eCFR for 30 CFR part 250, Subpart F

3/8/22, 8:40 AM

eCFR :: 30 CFR Part 250 Subpart F -- Oil and Gas Well-Workover Operations

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Displaying title 30, up to date as of 3/04/2022. Title 30 was last amended 2/28/2022.

Title 30 - Mineral Resources
Chapter II - Bureau of SAFETY and Environmental Enforcement, Department of the Interior
Subchapter B - Offshore
Part 250 - Oil and Gas and Sulphur Operations in the Outer Continental Shelf
ENHANCED CONTENT - TABLE OF CONTENTS

Subpart F Oil and Gas Well-Workover Operations 250.600 – 250.620
§ 250.600 General requirements.
§ 250.601 Definitions.
§ 250.602 [Reserved]
§ 250.603 Emergency shutdown system.
§ 250.604 Hydrogen sulfide.
§ 250.605 Subsea workovers.
§§ 250.606-250.608 [Reserved]
§ 250.609 Well-workover structures on fixed platforms.
§ 250.610 Diesel engine air intakes.
§ 250.611 Traveling-block safety device.
§ 250.612 Field well-workover rules.
§ 250.613 Approval and reporting for well-workover operations.
§ 250.614 Well-control fluids, equipment, and operations.
§§ 250.615-250.618 [Reserved]
§ 250.619 Tubing and wellhead equipment.
§ 250.620 Wireline operations.

EDITORIAL NOTE ON PART 250

Editorial Note: Nomenclature changes to part 250 appear at 77 FR 50891, Aug. 22, 2012.
Subpart F - Oil and Gas Well-Workover Operations
§ 250.600 General requirements.
Well-workover operations must be conducted in a manner to protect against harm or damage to life (including fish and other aquatic
life), property, natural resources of the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) including any mineral deposits (in areas leased and not leased),
the National security or defense, or the marine, coastal, or human environment. In addition to the requirements of this subpart, you
must also follow the applicable requirements of subpart G of this part.
[81 FR 26021, Apr. 29, 2016]

§ 250.601 Definitions.
When used in this subpart, the following terms shall have the meanings given below:
Expected surface pressure means the highest pressure predicted to be exerted upon the surface of a well. In calculating
expected surface pressure, you must consider reservoir pressure as well as applied surface pressure.
Routine operations mean any of the following operations conducted on a well with the tree installed:
(a) Cutting paraffin;

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-30/chapter-II/subchapter-B/part-250/subpart-F

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eCFR :: 30 CFR Part 250 Subpart F -- Oil and Gas Well-Workover Operations

(b) Removing and setting pump-through-type tubing plugs, gas-lift valves, and subsurface safety valves which can be
removed by wireline operations;
(c) Bailing sand;
(d) Pressure surveys;
(e) Swabbing;
(f) Scale or corrosion treatment;
(g) Caliper and gauge surveys;
(h) Corrosion inhibitor treatment;
(i)

Removing or replacing subsurface pumps;

(j)

Through-tubing logging (diagnostics);

(k) Wireline fishing; and
(l)

Setting and retrieving other subsurface flow-control devices.

(m) Acid treatments.
Workover operations mean the work conducted on wells after the initial completion for the purpose of maintaining or restoring
the productivity of a well.
[76 FR 64462, Oct. 18, 2011, as amended at 84 FR 21976, May 15, 2019]

§ 250.602 [Reserved]
§ 250.603 Emergency shutdown system.
When well-workover operations are conducted on a well with the tree removed, an emergency shutdown system (ESD) manually
controlled station shall be installed near the driller's console or well-servicing unit operator's work station, except when there is no
other hydrocarbon-producing well or other hydrocarbon flow on the platform.

§ 250.604 Hydrogen sulfide.
When a well-workover operation is conducted in zones known to contain hydrogen sulfide (H2S) or in zones where the presence of
H2S is unknown (as defined in § 250.490 of this part), the lessee shall take appropriate precautions to protect life and property on the
platform or rig, including but not limited to operations such as blowing the well down, dismantling wellhead equipment and flow lines,
circulating the well, swabbing, and pulling tubing, pumps and packers. The lessee shall comply with the requirements in § 250.490 of
this part as well as the appropriate requirements of this subpart.

§ 250.605 Subsea workovers.
No subsea well-workover operation including routine operations shall be commenced until the lessee obtains written approval from
the District Manager in accordance with § 250.613 of this part. That approval shall be based upon a case-by-case determination that
the proposed equipment and procedures will maintain adequate control of the well and permit continued safe production operations.

§§ 250.606-250.608 [Reserved]
§ 250.609 Well-workover structures on fixed platforms.
Derricks, masts, substructures, and related equipment shall be selected, designed, installed, used, and maintained so as to be
adequate for the potential loads and conditions of loading that may be encountered during the operations proposed. Prior to moving
a well-workover rig or well-servicing equipment onto a platform, the lessee shall determine the structural capability of the platform to
safely support the equipment and proposed operations, taking into consideration the corrosion protection, age of the platform, and
previous stresses to the platform.

§ 250.610 Diesel engine air intakes.
https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-30/chapter-II/subchapter-B/part-250/subpart-F

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eCFR :: 30 CFR Part 250 Subpart F -- Oil and Gas Well-Workover Operations

You must equip diesel engine air intakes with a device to shut down the diesel engine in the event of runaway. Diesel engines that are
continuously attended must be equipped with remotely operated, manual, or automatic shutdown devices. Diesel engines that are not
continuously attended must be equipped with automatic shutdown devices.
[81 FR 36149, June 6, 2016]

§ 250.611 Traveling-block safety device.
You must equip all units being used for well-workover operations that have both a traveling block and a crown block with a safety
device that is designed to prevent the traveling block from striking the crown block. You must check the device for proper operation
weekly and after each drill-line slipping operation. You must enter the results of the operational check in the operations log.
[81 FR 36149, June 6, 2016]

§ 250.612 Field well-workover rules.
When geological and engineering information available in a field enables the District Manager to determine specific operating
requirements, field well-workover rules may be established on the District Manager's initiative or in response to a request from a
lessee. Such rules may modify the specific requirements of this subpart. After field well-workover rules have been established, wellworkover operations in the field shall be conducted in accordance with such rules and other requirements of this subpart. Field wellworkover rules may be amended or canceled for cause at any time upon the initiative of the District Manager or upon the request of a
lessee.

§ 250.613 Approval and reporting for well-workover operations.
(a) No well-workover operation except routine ones, as defined in § 250.601 of this part, shall begin until the lessee receives
written approval from the District Manager. Approval for these operations must be requested on Form BSEE-0124,
Application for Permit to Modify.
(b) You must submit the following with Form BSEE-0124:
(1) A brief description of the well-workover procedures to be followed, a statement of the expected surface pressure, and
type and weight of workover fluids;
(2) When changes in existing subsurface equipment are proposed, a schematic drawing of the well showing the zone
proposed for workover and the workover equipment to be used;
(3) All information required in § 250.731.
(4) Where the well-workover is in a zone known to contain H2S or a zone where the presence of H2S is unknown,
information pursuant to § 250.490 of this part; and
(5) Payment of the service fee listed in § 250.125.
(c) The following additional information shall be submitted with Form BSEE-0124 if completing to a new zone is proposed:
(1) Reason for abandonment of present producing zone including supportive well test data, and
(2) A statement of anticipated or known pressure data for the new zone.
(d) Within 30 days after completing the well-workover operation, except routine operations, Form BSEE-0124, Application for
Permit to Modify, shall be submitted to the District Manager, showing the work as performed. In the case of a well-workover
operation resulting in the initial recompletion of a well into a new zone, a Form BSEE-0125, End of Operations Report, shall
be submitted to the District Manager and shall include a new schematic of the tubing subsurface equipment if any
subsurface equipment has been changed.
[76 FR 64462, Oct. 18, 2011, as amended at 77 FR 50895, Aug. 22, 2012; 81 FR 26021, Apr. 29, 2016]

§ 250.614 Well-control fluids, equipment, and operations.
The following requirements apply during all well-workover operations with the tree removed:

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eCFR :: 30 CFR Part 250 Subpart F -- Oil and Gas Well-Workover Operations

(a) Well-control fluids, equipment, and operations shall be designed, utilized, maintained, and/or tested as necessary to control
the well in foreseeable conditions and circumstances, including subfreezing conditions. The well shall be continuously
monitored during well-workover operations and shall not be left unattended at anytime unless the well is shut in and
secured.
(b) When coming out of the hole with drill pipe or a workover string, the annulus shall be filled with well-control fluid before the
change in such fluid level decreases the hydrostatic pressure 75 pounds per square inch (psi) or every five stands of drill
pipe or workover string, whichever gives a lower decrease in hydrostatic pressure. The number of stands of drill pipe or
workover string and drill collars that may be pulled prior to filling the hole and the equivalent well-control fluid volume shall
be calculated and posted near the operator's station. A mechanical, volumetric, or electronic device for measuring the
amount of well-control fluid required to fill the hold shall be utilized.
(c) The following well-control-fluid equipment shall be installed, maintained, and utilized:
(1) A fill-up line above the uppermost BOP;
(2) A well-control, fluid-volume measuring device for determining fluid volumes when filling the hole on trips; and
(3) A recording mud-pit-level indicator to determine mud-pit-volume gains and losses. This indicator shall include both a
visual and an audible warning device.
[76 FR 64462, Oct. 18, 2011, as amended at 77 FR 50895, Aug. 22, 2012; 81 FR 26021, Apr. 29, 2016]

§§ 250.615-250.618 [Reserved]
§ 250.619 Tubing and wellhead equipment.
The lessee shall comply with the following requirements during well-workover operations with the tree removed:
(a) No tubing string shall be placed in service or continue to be used unless such tubing string has the necessary strength and
pressure integrity and is otherwise suitable for its intended use.
(b) When reinstalling the tree, you must:
(1) Equip wells to monitor for casing pressure according to the following chart:

If you
have . . .

you must
equip . . .

(i) fixed
platform
wells,

the
wellhead,

all annuli (A, B, C, D, etc., annuli).

(ii)
subsea
wells,

the
tubing
head,

the production casing annulus (A annulus).

(iii)
hybrid*
wells,

the
surface
wellhead,

all annuli at the surface (A and B riser annuli). If the production casing
below the mudline and the production casing riser above the mudline
are pressure isolated from each other, provisions must be made to
monitor the production casing below the mudline for casing pressure.

so you can monitor . . .

* Characterized as a well drilled with a subsea wellhead and completed with a surface casing head, a
surface tubing head, a surface tubing hanger, and a surface christmas tree.
(2) Follow the casing pressure management requirements in subpart E of this part.
(c) Wellhead, tree, and related equipment shall have a pressure rating greater than the shut-in tubing pressure and shall be
designed, installed, used, maintained, and tested so as to achieve and maintain pressure control. The tree shall be equipped
with a minimum of one master valve and one surface safety valve in the vertical run of the tree when it is reinstalled.
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eCFR :: 30 CFR Part 250 Subpart F -- Oil and Gas Well-Workover Operations

(d) Subsurface safety equipment must be installed, maintained, and tested in compliance with the applicable sections in §§
250.810 through 250.839.
(e) If you pull and reinstall packers and bridge plugs, you must meet the following requirements:
(1) The uppermost permanently installed packer and all permanently installed bridge plugs qualified as mechanical
barriers must comply with ANSI/API Spec. 11D1 (as incorporated by reference in § 250.198).
(2) The production packer must be set at a depth that will allow for a column of weighted fluids to be placed above the
packer that will exert a hydrostatic force greater than or equal to the force created by the reservoir pressure below the
packer;
(3) The production packer must be set as close as practically possible to the perforated interval; and
(4) The production packer must be set at a depth that is within the cemented interval of the selected casing section.
(f) Your APM must include a description and calculations for how you determined the production packer setting depth.
(g) You must have two independent barriers, one being mechanical, in the exposed center wellbore prior to removing the tree
and/or well control equipment.
[76 FR 64462, Oct. 18, 2011. Redesignated at 77 FR 50895, Aug. 22, 2012, as amended at 81 FR 26021, Apr. 29, 2016; 81 FR 61918,
Sept. 7, 2016; 84 FR 21976, May 15, 2019]

§ 250.620 Wireline operations.
The lessee shall comply with the following requirements during routine, as defined in § 250.601 of this part, and nonroutine wireline
workover operations:
(a) Wireline operations shall be conducted so as to minimize leakage of well fluids. Any leakage that does occur shall be
contained to prevent pollution.
(b) All wireline perforating operations and all other wireline operations where communication exists between the completed
hydrocarbon-bearing zone(s) and the wellbore shall use a lubricator assembly containing at least one wireline valve.
(c) When the lubricator is initially installed on the well, it shall be successfully pressure tested to the expected shut-in surface
pressure.
[76 FR 64462, Oct. 18, 2011. Redesignated at 77 FR 50895, Aug. 22, 2012]

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-30/chapter-II/subchapter-B/part-250/subpart-F

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