Guidance
Decommissioning
Decommissioning
- BSEE
- Guidance
- Inspection and MaintenanceRegulation and Legislation
- Barrier managementRegulation and legislationWell integrity
- Pressure testingWell abandonment
- Energy and process isolationWell-barrier testing
- Upstream oil and gas
Summary
A regulatory checklist for temporary and permanent well abandonment under Subpart Q. Questions cover prior approval, isolation of open-hole zones and perforated intervals, cement plugging, conditional pressure testing, plug integrity, residual fluid density and wellhead removal. It also checks installation of two independent wellbore barriers, including a mechanical barrier.
Classifications: Barrier management; safety barrier management.
Classifications: Regulation and legislation; safety legislation; regulatory requirements.
Classifications: Well integrity; well life cycle integrity.
Classifications: Pressure testing; hydrostatic testing; pneumatic testing.
Classifications: Well abandonment; plug and abandonment; P&A.
Classifications: Energy and process isolation; isolation; energy isolation.
Classifications: Well-barrier testing; well barrier verification.
Classifications: Upstream oil and gas; oil and gas extraction; upstream petroleum.
Summary
BSEE inspection checklist of potential incidents of noncompliance for well decommissioning, temporary and permanent abandonment under 30 CFR 250 Subpart Q.
Themes: inspection and maintenance, regulation and legislation.
SUBPART Q - DECOMMISSIONING ACTIVITIES (Last Updated – January 2026)
Permits
A-500 HAS THE LESSEE RECEIVED WRITTEN APPROVAL FROM THE DISTRICT MANAGER PRIOR TO CONDUCTING DECOMMISSIONING OPERATIONS ON THE WELL?
Authority: 30 CFR 250.1703(a) Enforcement Actions: S
Temporary Abandonment
A-505 DOES THE WELL MEET THE PLUGGING AND TESTING REQUIREMENTS FOR A PERMANENT ABANDONMENT, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF A SURFACE PLUG, WELLHEAD REMOVAL, AND SITE CLEARANCE?
Authority: 30 CFR 250.1721 Enforcement Actions: W
A-510 IS A SUBSEA PROTECTIVE DEVICE INSTALLED AS REQUIRED?
Authority: 30 CFR 250.1721(f)(3) Enforcement Actions: W 30 CFR 250.1722
Permanent Abandonment
A-515 IS ISOLATION OF ZONES IN OPEN HOLE ACHIEVED?
A-520 IS ISOLATION OF THE OPEN HOLE BELOW THE CASING ACHIEVED?
A-525 IS ISOLATION OF PERFORATED INTERVALS ACHIEVED?
A-530 IS PLUGGING OF THE STUB ACHIEVED?
Authority: 30 CFR 250.1715(a)(4) Enforcement Actions: W 30 CFR 250.1715(a)(5)
A-535 IS ANY ANNULAR SPACE COMMUNICATING WITH OPEN HOLE, AND EXTENDING TO THE MUD LINE, PLUGGED, AND IF APPLICABLE, PRESSURE TESTED TO VERIFY ISOLATION?
Authority: 30 CFR 250.1715(a)(6) Enforcement Actions: W
A-540 IS A CEMENT SURFACE PLUG SET IN THE SMALLEST STRING OF CASING WHICH EXTENDS TO THE MUD LINE?
Authority: 30 CFR 250.1715(a)(8) Enforcement Actions: W
A-545 IS THE INTEGRITY OF APPLICABLE PLUGS VERIFIED?
Authority: 30 CFR 250.1715(b) Enforcement Actions: W
A-550 IS THE DENSITY OF THE FLUID LEFT IN THE HOLE ADEQUATE FOR THE FORMATION INTERVAL?
Authority: 30 CFR 250.1715(a)(9) Enforcement Actions: W
A-555 ARE WELLHEADS AND CASINGS REMOVED AS REQUIRED?
Authority: 30 CFR 250.1716 Enforcement Actions: W
A-560 ARE PERMAFROST AREAS WITHIN THE WELL ABANDONED AS REQUIRED?
A-565 ARE TWO INDEPENDENT BARRIERS INSTALLED, ONE OF WHICH MUST BE A MECHANICAL BARRIER, IN THE CENTER WELLBORE BEFORE TEMPORARY OR PERMANENT ABANDONMENT OF THE WELL?