Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL) of Federal Oil, Gas,
and Sulphur Leases in the Outer Continental Shelf

Well Naming and Numbering Standards

NOTE: NTL 2000-N07, Attachment & Exhibits are available for download in Adobe's Portable Document Format (PDF).

When this Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL) takes effect, it will supersede NTL 97-2N. We issued that NTL in 1997 to correct the problems and flaws associated with the existing Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas well naming and numbering standards in American Petroleum Institute Bulletin D12A. Deficiencies had resulted in significant, long-standing problems associated with inconsistent well identification, data storage and database management, and all types of communications within the oil and gas industry. Although NTL 97-2N corrected many of the problems, we are making additional clarifications to improve the management of the data associated with the wells and to better identify wells from certain types of operations. The attachment to this NTL revises the well naming standards to indicate whether a well is a sidetrack (ST) or bypass (BP), similar to the nomenclature historically used by the industry. It also clarifies well segments less than 100 feet, well deepenings, batch set-type operations, and subsea well completions.

We have delayed the effective date of this NTL to allow adequate time for operators to make service providers aware of this new standard, and time for MMS and industry to finish any software programming necessary to implement the new nomenclature. However, we will accept the new well names (e.g., ST1, BP2) at any time before the effective date.

Contacts: If you have any questions regarding these new Well Naming and Numbering Standards, please contact one of the following:

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) Statement: The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved the information collection requirements in the MMS forms referred to in the attachment to this NTL. The forms (and respective OMB control numbers) are: MMS-123, Application for Permit to Drill (1010-0044); MMS-124, Sundry Notices and Reports on Well (1010-0045); and MMS-125, Well Summary Report (010-0046). This notice does not impose additional information collection requirements subject to the PRA.
 

Date: 8 November 2000

Associate Director for Offshore Energy and Minerals Management

Attachment with 15 Exhibits