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

Well Naming and Numbering Standards

The problems and flaws associated with the existing Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) oil and gas well naming and numbering standards as contained in API Bulletin D12A are widely acknowledged throughout the industry. These deficiencies have resulted in significant, long-standing problems associated with consistent well identification, data storage and database management, and all types of communications within the oil and gas industry.

The goal of the attached "Well Naming And Numbering Standards" is to revise and improve existing standards and practices in order to:

1. Ensure that all wellbores in the OCS, including sidetracks, bypasses, redrills, and well deepenings, are assigned unique, consistent identifying numbers.
   
2. Establish well naming and numbering standards for new technology wellbores, such as multilateral, downhole splitter, and horizontal wells, which have not been addressed.

The implementation and use of these new standards (except for the well name suffix as stipulated below) are effective 30 days from the date of this Notice to Lessees (NTL) and will apply to all wells spudded after that effective date. Except for a small number of capacity wells and completions crossing lease lines, no existing well names and numbers assigned for past wells drilled and completed in the Gulf of Mexico will be changed or affected by the implementation of these new standards. For these exceptions, operators will receive notification from Royalty Management via the Well Confirmation Report. The Minerals Management Service (MMS) Pacific OCS Region may revise some or all historical Pacific well names and numbers in the future to comply with these new standards.

The effective date for the use of the well name suffix as described in the new Well Naming and Numbering Standards will be effective 180 days from the date of this NTL. This will allow MMS and industry time to finish any programming necessary to implement the use of this suffix.

These standards will also be attached as an appendix to existing MMS reporter handbooks. If there are any questions regarding these new well naming and numbering standards, please contact one of the following:

Gulf of Mexico OCS Region
Bob Lanza (504) 736-2450
Fran Wiseman (504) 736-2912
Eric Kazanis (504) 736-2667
Charlie Nixdorff (504) 736-2909

Pacific OCS Region
Joan Barminski (805) 389-7556

Alaska OCS Region
Jeff Walker (907) 271-6188

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved the information collection requirements in the MMS forms referred to in the attached "Well Naming and Numbering Standards" document. The forms and respective OMB control numbers are: Form MMS-123, "Application for Permit to Drill (APD)," OMB Control Number 1010-0044; Form MMS-124, "Sundry Notices and Reports on Well," OMB Control Number 1010-0045; and Form MMS-125, "Well Summary Report," OMB Control Number 1010-0046. This notice does not impose additional information collection requirements subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

[signed] Carolita Kallaur,
Associate Director

I

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Last Updated: 08/14/2008, 10:30 AM