Nevada Administrative Code

NAC 534A.310 Taking of cuttings; submission to Bureau of Mines and Geology. (NRS 513.063, 534A.090) The operator shall take two sets of cuttings at least every 30 feet. The cuttings and a split of any core must be: 1. Cleaned, dried, marked for location and depth and placed in en…

NAC 534A.330 Identification of producing wells by sign; modification for good cause; assignment of U.S. Well Number. (NRS 513.063, 534A.090) 1. Each producing well must be identified by a sign posted within 100 feet of the well unless the property on which the well is located has…

NAC 534A.390 Equipment for development and production of geothermal resources; additional testing or remedial work. (NRS 513.063, 534A.090) 1. All equipment used or purchased for the development and production of geothermal resources must meet the minimum standards generally acce…

NAC 534A.400 Measurement of rate of flow of water and steam and of pressure and temperature of fluids; calibration of equipment. (NRS 513.063, 534A.090) 1. The rate of the flow of water or steam, or both, and the pressure and temperature of the fluids from each well must be accur…

NAC 534A.420 Reinjection of fluids unless alternative method of disposal approved; “by-product” defined. (NRS 513.063, 534A.090) 1. Unless the Administrator approves an alternative method of disposal, all fluids derived from geothermal resources must be reinjected into the same r…

NAC 534A.430 Casing of injection wells; filling of annular space. (NRS 513.063, 534A.090) Injection wells must be completed with safe and adequate casing which is properly cemented to protect fresh water aquifers. The annular space must be filled by circulating cement up the annu…

NAC 534A.450 Notification of beginning and discontinuance of injection. (NRS 513.063, 534A.090) 1. Immediately before beginning any injection, the operator shall notify the Division of the date on which injection will begin. 2. Within 10 days after the discontinuation of the oper…

NAC 534A.465 Inactive well: Order to show cause why well should stay open; declaration of abandonment and order to plug; notice to operator; effect of failure of operator to respond. (NRS 513.063, 534A.090) 1. If a well is inactive for 2 years or more, the Administrator may issue…

NAC 534A.470 Application for permission to abandon and plug geothermal well. (NRS 513.063, 534A.090) The owner of the geothermal resource or the operator shall file with the Division an application for permission to abandon and plug a geothermal well pursuant to NAC 534A.540. The…

NAC 534A.480 Abandonment of thermal gradient well. (NRS 513.063, 534A.090) For abandonment of a thermal gradient well, the following provisions apply: 1. If the well was drilled and no water was encountered, the well bore must be backfilled with cuttings and a cement plug 50 feet…

NAC 534A.490 Abandonment of geothermal production, injection or observation well. (NRS 513.063, 534A.090) For abandonment of a geothermal production, injection or observation well, the following provisions apply: 1. Cement used to plug the well, except cement used for surface plu…

NAC 534A.500 Casing strings to be cut off and capped; removal of structures and other facilities. (NRS 513.063, 534A.090) All casing strings must be cut off below ground level and capped by welding a steel plate on the casing stub. All structures and other facilities must be remo…

NAC 534A.510 Removal of equipment without approval of Administrator prohibited; permission may be given orally. (NRS 513.063, 534A.090) 1. Drilling equipment must not be removed from any site where drilling operations have been suspended, either temporarily or indefinitely, witho…

NAC 534A.535 Notice to Division of intention to engage in certain activities. (NRS 513.063, 534A.090) 1. The owner of the geothermal resource or operator shall notify the Division of his or her intention to: (a) Make a minor change in the manner in which a well is operated; (b) C…

NAC 534A.537 Notice to Division by operator of geothermal well before taking certain actions relating to well; immediate notice required of serious incident. (NRS 513.063, 534A.090) 1. The operator of a geothermal well shall notify the Division by telephone, electronic mail or an…

NAC 534A.540 Permission to engage in certain activities; fee; report of progress or completion; release of nonconfidential information by Division. (NRS 513.063, 534A.080, 534A.090) 1. A person shall not engage in an activity listed in subsection 3 or 4 without the permission of …

NAC 534A.550 Required filings: Report of completion; directional survey; lithologic log; well logs. (NRS 513.063, 534A.090) 1. Within 30 days after the completion of the construction of a well, the owner of the geothermal resource or the operator shall file with the Division: (a)…

NAC 534A.555 Required filings: Daily drilling log; monthly report for well that produces or injects. (NRS 513.063, 534A.090) The operator shall file with the Division: 1. On each day of drilling, a daily drilling log, which must include, without limitation, the results of any tes…

NAC 534A.560 Maintenance of records by operator; authority of Division to require additional information and inspect records. (NRS 513.063, 534A.090) 1. The owner of the geothermal resource or the operator of the well shall keep the following records at the site of the well or at…

NAC 534A.590 Public hearing on application; notice; request for continuance; additional notice required. (NRS 513.063, 534A.090) 1. If the Administrator determines that a public hearing is necessary for a full understanding of an application for a permit to drill or operate a geo…

NAC 534A.600 Maintenance of docket and file for hearings; assignment of docket number. (NRS 513.063, 534A.090) The Administrator shall maintain a docket for hearings held by the Division pursuant to NAC 534A.590. All hearings must be docketed with any application relating to the …

NAC 534A.620 Hearings informal; record; protests; preliminary procedure. (NRS 513.063, 534A.090) 1. Hearings before the Division must be conducted informally. A record of testimony must be taken and preserved as a part of the permanent records of the Division. 2. The Division may…

NAC 534A.630 Order of proceedings; authority of Administrator to issue findings of fact and conclusions of law; final decision. (NRS 513.063, 534A.090) 1. A hearing held pursuant to NAC 534A.590 must be opened with a statement of the issues to be heard and by recognizing the part…

NAC 534A.650 Record of proceedings at hearings; cost of transcribing and reporting. (NRS 513.063, 534A.090) At all hearings, the record of the proceedings must be made by a certified court reporter, or in the absence of such a reporter, by a person designated by the Administrator…

NAC 534A.670 Depositions. (NRS 513.063, 534A.090) The deposition of a witness for use in a hearing before the Division may be taken in compliance with a stipulation between the parties concerned or with an order of the Administrator. If the deposition is to be taken by order of t…

NAC 534A.680 Declaratory order or advisory opinion. (NRS 513.063, 534A.090) 1. Any person may petition the Commission in writing for a declaratory order or an advisory opinion on the applicability of any statutory provision, regulation or decision of the Administrator or Commissi…

NAC 534A.690 Petition for adoption, filing, amendment or repeal of permanent regulation; final decision. (NRS 513.063, 534A.090) 1. Pursuant to NRS 233B.100, any interested person may submit a petition to the Commission for the adoption, filing, amendment or repeal of a permanent…

NAC 534B.010 Definitions. (NRS 534B.120) As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires, the words and terms defined in NAC 534B.015 to 534B.080, inclusive, have the meanings ascribed to them in those sections. (Added to NAC by Comm’n on Mineral Resources by R109-…

NAC 534B.015 “Aquifer” defined. (NRS 534B.120) “Aquifer” means a geological formation or structure that stores or transmits water. (Added to NAC by Comm’n on Mineral Resources by R109-17, eff. 5-16-2018)

NAC 534B.018 “Artesian hole” defined. (NRS 534B.120) “Artesian hole” means a hole tapping an aquifer underlying an impervious material in which the static water level in the hole stands above where it is first encountered in the aquifer. (Added to NAC by Comm’n on Mineral Resourc…

NAC 534B.022 “Bentonite grout” defined. (NRS 534B.120) “Bentonite grout” means a commercially manufactured product consisting of the sodium montmorillonite that, when mixed with water pursuant to the specifications recommended by the manufacturer, is specifically designed to seal…

NAC 534B.025 “Blowout” defined. (NRS 534B.120) “Blowout” means an uncontrolled escape of fluids and gases from a dissolved mineral resource exploration borehole or dissolved mineral resource exploration well. (Added to NAC by Comm’n on Mineral Resources by R109-17, eff. 5-16-2018…

NAC 534B.027 “Blowout prevention equipment” defined. (NRS 534B.120) “Blowout prevention equipment” means equipment attached to casing which: 1. Is equipped with gates, rams or other packoff; 2. Can be closed around the drill pipe; and 3. Completely closes the top of the casing. (…

NAC 534B.032 “Casing” defined. (NRS 534B.120) “Casing” means the conduit required to: 1. Prevent waste and contamination of the groundwater or a dissolved mineral resource; and 2. Hold the formation open during the construction or use of a dissolved mineral resource exploration w…

NAC 534B.035 “Cement grout” defined. (NRS 534B.120) “Cement grout” means a mixture consisting of equal parts by volume of portland cement and sand, consisting of a grain size of not more than 2 millimeters, with not more than 6 gallons of water for each 94-pound bag (1 cubic foot…

NAC 534B.038 “Commission” defined. (NRS 534B.120) “Commission” means the Commission on Mineral Resources. (Added to NAC by Comm’n on Mineral Resources by R109-17, eff. 5-16-2018)

NAC 534B.040 “Concrete grout” defined. (NRS 534B.120) “Concrete grout” means a mixture of portland cement, sand, 1/4-inch minus aggregate and water which contains at least 5 bags of cement per cubic yard of concrete and not more than 7 gallons of water per bag of cement (1 cubic …

NAC 534B.042 “Contaminant” defined. (NRS 534B.120) “Contaminant” means any chemical, mineral, live organism, organic material, radioactive material or heated or cooled water that may adversely affect the quality of groundwater. (Added to NAC by Comm’n on Mineral Resources by R109…

NAC 534B.044 “Contamination” defined. (NRS 534B.120) “Contamination” means the impairment of water quality by the introduction of contaminants into the groundwater. (Added to NAC by Comm’n on Mineral Resources by R109-17, eff. 5-16-2018)

NAC 534B.048 “Dissolved mineral resource exploration project” defined. (NRS 534B.120) “Dissolved mineral resource exploration project” has the meaning ascribed to it in NRS 534B.110. (Added to NAC by Comm’n on Mineral Resources by R109-17, eff. 5-16-2018)

NAC 534B.055 “Geothermal resource” defined. (NRS 534B.120) “Geothermal resource” has the meaning ascribed to it in NRS 534A.010. (Added to NAC by Comm’n on Mineral Resources by R109-17, eff. 5-16-2018)

NAC 534B.058 “Groundwater” defined. (NRS 534B.120) “Groundwater” means the subsurface water in a zone of saturation. (Added to NAC by Comm’n on Mineral Resources by R109-17, eff. 5-16-2018)

NAC 534B.065 “Neat cement” defined. (NRS 534B.120) “Neat cement” means a mixture of: 1. Water and cement in a ratio of not more than 5.2 gallons of water per bag of portland cement (1 cubic foot or 94 pounds); or 2. Water, cement and sodium bentonite in a ratio of not more than 7…

NAC 534B.072 “Operator” defined. (NRS 534B.120) “Operator” means a person acting for himself or herself or as an agent of others, designated to the Division as the person who has primary responsibility for complying with this chapter with respect to a dissolved mineral resource e…

NAC 534B.080 “Waste” defined. (NRS 534B.120) “Waste” means allowing an artesian hole to discharge water unnecessarily above or below the surface of the ground so that the water is lost for beneficial use. (Added to NAC by Comm’n on Mineral Resources by R109-17, eff. 5-16-2018)

NAC 534B.090 Applicability. (NRS 534B.120) 1. Except as otherwise provided in subsection 2, any drilling or plugging of a dissolved mineral resource exploration borehole or a dissolved mineral resource exploration well within a dissolved mineral resource exploration project is su…

NAC 534B.100 Responsibilities of well driller of exploration borehole or exploration well. (NRS 534B.120) A well driller: 1. Must be: (a) Licensed to drill wells pursuant to NRS 534.140; and (b) Present at the site of the drilling of a dissolved mineral resource exploration boreh…