30 CFR 550.116: How do I determine producibility if my well is in the Gulf of America?

If your well is in the GOA, you must follow either the procedures in § 550.115 of this subpart or the procedures in this section to determine producibility.

(a) You must write to the Regional Supervisor asking for permission to determine producibility.

(b) You must provide or make available to the Regional Supervisor, as requested, the following log, core, analyses, and test criteria that BOEM will consider collectively:

(1) A log showing sufficient porosity in the producible section.

(2) Sidewall cores and core analyses that show that the section is capable of producing oil or gas.

(3) Wireline formation test and/or mud-logging analyses that show that the section is capable of producing oil or gas.

(4) A resistivity or induction electric log of the well showing a minimum of 15 feet (true vertical thickness except for horizontal wells) of producible sand in one section.

(c) No section that you count as producible under paragraph (b)(4) of this section may include any interval that appears to be water saturated.

(d) Each section you count as producible under paragraph (b)(4) of this section must exhibit:

(1) A minimum true resistivity ratio of the producible section to the nearest clean or water-bearing sand of at least 5:1; and

(2) One of the following:

(i) Electrical spontaneous potential exceeding 20-negative millivolts beyond the shale baseline; or

(ii) Gamma ray log deflection of at least 70 percent of the maximum gamma ray deflection in the nearest clean water-bearing sand—if mud conditions prevent a 20-negative millivolt reading beyond the shale baseline.