Part 240: THE ILLINOIS OIL AND GAS ACT

Section 240.1005 Applicability The provisions of this Subpart apply to vacuum pumps or other devices used on oil and gas production wells for creating a vacuum in any oil or gas well. Any well with a vacuum pump existing at the time of the adoption of these rules shall apply for …

Section 240.1010 Application for Vacuum Permit a) No person shall use a vacuum device on any oil and/or gas production well without a permit from the Department. b) Application for a permit to use a vacuum device shall be made on forms prescribed by the Department and executed un…

Section 240.1020 Contents of Application The application for a permit to use a vacuum device on a production well shall include: a) the name and address of the Permittee; b) the name of the well; c) the legal location of the well; d) the names and depths of the formations subject…

Section 240.1030 Authority of Person Signing Application a) The application for a vacuum permit shall identify whether the applicant is an individual, partnership, corporation or other entity, and shall contain the address and signature of the owner or person authorized to sign f…

Section 240.1040 Notice and Hearing a) On or before the date of filing a Vacuum Permit application with the Department, the applicant shall notify, by certified mail, return receipt requested, all permittees whose wells or leases are within a ¼ mile radius of the well. The applic…

Section 240.1050 Issuance of Permit a) If the applicant satisfies the requirements of the Act and this Part, the Department shall issue a permit 15 days after the postmark date on the notice sent to adjacent permittees in accordance with Section 240.1040(a). b) A permit shall not…

Section 240.1060 Permit Amendments a) The Permittee shall not expose an unpermitted reservoir to vacuum without obtaining a permit amendment from the Department. b) The Permittee shall make application for an amendment on a form prescribed by the Department. c) The Permittee shal…

Section 240.110 Notice of Rules (Repealed) (Source: Repealed at 14 Ill. Reg. 2317, effective January 25, 1990)

Section 240.1105 Plugging of Non-Productive Wells (Repealed) (Source: Repealed at 14 Ill. Reg. 20427, effective January 1, 1991)

Section 240.1110 Definitions For the purpose of this Subpart, the term: "Cased Well" means a well in which production casing has been set. "Cement" means class A neat cement with a minimum weight of 14.5 pounds per gallon, unless the cement contains additives that improve the abi…

Section 240.1115 Plugging Responsibility The current permittee or person required to be the permittee is responsible for plugging wells as defined in Sections 240.200, 240.300, 240.1800 and 240.1900 of this Part. In the case of leaking wells, plugging responsibility is in accorda…

Section 240.1120 Plugging of Uncased Wells a) Any well in which production casing is not set and cemented shall be plugged in accordance with Section 240.1140 of this Part within 30 days after drilling has ceased unless an extension of time has been granted by the Department. In …

Section 240.1130 Plugging and Temporary Abandonment of Inactive Production Wells a) Any idle production well on an active lease or unit that has not had commercial production during the last 24 consecutive months shall be deemed abandoned, in accordance with Section 240.1600, and…

Section 240.1131 Extension of Future Use Status for Production Wells (Repealed) (Source: Repealed at 25 Ill. Reg. 9045, effective July 9, 2001)

Section 240.1132 Plugging and Temporary Abandonment of Inactive Class II UIC Wells a) Any Class II UIC well located on an active lease, equipped with tubing and packer and that has previously established mechanical integrity in accordance with Section 240.760 shall maintain mecha…

Section 240.1140 General Plugging Procedures and Requirements a) Notification of District Office The permittee shall contact the District Office at least 24 hours prior to plugging a cased well or as soon as possible after determination has been made to plug an uncased well. b) W…

Section 240.1150 Specific Plugging Procedures a) Circulation of Cement Cement may be circulated from total depth or plugged back total depth to surface in lieu of the placing of plugs specified in subsection (b), (c) and (d), provided both the workable coal and the freshwater zon…

Section 240.1151 Procedures for Plugging Coal Seams a) When the owner or manager of any inactive, nonproductive or nonoperative well in an active coal mine area desires to plug such well or partially plug back to a different formation or to withdraw casing from such well, he shal…

Section 240.1160 Plugging Fluid Handling and Storage a) When plugging a well, the permittee shall provide at least one (1) pit or leak free above ground portable container into which plugging fluid wastes shall be deposited. b) Plugging pits shall be constructed with sufficient c…

Section 240.1170 Plugging Fluid Waste Disposal and Well Site Restoration Within 6 months after a well is plugged: a) The free liquid fraction of the plugging fluid waste, consisting of produced water and crude oil, shall be removed from the pit and disposed of in a Class II Injec…

Section 240.1180 Lease Restoration a) Within 6 months after the last well on a lease has been plugged, all excavations and pits shall be filled and leveled and all pits and concrete storage structures shall be restored in accordance with Subpart H. Subject to an existing right of…

Section 240.1181 Lease Restoration Requirements (Repealed) (Source: Repealed at 40 Ill. Reg. 7051, effective April 22, 2016)

Section 240.1190 Filing Plugging Report Immediately after the plugging of any well has been completed, the permittee or his representative shall complete and file a plugging report on a form provided by the Department or provide necessary documents to the District Office containi…

Section 240.120 Forms (Repealed) (Source: Repealed at 14 Ill. Reg. 2317, effective January 25, 1990)

Section 240.1200 Applicability The provisions of this Subpart apply to wells and drill holes other than oil or gas production wells, Class II UIC wells covered by Subparts B and C, Gas Storage and Service wells covered by Subparts R and S. This Subpart applies to the following ty…

Section 240.1205 Application for Permit to Drill a Test Well or Drill Hole a) No person shall drill a test well or hole covered by this Subpart without a permit from the Department. b) An application for a permit to drill a coal test hole, mineral test hole, structure test hole, …

Section 240.1210 Contents of Application for Permit to Drill or Convert to an Observation, Gas Storage Well or Service Well (Repealed) (Source: Repealed at 18 Ill. Reg. 8061, effective May 13, 1994)

Section 240.1220 Contents of Application for Coal Test Hole, Mineral Test Hole, Structure Test Hole, or Coal or Mineral Groundwater Monitoring Well a) Each application for a coal, mineral or structure test or coal or mineral groundwater monitoring permit shall be for those holes …

Section 240.1230 Authority of Person Signing Application a) All applications for structure, coal and mineral test holes and mineral and coal groundwater monitoring wells shall identify whether the applicant is an individual, partnership, corporation or other entity and shall cont…

Section 240.1240 Issuance of Permit a) If the applicant satisfies the requirements of the Act and this Part, the Department shall issue a permit. b) A permit shall not be issued to an applicant not in compliance with Section 240.250(b) . c) Mineral or coal groundwater monitoring …

Section 240.125 Notice a) Except for notices of noncompliance issued under Section 240.140 and Director's decisions issued under Section 240.160, whenever the Department is required by the Act or this Part to serve notice upon a permittee, the Department shall give written notice…

Section 240.1250 When Wells Shall Be Plugged and Department Notification a) Structure, coal and mineral test holes shall be plugged within thirty (30) days after drilling ceases unless converted to a potable water well in accordance with Section 240.1290; however, if such hole is…

Section 240.1260 Plugging and Restoration Requirements a) Coal or mineral groundwater monitoring wells, structure test holes, coal test holes and mineral test holes shall be plugged as follows: 1) If the total depth of the well or hole extends below the base of the freshwater as …

Section 240.1270 Confidentiality a) The information and records of the Department for any mineral test, structure test, and coal test hole shall, on written request from the permittee, be kept confidential for two years after the date the permit for such hole was issued, provided…

Section 240.1280 Converting to Water Well a) Coal or mineral groundwater monitoring and service wells may not be converted to a water well required to have a permit from the Illinois Department of Public Health. b) Mineral, coal and structure test wells may be converted to water …

Section 240.130 Hearings--Notices (Repealed) (Source: Repealed at 18 Ill. Reg. 8061, effective May 13, 1994)

Section 240.1300 Introduction To prevent waste, the Mining Board shall protect workable coal beds in the drilling, casing, and plugging of wells drilled for oil or gas, or for any other purpose in connection therewith. (Source: Recodified from Section 240.805 at 15 Ill. Reg. 8566…

Section 240.1305 Permit Requirements in Mine Areas a) Requirements for Areas of Mining Activity When the location of a well to be drilled for oil or gas, or any purpose in connection with that drilling, will penetrate an active mine or through the mined out and inaccessible or se…

Section 240.131 Unitization Hearings a) Commencement of Action Where separately owned tracts of land are underlain by all or a portion of a common pool of oil or gas or both, an interested person may petition the Department for an order unitizing those tracts, that is to combine …

Section 240.1310 Workable Coal Beds Defined All coal beds or seams thirty (30) inches or more in thickness less than one thousand (1000) feet below the surface shall be determined as workable. When any well drilled for oil or gas, or to be used in connection therewith, penetrates…

Section 240.132 Integration Hearings a) Commencement of Action When the oil or gas rights within a drilling unit are separately owned and the owners of those rights have not voluntarily agreed to integrate or pool those rights to develop the oil or gas, an owner may petition the …

Section 240.1320 Mining Board May Determine Presence of Coal Seams The Mining Board shall have authority to determine when workable coal beds or seams are present, by geological data obtained from the State Geological Survey, or other relevant information which would indicate the…

Section 240.133 Hearings to Establish Pool-Wide Drilling Units a) Commencement of Action 1) Any interested person may petition the Department for a hearing to establish a drilling unit or units for the production of oil and gas or either of them for each pool to which the interes…

Section 240.1330 Well Locations Prohibited No well for oil or gas shall be drilled within two hundred fifty (250) feet from any opening of an active coal mine used as a means of ingress or egress for the persons employed in such mine, or which is used as an air shaft, except by m…

Section 240.134 Lease Validation Petitions a) The following definitions are applicable to this Subpart: "Current Permittee" means the permittee of record for wells located within the prior oil and gas leases. "New Oil and Gas Leases" means recorded operative oil and gas lease ins…

Section 240.1340 Notice to Mining Board At least twenty-four (24) hours prior to reaching the depth of mine workings or the undeveloped limits of the mine, the person in charge of drilling operations shall notify the Mining Board or Mining Board Representative and the mine repres…

Section 240.135 Falsification or Misstatement of Information No person shall falsify or make a material misrepresentation on or relative to any application, permit, required record, or other document required to be submitted to the Department by the Act or this Part. (Section 8d …