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Geothermal Rules <br />Effective Date: September 30, 2004 <br />5.2 Knowledge of Rules - It shall be the responsibility of all geothermal well owners, <br />operators and constructors to obtain information pertaining to the regulation of <br />geothermal resources before beginning construction operations. These Rules provide <br />minimum standards for the construction and operation of geothermal wells and they do <br />not preclude the use of higher standards or better grade materials. The owner, operator <br />and constructor shall be responsible for knowing and complying with applicable federal, <br />state, and local statutes, rules and codes. <br />5.3 Entry Upon Property - The State Engineer and his duly authorized <br />representatives have the authority and duty to enter upon, and to order the well owner <br />or operator to permit the entry upon, private property at any reasonable time to inspect <br />the various means or proposed means of appropriation, transportation, reinjection, and <br />extraction; to observe well construction and plugging and the uses or proposed uses of <br />the geothermal resource; and to read meters, gauges, and other measuring devices. <br />5.4 Training and Safety Equipment - When hazardous conditions or contaminants <br />are known or suspected to be encountered during well construction, personnel shall be <br />adequately trained and proper safety equipment provided to handle and contain the <br />hazard. <br />5.5 Vertical Boreholes - Unless directional drilling has been specifically approved <br />by the State Engineer, all boreholes shall be constructed so that the horizontal deviation <br />of the borehole from its surface location is a practical minimum at all times. The <br />sidetracking of the borehole due to adverse drilling conditions shall not be considered <br />as directional drilling as long as the borehole does not deviate more than two hundred <br />(200) feet from the permitted surface location and meets the spacing constraints of <br />these Rules. <br />5.6 Directional Drilling - Notice shall be given to and approval obtained from the <br />State Engineer prior to any directional drilling operations intended to deflect the <br />borehole horizontally from the surface location of the well or borehole. The notice shall <br />clearly state the exact surface location of the well or borehole, the proposed depth, the <br />proposed direction of deflection, and the proposed course of the deviated borehole. <br />Within sixty (60) days after constructing the well or borehole, the owner or operator shall <br />submit to the State Engineer an accurate and complete directional survey. <br />5.7 Multiple Completion of a Well - The construction of a geothermal well for the <br />simultaneous extraction of geothermal resources from more than one reservoir shall not <br />be approved by the State Engineer unless the following conditions are met: <br />a. an application is submitted to the State Engineer setting forth all material <br />facts involved and the proposed manner and method of construction. The <br />application shall include a diagram of the mechanical installations showing <br />how the resource will be extracted separately from each reservoir and the <br />appropriations measured; <br />