carried out— (i) to prevent or mitigate the loss of prescribed equipment in the well or bore; (ii) to recover prescribed equipment lost in the well or bore; and