§ 250.1103 - Well production testing.

(a) The required well testing shall be conducted for a period of not less than four consecutive hours. Immediately prior to the 4-hour test period, the well completion shall have produced under stabilized conditions for a period of not less than six consecutive hours. The 6-hour pretest period shall not begin until after the recovery of a volume of fluid equivalent to the amount of fluids introduced into the formation during completion, recompletion, reworking, or treatment operations. Measured gas volumes shall be adjusted to the standard conditions of 14.73 pounds per square inch absolute (psia) and 60 °F for all tests. When orifice meters are used, a specific gravity for the gas shall be obtained or estimated, and a specific gravity-correction factor shall be applied to the orifice coefficient. The Regional Supervisor may require a prolonged test or retest of a well completion if the test is determined to be necessary for the establishment of a well MPR or a reservoir MER. The Regional Supervisor may approve test periods of less than 4 hours and pretest stabilization periods of less than 6 hours for well completions provided that test reliability can be demonstrated under such procedures.

(b) At the request of the Regional Supervisor, the lessee shall conduct a multipoint back-pressure test to determine the theoretical open-flow potential of a gas well. The test shall be conducted within 30 days of the Regional Supervisor's request or within the time period specified by the Regional Supervisor.

(c) An MMS representative may witness any well test of oil-well and gas-well completions. Upon request, a lessee shall provide advance notice to the Regional Supervisor of the time and date of well tests.