Canada Oil and Gas Drilling and Production Regulations (SOR/2009-315)

30. The operator shall ensure that adequate equipment, procedures and personnel are in place to recognize and control normal and abnormal pressures, to allow for safe, controlled drilling operations and to prevent pollution.

31. The operator shall ensure that any depth in a well is measured from a single reference point, which is either the kelly bushing or the rotary table of the drilling rig.

32. The operator shall ensure that

• (a) directional and deviation surveys are taken at intervals that allow the position of the well-bore to be determined accurately; and

• (b) except in the case of a relief well, a well is drilled in a manner that does not intersect an existing well.

33. The operator shall ensure that

• (a) a formation leak-off test or a formation integrity test is conducted before drilling more than 10 m below the shoe of any casing other than the conductor casing;

• (b) the formation leak-off test or the formation integrity test is conducted to a pressure that allows for safe drilling to the next planned casing depth; and

• (c) a record is retained of each formation leak-off test and the results included in the daily drilling report referred to in paragraph 83(a) and in the well history report referred to in section 88.

• 34. (1) The operator shall ensure that

  • (a) the equipment used in a formation flow test is designed to safely control well pressure, properly evaluate the formation and prevent pollution;

  • (b) the rated working pressure of formation flow test equipment upstream of and including the well testing manifold exceeds the maximum anticipated shut-in pressure; and

  • (c) the equipment downstream of the well testing manifold is sufficiently protected against overpressure.

• (2) The operator of an offshore well or a well in a sour environment shall ensure that the formation flow test equipment includes a down-hole safety valve that permits closure of the test string above the packer.

• (3) The operator shall ensure that any formation flow test equipment used in testing an offshore well that is drilled with a floating drilling unit has a subsea test tree that includes

  • (a) a valve that may be operated from the surface and automatically closes when required to prevent uncontrolled well flow; and

  • (b) a release system that permits the test string to be hydraulically or mechanically disconnected within or below the blow-out preventers.

35. The operator shall ensure that adequate procedures, materials and equipment are in place and utilized to minimize the risk of loss of well control in the event of lost circulation.

• 36. (1) The operator shall ensure that, during all well operations, reliably operating well control equipment is installed to control kicks, prevent blow-outs and safely carry out all well activities and operations, including drilling, completion and workover operations.

• (2) After setting the surface casing, the operator shall ensure that at least two independent and tested well barriers are in place during all well operations.

• (3) If a barrier fails, the operator shall ensure that no other activities, other than those intended to restore or replace the barrier, take place in the well.

• (4) The operator shall ensure that, during drilling, except when drilling under-balanced, one of the two barriers to be maintained is the drilling fluid column.