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THE PRIME MINISTER OF
GOVERNMENT
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SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF
VIET NAM
Independence - Freedom – Happiness
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No. 163/1998/QD-TTg
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Hanoi, September 07,
1998
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DECISION
PROMULGATING THE REGULATION ON PETROLEUM RESOURCES
EXPLOITATION
THE PRIME MINISTER
Pursuant to the Law on Organization of the
Government of September 30, 1992;
Pursuant to the Petroleum Law of July 6, 1993;
Pursuant to the Law on Environmental Protection of December 27, 1993;
Pursuant to Decree No. 84-CP of December 17, 1996 of the Government detailing
the implementation of the Petroleum Law,
DECIDES:
Article 1.- To
promulgate together with this Decision the Regulation on petroleum resources
exploitation.
Article 2.- This
Decision takes effect 15 days after its signing. All previous regulations
contrary to this Decision are hereby annulled.
Article 3.- The
ministers, the heads of the ministerial-level agencies and agencies attached to
the Government, the presidents of the People's Committees of the provinces and
cities directly under the Central Government, Chairman of the Managing Board
and General Director of the Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation shall have to
implement this Decision.
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THE
PRIME MINISTER OF GOVERNMENT
Ngo Xuan Loc
REGULATION
ON PETROLEUM RESOURCES EXPLOITATION
(issued together with Decision No. 163/1998/QD-TTg of September 7, 1998 of
the Prime Minister)
Chapter I
GENERAL PROVISIONS
Article 1.- Aims
This Regulation details the implementation of
provisions relating to oil and gas exploitation in Decree No. 84-CP of December
17, 1996 of the Government.
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This Regulation shall apply to oil and gas
exploitation activities of the (contract) operators in the territorial areas,
territorial waters, continental shelf and the exclusive economic zone of the
Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
Article 3.- Terms used
in this Regulation
Terms defined in the Petroleum Law and Decree
No. 84-CP shall also be used in this Regulation. Besides, in this Regulation,
the terms below shall be construed as follows:
"Discharge" means discarded solid or
liquid substance or solution of wells or any other discharges arising in the
exploitation and other activities at oil and gas fields;
"Exploitation project" means a project
where there are exploitation equipment and facilities together with platforms,
underground exploitation equipment, drilling equipment, diving equipment and
offshore supply and receiving system, excluding the pipeline system outside the
exploitation zone;
"Offshore exploitation project" means
an exploitation project built offshore, which is, however, not an artificial
island;
"Inland exploitation project" means an
exploitation project built in the mainland;
"Flow line" means the pipeline which
carries crude oil or natural gas from the exploitation projects to other
location(s) outside the exploitation zone;
"Physio-environmental conditions" mean
the climatic, hydrological, oceanographic and other physical conditions related
to the implementation of this Regulation;
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"Technological pipeline" means the
pipeline used for carrying fluids from wells to technological equipment and
vice versa;
"Injection pipeline" means the
pipeline that carries fluids to the injection well or the discharge well;
"Instrument approving the right to conduct
exploitation activities" or "instrument approving the exploitation
activities" is a document issued by the competent State management agency
defined in Article 31 of Decree No. 84-CP;
"Injection well" is an well used for
fluid injection into reservoirs or fields;
"Oil well" means an well exploiting
crude from oil reservoir.
"Gas well" means an well exploiting
gas from gas reservoir or field or from the gas cap of an oil field;
"Development well" means the well
drilled into the product formations or fields to carry out the following
activities:
1. Exploitation of products or fluids;
2. Observing and monitoring the development of
product formations;
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4. Flooding fluids into wells.
"Appraisal well" means an well drilled
to gather information on the size and nature of a product formation or field;
"The approved gas-oil ratio limit" is the
limit of the gas and oil ratio set by the competent State management agency or
the Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation under the authorization of such agency;
"The recovery coefficient" means the
ratio between the volume of petroleum which can be recovered from underground
and the geological reserves under the expected economic and technical
conditions;
"The underground exploitation equipment
system" includes facilities and equipment installed on or under the sea
bed for oil and gas exploitation or fluid injection, including vertical pipes,
pipelines and relevant exploitation control system;
"Exploitation activities" mean all
activities related to the exploitation of oil and gas from reservoirs or
fields;
"Reservoir or field development plan"
is an instrument presented by the operator to the competent State agency
applying for the right to conduct oil/gas reservoir or field development and
exploitation activities;
"Plan for experimental reservoir or field
exploitation" is the instrument submitted to the competent State
management agency by the operator applying for the application of the existing
or experimental technologies to a limited part of a reservoir or a field aiming
to gather information on the reservoir or field or on exploitation changes in
order to optimise the field development or raise the efficiency of reservoir or
field exploitation;
"Completion section" means the section
of the well body through which the fluids flow in or out of the well body;
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"Fluid" means crude oil, natural gas,
liquidized gas compounds or water;
"Natural environment" is the physical
and ecological environment in the oil and gas exploitation zone;
"The field exploitation operator" or
"the operator" for short is an organization or individual permitted
by the Vietnamese State to conduct oil and gas exploitation activities under
the provisions of the Petroleum Law, Decree No. 84-CP, this Regulation and other
legal documents;
"Casing" is a tube installed inside
the well body in service of the exploitation and injection;
"Vertical tube" means a vertical tube
section used for carrying fluids to and from exploitation projects, including
production lines, injection pipes, pipes outside the exploitation zone, control
pipeline and gas discharge pipeline.
"Support facilities" mean boats,
vehicles, air-planes, air-cushion trains, rescue boats or other facilities used
for transporting or supporting people working in the exploitation zone;
"Approved output" is the average
production output in a definite period of time, approved by the competent State
management agency or by the Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation under the former's
authorization;
"Net output" is the actual average
output attained within a definite period of time;
"Overexploited output over the plan"
is the excessive output due to the fact that the net output is higher than the
approved one;
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"Adjusted output" is the average
production output which must be increased or reduced as compared to the
approved output to ensure that the net accumulative production output is equal to
the approved accumulative output;
"Well repair" is the repair activity
undertaken at the production well, injection well, discharge well or
observation well in order to restore, increase or change the oil and gas flow
or the receiving capacity; including the re-completion of wells;
"Product layers" are product
formations which have been determined in term of geo-strata;
"Exploitation equipment and
facilities" mean equipment installed in the exploitation zone, including
separating equipment, treating equipment, support equipment in service of
exploitation, regrouping zone, helipads, storehouses and storing yards, storage
tanks, dwelling houses, but excluding rigs, underground exploitation system,
drilling equipment, diving equipment system or flow lines;
"Reservoir testing" means the studies
conducted to determine a number of physical properties of reservoirs through
the determination of the relationship between the buttomhole pressure and the
flow of reservoir fluids exploited from the well.
"Oil reservoir" is a formation where
hydrocarbon is deposited largely in the liquid form;
"Gas reservoir" is a formation where
hydrocarbon is accumulated largely in the form of gas.
Article 4.- Information
report and submission
All information, documents and samples defined
in this Regulation must be reported and submitted to the Vietnam Oil and Gas
Corporation according to the current regulations.
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FIELD DEVELOPMENT PLAN
AND FIELD EXPLOITATION ACTIVITIES
Article 5.- General
provisions
The operator is only entitled to develop and
exploit reservoirs or fields according to the reservoir or field development
plan or the experimental reservoir or field exploitation plan, which has
already been approved by the competent State management agency in accordance
with the provisions in Article 31 of Decree No. 84-CP.
The operator shall be allowed to drill
development wells only after getting the approval of the Vietnam Oil and Gas
Corporation.
Article 6.- Changes or
supplements to plans
The operator shall have to apply for any changes
or supplements to the already approved plans for the development or trial
exploitation of reservoirs or fields in the following cases where:
- The operator plans to make considerable
changes to the nature or tempo of the reservoir or field development
activities; considerable changes or supplements to the existing equipment at
reservoirs or fields; or to deploy at the reservoirs or fields an exploitation
program other than that in the already approved plan for the reservoir or field
development or trial exploitation;
- The reservoir or field exploitation status or
the latest geological information requires the change of exploitation method in
order to achieve the highest coefficient of oil and gas recovery from
reservoirs or fields;
- The coefficient of the final oil and gas
recovery from reservoirs or fields can be raised with high economic efficiency
through the application of new methods or technologies.
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The operator is not allowed to open oil or gas
reservoir other than that in the reservoir testing program according to the
current regulations, except for special cases approved by the Vietnam Oil and
Gas Corporation.
The operator is only entitled to exploit oil or
gas from reservoirs or fields according to the Petroleum Law, Decree No. 84-CP,
this Regulation and other current relevant stipulations.
Article 8.- Procedures
for approving the field development plan
Before applying for the approval of a field
development plan or requesting supplements or amendments to a field development
plan, the operator shall have to reach an agreement with the Vietnam Oil and
Gas Corporation on the contents thereof, and submit them through the Vietnam
Oil and Gas Corporation to the competent State management agency for approval.
Article 9.- Approving
oil and gas exploitation activities
When applying for the right to conduct oil and
gas exploitation activities, the operator shall have to submit relevant
documents at the request of the Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation.
When approving oil and gas exploitation
activities, the Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation shall also approve the
conditions related to the safely plan, as well as the plan for the protection
of environment and petroleum resources.
The operator is only entitled to conduct oil and
gas exploitation activities according to the approved plans and in compliance
with the provisions in Article 64 of this Regulation.
Chapter III
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Article 10.- Core
sample
When technical conditions permit and if the
taking of core sample is deemed useful for the assessment of a reservoir or a
field, the operator shall have to take the core sample from the appraisal well
at the reservoir product section.
The Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation shall
approve the core extraction program only if it deems that such program shall
adequately supply geological data and production reservoir index data for the
reservoir evaluation.
The operator shall be allowed to drill the
development well at reservoir or field only after the core extraction program
is approved by the Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation.
The operator shall have to preserve the
extracted core samples and conduct the general and particular analysis thereof.
If it deems necessary, the Vietnam Oil and Gas
Corporation may request the operator to take and analyze the additional core
samples.
Article 11.- Reservoir
testing
Before conducting a reservoir testing at the
appraisal well or the development well or before putting the development well
into production, the operator shall have to submit to the Vietnam Oil and Gas
Corporation the characteristics of the reservoir testing program for
consideration and approval.
The operator shall have to test the initial
reservoir before putting wells into exploitation in order to gather data on the
well's capability to yield oil or gas product, determine the characteristics of
the deposit stratum and take the representative fluid samples of the well.
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When testing a reservoir and evaluating a well,
the operator shall have to conduct them strictly in accordance with the already
approved program on reservoir testing and well study.
The operator shall have to promptly report to
the Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation on the results of reservoir testing already
conducted.
Article 12.- Reservoir
pressure gauging or survey
Before starting the exploitation from each
completed section of a development well, the operator shall have to determine
the static reservoir pressure of such completed section.
Within the first two years after the reservoir
or field is put into production, the operator shall have to measure or survey
the reservoir and field pressure and analyze the information thereon once every
3 or 6 months, depending on the exploitation situation of the reservoir or
field. For the subsequent period, the operator shall have to measure or survey
the reservoir pressure at least once every 12 months.
At least 60 days before conducting the reservoir
pressure study, the operator shall have to submit to the Vietnam Oil and Gas
Corporation for consideration and approval the pressure study program which
clearly states the method and locations of the number of wells to be closed for
research in order to ensure the accurate determination of the static reservoir
pressure.
At the request of the operator, the Vietnam Oil
and Gas Corporation may approve a reserve pressure study timetable other than
that stipulated above provided that such timetable fits the production
conditions.
When studying the reservoir pressure and
measuring the fluid level in the well, the operator shall have to conduct them
according to the guidance and standards of the Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation.
Article 13.- Measuring
the down-the-hole exploitation parameters
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After measuring the down-the-hole exploitation
parameters, the operator shall have to report its results to the Vietnam Oil
and Gas Corporation.
Article 14.- Fluid
sample taking and analysis
Upon the completion of drilling of the appraisal
well in any reservoir, the operator shall have to immediately take deep sample
or surface sample at the cellar in order to recreate the initial reservoir
conditions if it is unable to take the deep sample.
The operator shall have to take and analyze oil
sample, gas sample and surface water sample from a number of wells just enough
to evaluate the composition of the reservoir fluids at least once every 12
months or at any time when appear signs showing that the composition of fluids
exploited from the reservoir has changed.
The operator shall have to take and analyze such
samples according to API RP.44 standards of the latest edition or other
standards accepted by the Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation.
After a well is put into production, if water is
found in the well fluids, the operator shall have to install the well fluid
analyzing equipment at proper places in order to determine the composition and
origin of water in such production well.
For a gas well, the operator shall have to
determine the source of liquid being exploited. If the being exploited liquid
is the reservoir liquid, measures must be taken to establish and promptly
implement a process to determine the reservoir liquid flow in the exploitation process.
When requested, the operator shall have to promptly report to the Vietnam Oil
and Gas Corporation on the results of the implementation of the above-said
process.
When analyzing liquid samples, the operator
shall have to ensure that such analysis is conducted according to API RP.45
standard "Regulation on analyzing liquid samples of oil field" - the
latest edition, or other standards accepted by Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation.
The operator shall have to submit to the Vietnam
Oil and Gas Corporation the report on the results of the analysis of
representative composition of fluids of the reservoir and the results of the
description of basic physical and chemical properties of the gas and liquid
components of such fluid, including information prescribed by Vietnam Oil and
Gas Corporation right after the completion of the analysis.
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OPERATING DEVELOPMENT
WELLS
Article 15.- General
provisions
The operator shall have to complete and operate
the development well according to the best technical process in order to ensure
the original state of well and the safe use of well exploiting and operating
equipment, the environmental protection, to evaluate and control all operation
of the well and recover oil and gas from the well efficiently.
If conditions permit, the operator shall have to
immediately adjust the well equipment that may badly affect the exploitation or
injection.
The operator shall have to raise the well's
exploitation or receiving capacity or change the completed section of the well
if such is deemed necessary in order to avoid the considerable reduction of the
coefficient of the final oil and gas recovery of the reservoir or field.
If the pressure disparity and the
characteristics of the flow of a reservoir may affect the oil and/or gas recovery
coefficient at any reservoir when the exchange of flow between such reservoir,
appears, the operator shall have to complete the multi-reservoir exploitation
wells into separate reservoir exploitation wells or into separate
multi-reservoir exploitation wells, or may apply measures to minimize the
inter-reservoir flows.
For wells where many separate reservoirs are
simultaneously exploited, the operator shall have to carry out the following
tasks:
1. Upon the completion of a well, test must be conducted
separately for each reservoir in order to affirm and ensure a good interval
between reservoirs, including inside and outside the casing;
2. If there is any doubt about such interval,
separate test must be conducted immediately.
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For a development well, the operator is allowed
to conduct well repair activities, insert geo-physical gaugers or to handle to
increase product stream only when it is so approved by the Vietnam Oil and Gas
Corporation.
Within 15 days before conducting the above
activities, the operator shall have to submit documents related to the process,
equipment and title of the operator to the Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation for
consideration and approval.
The above stipulations shall not apply to
geo-physical gauging conducted through the well head when the well head is
placed higher than the sea water level provided that such activities do not
alter the completed section of the well or adversely affect the oil and/or gas
exploitation coefficient of reservoir(s).
In cases where the approval is not yet obtained,
the operator may carry out the above-mentioned activities if they should be
carried out immediately to avoid the loss of well control and if the operator
can prove the must to carry out such activities before the timelimit prescribed
above.
Article 17.- Dispatch
of approval instruments
Right after receiving the instruments approving
the operation of a development well, the operator shall have to send one copy to
the exploitation project.
Article 18.- General
report
Within 30 days after completing all activities
prescribed in Article 16, the operator shall have to submit to the Vietnam Oil
and Gas Corporation the activity report which includes:
1. The summary of activities and incidents;
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3. Data on the composition and properties of
fluids used for well completion;
4. Evaluation of the results of work performed.
Article 19.- Production
report
In the annual production report made according
to Article 92, the operator shall have to present the detailed description of
geo-physical measurement activities conducted at the development well.
Article 20.- Casings
and exploitation liners
The operator shall have to ensure that the
casing and exploitation liner installed down the hole are designed to serve the
following purposes:
1. Permitting the well completion to be done in
a safe and efficient manner;
2. Permitting the installation of mechanical
exploitation equipment when it is so required to maintain the exploitation
flow;
3. Withstanding conditions that cause adverse
impacts on the preservation of the structure of the casing and exploitation
liner.
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The operator shall have to ensure that the
height of the cement post outside the casing is appropriate so as to serve the
following purposes:
1. Preventing the corrosion of the casing from
the outside;
2. Combating impacts arising due to the
injection of fluid into the voidage between the casing and the exploitation
liner; preventing the adverse impacts caused to the casing sections uncemented
or poorly cemented that may surpass the limit of durability of the casing.
At the request of the Vietnam Oil and Gas
Corporation, the operator shall have to prove that the requirements on the
casings and production liners of drilling wells under this Regulation have been
met.
The operator shall have to ensure that the
casing and exploitation liner down the hole, after being installed or repaired,
must be tested with the maximum pressure which may be withstood by the casing
and the exploitation liner during the exploitation process.
Article 21.- The inter-pipe
space
The operator shall have to ensure that the
solution used in the well completion or repair must be the one that cause least
impacts on the product strata, and that equipment inside the well and the inter-pipe
space are arranged in a way that may facilitate the well discharging.
The operator shall have to install packer inside
the well in the following cases where:
1. The production well is located offshore;
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3. There may appear in the voidage between the
casings and the production liners a pressure of over 13 MPa.
Article 22.- Safety
valves inside the wells
If it is an offshore production well, the
operator shall have to install the safety valve inside the well at minimum
distance of 30 m below the sea-bed.
If it is an inland production well which is
capable of self-flowing without needing any mechanical exploitation equipment,
the operator shall have to install the safety valve inside the well if the well
is located within the area where exist dangers to the local population,
environment and drilling well due to overflowings; and/or if gas containing
sulphurhydro with a content of over 50 per million regarding the volume is
exploited.
The operator shall have to operate the well in
accordance with the technical data, design, to install equipment, operate and
test each safety valve according to API Spec 14A standards: "The technical
standards on equipment inside wells" - the latest edition, and to the API
Spec 14B standards: "The regulation on technological diagrams, equipment
installation and the operation of the system of safety valves inside the
well", the latest edition, or other standards accepted by the Vietnam Oil
and Gas Corporation.
When the safety valves inside the well are
controlled on the surface, the operator shall have to test such valves on the
spot right after their installation and retest them at least once every 6
months.
The operator shall be allowed to exploit a well
only if the safety valve therein is in good working conditions.
Article 23.- Well-head
equipment and ventilating pole.
The operator shall have to ensure that the
well-head equipment and ventilating pole meet the following conditions:
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2. Up to the API Spec 6A standards:
"Technical criteria of well-head equipment and the ventilating pole",
the latest edition, if the production well is located inland.
3. Having the allowable maximum working pressure
greater than the maximum pressure to be withstood by the well-head equipment
and the ventilating pole during the exploitation process, which is in
accordance with the pressure standards accepted by the Vietnam Oil and Gas
Corporation.
4. Being designed to stand the temperature
conditions, corrosion and physical conditions of the environment;
5. Being designed to stand the force created by
the stretch of the casings and production liners in accordance with the
pressure standards accepted by the Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation.
6. Having two major valves, except for the cases
prescribed below:
Where the oil exploitation well has a low
pressure with the sulphurhydro content of under 1% or the gas well has a low
pressure with the sulphurhydro content of under 10 per million in volume or
where it is the water injection well, the ventilating pole needs only one major
valve.
After the first installation and each repair,
the operator shall have to test the ventilating pole at the maximum pressure to
be possibly withstood by the ventilating pole during the exploitation process.
Article 24.- Other
activities conducted simultanously with the exploiting operation
When conducting the drillings, completion,
repair or acceleration of well flows, geo-physical gauging, chemical products
pumping or other construction activities simultanously with the exploitation
activities, the operator shall have to ensure that such activities are included
in the safety plan as provided for in Article 64.
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Chapter V
RESOURCE PROTECTION
REQUIREMENTS
Article 25.- Field
management
The applicable exploiting methods stated in the
field development plan must ensure the maximum oil and/or gas recovery
coefficient.
Within the scope possible to be achieved, the
operator shall have to determine the locations of drilling wells so as to
ensure the maximum exploitation of oil and/or gas.
If supplementary drillings are deemed able to
increase the oil and/or gas recovery coefficient, the operator shall have to
study a supplementary drilling program and submit it to the Vietnam Oil and Gas
Corporation for approval.
Article 26.- Injection
of fluid replacement into reservoirs or fields
When exploiting oil with the reservoir pressure
maintenance regime, the operator must not pump fluids into the reservoirs of
the injection well network and reservoirs other than the already approved
injection well network and reservoir.
The operator must not inject fluids into the
reservoir with a volume different from the exploited volume if it is not so
approved by the Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation.
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If deeming that the coefficient of the final oil
and/or gas recovery from the reservoir shall not reduce, the Vietnam Oil and
Gas Corporation shall approve the volume difference or the exploited output
different from the above requirements.
The operator shall have to maintain the
exploited volume or output already approved by the Vietnam Oil and Gas
Corporation under the provisions of this Article.
Article 27.- Injecting
gas back to gas reservoirs or caps
The operator must not pump gas back to the gas
reservoirs or caps if it is not so approved by the competent State management
agency and the Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation.
Article 28.- Exploiting
oil and gas simultaneously
The operator shall be entitled to exploit oil
and gas simultaneously from reservoirs or fields with gas caps only when the
maximum oil and gas recovery coefficients approved by the Vietnam Oil and Gas
Corporation are ensured.
Article 29.- Exploiting
many reservoirs at a time
Without the approval of the Vietnam Oil and Gas
Corporation, the operator must not exploit oil and/or gas from two reservoirs
or more through a production liner or a common well body without measuring the
separate flow of each reservoir.
If the exploitation of many reservoirs at a time
is approved, the operator shall have to measure the total flow of all product
reservoirs and determine the exploited flow of each separate reservoir.
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The operator may burn gas in the following
cases:
1. Where the reservoir testing process lasts not
more than 48 hours with the flow and volume not greater than the flow and
volume that need to be discharged for well ventilation and cleaning.
2. During the period for which the Vietnam Oil
and Gas Corporation has accepted and approved the flow and volume in
reservoir-testing or well-cleaning activities permitted to last beyond 48 hours
or after the well completion, repair or treatment.
The operator may burn gas according to cycles,
burn the surplus gas obtained from the low pressure treating system, which can
not be economically preserved and the gas burning shall not cause any danger to
the safety; burn it in the state of emergency which lasts less than 72 hours
such as the compressor or other equipment are out of order; burn it during the
periodical maintenance, inspection and testing.
In the emergency state, the operator may
temporarily discharge gas if it is impossible to burn it, but for not more than
24 hours and through the safety valves.
The operator is allowed to burn or discharge gas
from wells for the release of pressure.
The operator shall have to submit to the
competent State management agency and the Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation for
approval the annual burning of accompanied gas for each oil field.
Article 31.- Oil burning
or destruction
The operator may burn or destroy oil in
emergency cases or when such is deemed necessary for a reasonable period of
time after starting the work of well completion or repair or where the flow is
accelerated with the volume of oil to be burnt or destroyed being less than one
(1) cubic meter/hour.
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In the course of well testing, the operator must
not exploit oil with a volume exceeding the volume permitted for burning or
destruction by the Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation.
Chapter VI
EXPLOITATION OUTPUT
Article 32.- General
provisions
The operator shall have to exploit oil and gas through
the best exploiting methods in order to achieve the maximum oil and gas
recovery coefficient with a stable exploitation output in line with the
approved field development plan.
Article 33.-
Exploitation output forecast
Based on the approved exploitation output stated
in the field development plan, on October 1st every year, the operator shall
have to submit the oil and gas exploitation forecasts for the subsequent years.
For oil exploitation forecasts with the error not exceeding 15% as compared with
the calculated coefficient of the final oil recovery, the operator shall have
to supplement the field studies in order to ensure that the final recovery
coefficient shall not shrink.
The first year's exploitation capacity forecast
must be calculated according to each month on the basis of each well. The
exploitation forecasts for four subsequent years must be calculated according
to each quarter and the long-term forecast of the field's life-long operation
shall be calculated according to each year. If the annual output forecast
fluctuates around �10%
or more, the operator shall have to explain it in writing.
Article 34.- Approving
the exploitation output
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The Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation shall
approve the yearly and quarterly exploitation outputs and may reconsider the
average annual exploitation output if the operator fails to achieve the approved
output level. For such case, the operator shall have to explain the
fluctuations of around 10% or more as compared to the approved exploitation
output level.
The operator shall have to ensure the estimated
exploitation output attainable in each specific period under the conditions
that activities and product distribution are carried out cautiously, ensuring
their practicality, including measures to minimize the gas burning and
discharge.
Within 30 days after detecting considerable
changes in the exploitation flow, the operator shall have to report them to the
Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation for reconsidering and readjusting the
exploitation level.
During the year, if there is any change in the
output due to one or several causes in the production process, the operator
shall have to quarterly notify the Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation of the
exploitation output change in each month of the quarter. For such case, the
operator shall have to submit the following documents at least one month before
the turn of the quarter:
- The exploitation capacity estimated for each
subsequent quarter;
- The estimated average exploitation output and
the monthly net average output of the field in the past and in the remaining
quarters of the year;
- The graph of net oil exploitation output
developments as compared to the approved oil exploitation output; the graph of
the actually burnt volume as compared to the approved volume to be burnt since
the year of explaining the change of around �10%
or more between the net oil exploitation output and the approved oil
exploitation output and if the volume of burnt gas exceeds the allowable limit.
When conditions permit, the Vietnam Oil and Gas
Corporation may approve the maximum output level for each platform in order to
meet the field coordination requirements.
Article 35.-
Overexploited and underexploited oil outputs
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In cases where the monthly output is surpassed
or failed, the operator shall have to make the adjustment to such surplus or
deficit level in the following month. In cases where the exploitation output
adjustment exceeds 10% for a field or 5% of the approved output for the
contractual zone, the operator shall have to report it to the Vietnam Oil and
Gas Corporation for adjustment.
In cases where the monthly output is surpassed
or failed, the operator shall have to make the adjustment thereof at the end of
each quarter so that by the end of the year the output decrease or increase no
longer exists.
Article 36.- Natural
gas exploitation output
For the natural gas, on October 1st every year,
the operator shall have to report the natural gas exploitation output estimate
for each field, based on the demand for gas in the subsequent years. Such
estimates shall have to comply with the provisions of Article 32.
The operator is not allowed to exploit natural
gas differently from the contracts for annual sale and purchase of gas with
customers, corresponding to the approved exploitation output stated in the
field development plan.
If a change or supplement beyond the allowable
scope is required, the operator shall have to report it to the competent State
management agency, asking permission for the adjustment.
Article 37.- Accompanied
gas exploitation
For accompanied gas, on October 1st every year,
the operator shall have to submit to the Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation the
exploitation output estimates and plans on the use of accompanied gas for each
oil field in subsequent years.
The operator shall have to ensure by all means
that the monthly average gas-oil ratio shall not exceed the approved limit.
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If it deems necessary, the Vietnam Oil and Gas
Corporation, after consulting with the operator, may consider and adjust the
gas-oil ratio for each field on the basis of the latest technical information
and studies available in the year or in conformity with the limit of gas volume
burnt or discharged.
Chapter VII
MEASUREMENT AND
INSPECTION
Article 38.- General
provisions
The operator shall have to measure and record the
flow and total output of each kind of fluids exploited or injected into wells,
sold, burnt or destroyed.
The operator shall have to measure and record
the flow and total output of gas used as raw materials for exploitation
activities at fields or for exploitation by gaslift.
The operator shall have to measure and record
the flow and total crude oil output used as liquid hydraulic energy for
mechanical exploiting equipment.
The operator shall have to measure and record
the flow and total output of each kind of fluids in and out of the treating
system at the fields.
Article 39.- Flow
gauging equipment
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Article 40.- Installing
flow meter
The operator shall have to ensure that all
valves, gaugers and calibration tubes are installed in order to keep the flow
reasonably stable through gaugers provided for in Article 39 above.
Article 41.-
Exploitation output distribution
The operator shall have to distribute the oil
exploitation output from the well cluster of the field on the basis of the
ratio divided for each well according to the flow-separating system and the
distribution process already approved by the Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation.
Article 42.- Commercial
gas flow meter
When using meter to measure the flow of
commercial gas used in exploitation activities, the operator shall have to
submit to the Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation the following documents:
1. The technical parameters of the measuring
meter, including the minimum and maximum flows, working pressure and
temperature, materials used for the manufacture of meters and the installation
process;
2. The detailed list of pressure-or
heat-resistant components of centripetal force adjusters, deironizing,
dehydrating or degassing accessories, sample-extractor, volumeter or control
equipment used together with meters;
3. The detailed list of actual working
conditions of meters, including the flow-measuring distance, the determination
of constant or interrupted flow, the maximum pressure, pressure-measuring space
and the temperature measuring degree;
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5. The copies of all reports on meter
adjustment.
Article 43.- Gross flow
meter and calibration of gas meters, water meters
When using meters to measure the total flow,
water and gas, the operator shall have to calibrate all measuring equipment
according to standards and periodical regime, approved by the Vietnam Oil and
Gas Corporation.
Article 44.- Condensate
and crude oil measurement
When using meters to measure operation according
to rotating principle or space-occupying principle to gauge condensate and
crude oil, the operator shall have to calibrate all measuring equipment and
maintain the calibration according to the standards and periodical regime
approved by the Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation.
When using measuring equipment according to
principle of flow via hole to measure condensate and crude oil, the operator
shall have to fix the automatic-recording device to such equipment.
Article 45.- Dossiers
on the measuring work
The operator shall have to keep for at least
three years all books, records on the measuring work by each gross flow meter
or flow-controller used by the operator. During that period, the operator, if
requested, shall have to submit these books to the Vietnam Oil and Gas
Corporation.
Article 46.- The
precisiveness of substitute measuring method or the readjustment of measuring
method.
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The operator shall have to regularly test wells
with the number of tests enough to satisfy the requirements of the allowable
minimum precisiveness as prescribed above.
At the request of the Vietnam Oil and Gas
Corporation, the operator shall have to inspect the precisiveness of the
measuring equipment being in use and report to the former the results of such
inspection.
At the request of the Vietnam Oil and Gas
Corporation, the operator shall have to replace or calibrate any measuring
equipment that fails to meet the precision requirements defined in this
Regulation.
Chapter VIII
REQUIREMENTS ON THE
CONSTRUCTION OF EXPLOITATION PROJECTS
Article 47.- General
provisions
The operator shall be allowed to use the
exploitation zone only under the conditions that the exploitation equipment
deployed therein are safe for people, minimize the danger of environmental
destruction and permit easy access to exploiting equipment.
Article 48.- Safety
system at the exploitation project
The operator shall be allowed to use the system
of treating equipment, separating tanks, pressure tanks, mechanical pumps,
compressors, pipelines, manifold, well-heads and oil and gas exploiting
equipment only when such equipment are protected by a safety system. The safety
system must be always in good working order in the course of oil and gas
exploitation.
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The safety system must be capable of
automatically detecting dangerous or abnormal signs related to the protected
equipment. On the basis of such detection, the safety system shall
automatically stop the operation of the entire project or part of the project.
The operator shall be allowed to use the
offshore exploitation project only when the safety system for the projects is
analyzed, designed and installed according to API RP 14C standards
"Regulation on analysis, installation, design and inspection of basic
safety system on the surface of the offshore exploitation project", the
latest edition.
Article 49.- Emergency
shutdown valves
The operator shall have to install the emergency
shutdown valves at the well heads and the ventilating poles in the following
cases:
1. The production well contain sulphurhydro with
the content of more than 50 per million;
2. The well is located in the offshore
exploitation zone;
3. The fluid flow should be stopped from well
due to incidents in pipelines or the injection pipe, that may cause danger to
people or serious destruction of the natural environment.
The operator shall have to ensure that all
emergency shutdown valves installed at the well are compatible to the API Spect
14D standards: "Technical standards for safety valve at the well-cellar
and in deep sea for offshore exploitation" - the latest edition.
Article 50.- Diesel
motors placed on land
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Article 51.-
Product-treating equipment
The operator shall be allowed to use offshore
exploitation project only when the system of pipelines and relevant equipment
are designed and installed according to API RP 14E standards "Regulation
on designing and installing pipeline systems at offshore exploitation
projects", the latest edition.
The operator shall be allowed to used the
pressure-resistant or fire-resistant tanks only if they are designed and
installed according to the following conditions:
1. API Spec 12J "Technical criteria of oil
and gas separating tanks", the latest edition.
2. Chapter I to IX of the ASME standards:
"Codes of pressure-resistant and steam tanks", the latest edition.
3. Other standards accepted by the Vietnam Oil
and Gas Corporation.
The operator shall be allowed to use compressors
to compress hydrocarbon at exploitation projects if such compressors are
designed according to the following standards:
1. API Standard 617: "Centrifugal
compressors used in the oil refining technology", the latest edition.
2. API Standard 618: "Centrifugal
compressors used in oil refining technology", the latest edition.
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4. Other standards accepted by the Vietnam Oil
and Gas Corporation.
When gathering and/or treating oil, gas and
water containing sulphurhydro, the operator shall have to treat them in
accordance with the international practices in oil and gas industry in order to
minimize the leak of sulphurhydro gas into the natural environment and ensure
the safety and efficiency of such activities.
Sour gas treating equipment must ensure that all
materials and the process of using such equipment always comply with the
stipulations accepted by the Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation.
Article 52.- Pressure
release system
At the exploitation projects the operator shall
have to hook up the pressure-release valves and liquid hydrocarbon treater with
decanting tanks, storing tanks or rubber-enclosed containers with holding
capacity being great enough to store the largest possible volume of liquid
discharged before the safety valves are shut down.
At the exploitation projects, all
pressure-release valves in gas-treating equipment must be hooked up with gas-burning
or discharge systems.
At the exploitation projects where the
sulphurhydro content in the exploited fluids exceeds 10 per million, a gas
burning system that operates permanently must be installed thereat.
Article 53.- Alarming
system
The operator shall be allowed to conduct oil and
gas exploitation only when the exploitation projects are equipped with alarming
systems capable of warning all people on the work site of dangers possibly
occurring to people, the projects or any harms to the natural environment.
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1. The written description of the alarming
system and method used for identification of types of alarm;
2. The written description of alarming signals;
3. The installing locations of fire, smoke or
gas leak-detectors;
4. The written description of energy sources for
the alarming equipment;
5. The maintenance and adjustment of alarming
equipment;
6. The quantity and location of hand devices for
detecting gas.
The alarming systems on exploitation projects
must regularly and constantly operate with high reliability, be regularly
inspected and maintained, and designed against interferences.
When the automatic alarming system of an
exploitation project is being inspected, maintained or repaired, the operator
shall have to ensure that the system's function is maintained manually.
Article 54.-
Information and communications system
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Offshore exploitation projects must be equipped
with two-way radio communications systems for constant contacts between
offshore exploitation projects and control centers ashore, rescue ships as well
as any other nearly offshore exploitation projects and sea transport means in
the vicinities.
Man-controlled offshore exploitation projects
must be equipped with internal telephone communication systems and the
public-addressing system arranged in such a way that everyone in any place on
the project site can receive information therefrom, and with facilities to
transmit documents to the control centers ashore.
Offshore exploitation projects not controlled by
men must be equipped with two-way radio communication systems during the time
when there are people working thereat, with systems capable of detecting all
possible bad circumstances that may cause danger to projects, natural
environment and to the communications with the control centers.
Article 55.- Replacing
or operating safety equipment
Without plausible reasons, no one is allowed to
replace or operate on his/her own the safety equipment in contravention of the
provisions in Article 22 and Chapter VII of this Regulation.
Chapter IX
ENVIRONMENTAL MATTERS
Article 56.- General
provisions
The operator shall have to abide by the Law on
Environmental Protection, the "Regulations on environmental protection in the
prospection, exploration, field development, exploitation, storage, transport
and processing of oil and gas and related services" issued together with
Decision No. 395/1998/QD-BKHCNMT of April 10, 1998 of the Ministry of Science,
Technology and Environment and the provisions in Chapter IX of this Regulation.
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For offshore exploitation projects, the operator
shall have to note down and summarize the observations on the natural
environment in the process of field exploitation through the working-shift
follow-up table according to the form set by the Vietnam Oil and Gas
Corporation.
For inland exploitation projects, the Vietnam
Oil and Gas Corporation may request the operator to monitor and record the wind
direction and speed and the rainfall according to certain regime. For offshore
projects, the operator shall have to observe and record the daily rainfall, at
least once in every 12 hours under the normal weather conditions and once every
hour under the rainy and storm conditions. The operator shall have to record
the wind direction and speed, the direction, height and length of sea waves,
the post-storm direction; height and length thereof, the direction and velocity
of the current, the atmosphere pressure and temperature, the temperature of sea
water; the visibility.
The floating platform operator shall have to
observe and note down the slant, rolling and bobbing of the exploitation system
and the strain of each anchoring rope at least once every 6 hours when the wind
speed is below 35 km/h and once every 3 hours when the wind speed exceeds 35
km/h.
For offshore exploitation projects, while
conducting production activities, the operator shall have to record the
forecasts of meteorological and hydrological conditions for each day and when
the meteorological and hydrological conditions alter as compared to the
forecasts.
Article 58.- Impacts
brought about by the construction
The operator shall have to construct or install
projects or parts of the projects according to the designs in order to ensure
their use efficiency and minimize their impacts on the surface of sea bed,
river bed, ground, living creatures or the natural environment.
Article 59.- Dangers
The operator shall have to take preventive
measures to protect people, exploitation projects and all relevant facilities
in the exploitation zone so as to avoid harms done by the nature and
exploitation activities.
Article 60.- Treatment
of oil and discharges
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Article 61.-
Destruction of discarded materials
The operator shall have to ensure that all
wastes arising in the exploitation process shall be gathered, treated,
discharged or destroyed in a way not to cause any harms to people's health as
well as environment, and the natural conditions shall be preserved.
Article 62.- Water
exploited from reservoirs and industrial discharge water
The operator shall not be allowed to commission
any system discharging reservoir exploitation water into the sea if such system
is not designed and built to maintain the oil content in water lower than the
monthly average value or the daily maximum value as specified in the document
approving the exploitation with reservoir water.
The operator shall not be allowed to discharge
waste water from industrial treatment process into sea if such discharged water
fails to meet the criteria on contamination limits as prescribed in the
document approving the exploitation with reservoir water.
The operator shall have to establish a rational
process of extracting and analyzing samples in order to ensure the quality of
exploited water and industrial water, which are better treated much below the
contamination limits prescribed in the documents approving the exploitation
activities with reservoir water.
The operator shall not be allowed to discharge
waste water into land surface water sources or less salty water reservoirs,
which can be used for daily life.
When conducting inland exploitation, the
operator shall only be allowed to conduct exploitation according to diagrams
approved by the Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation and in accordance with the
provisions of Article 17 of the Regulation on environmental protection.
The operator shall be allowed to commission the
schemes to discharge reservoir water underground only when so approved by the
Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation in order to avoid environmental pollution and
support the maintenance of formation pressure.
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The operator shall only be allowed to suspend
the operation of exploitation projects in accordance with the field development
plans already approved by the competent State management agency.
Before suspending the exploitation of a
reservoir or a field for at least 18 months, the operator shall submit through
the Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation to the competent State management agency
the termination and field cleaning program.
The operator shall be allowed to terminate
reservoir or field exploitation activities only if the termination and field
cleaning program is approved by the competent State management agency and when
the operator has completed such program with certification by the Vietnam Oil
and Gas Corporation.
Chapter X
OTHER PRODUCTION
ACTIVITIES
Article 64.- Safety and
environmental protection plans
The operator shall have to submit the following
documents to the competent State management agencies and the Vietnam Oil and
Gas Corporation for approval:
1. The plan for human safety, preservation of
exploitation projects and safety for equipment, which shall contain regulations
on operation, preservation, inspection, maintenance and other relevant matters.
2. The plan for the protection of natural
environment, including the treatment of pollutants or wastes leaked or
discharged during the exploitation process.
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The above-mentioned plans must also cover the
coordination with national, branch and local plans.
The operator shall have to keep the copies of
the approved plans at the exploitation projects and necessary places so that
everyone can see and implement them.
The operator shall have to always ready all
equipment for the implementation of the approved plans.
Article 65.-
Requirements on equipment
The operator shall ensure that all equipment and
machinery used at the exploitation projects meet the safety requirements; be
attached with the control systems and safety systems to protect people and
environment; be installed and operating in a way to minimize noises, thus
avoiding harms done to people and living creatures. The equipment and machinery
must be installed in a way to minimize dangers to the exploitation projects or
to people working thereat, minimize the environmental destruction, and to
facilitate the use thereof.
Article 66.- Required
inspection of valves, sensor equipment and relevant reports
For inland exploitation projects, the operator
shall have to carry out the following:
1. At least once every 6 months, testing the
designed pressure and the working pressure for all emergency valves at well
mouths and immediately replacing those out of order;
2. At least once every 12 months, testing the
discharge valves at the pressure tanks installed at wells or exploitation
projects;
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4. At least once every month, testing liquid level
controlling equipment by commissioning gauge.
5. At least once every month, testing automatic
shut-down valves hooked up to air compressors or at the inlet of the pressure
tank, testing valves which shut and operate according to the principle of shutting
at low level on the pipeline.
When the inland exploitation projects are
installed with gas or oil treating systems, the operator shall have to test all
discharge valves of the above-said equipment at least once every 12 months or
during the maintenance process if so approved by the Vietnam Oil and Gas
Corporation.
For offshore exploitation projects, the operator
shall have to proceed with the following:
1. Checking and testing all parts of the project
safety system according to the provisions of Article 48 and recording the
system's function according to appendix D of the API RP 14C standards:
"The Regulation on testing, designing, installing and inspecting the
safety system for offshore exploitation projects", the latest edition.
2. At least once every month, checking the
emergency shut-down system of the safety system according to Article 48 by
testing all remote control safety valves at each emergency shut-down control
station and reoperating them.
3. Testing all valves and sensors equipment,
which are components of the safety system as prescribed at Article 51 according
to the following timetable:
- At least once every month for emergency
shut-down valves at well which are higher than sea water level in order to
inspect their function and detect leaks;
- At least once every month for the pressure
gauges;
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- At least once every month for control valves
placed on the pipeline to detect leak;
- At least once every month for auto-shut valves
at the inlet of the pressure tank or the air compressor through test with the
use of sensors;
- At least once every month for shut-down valves
installed at the liquid discharge pipeline from the pressure tank and operated
by low-level sensors;
- At least once every 6 months for shut-down
system installed at the air compressor being operated by heat sensor;
- At least once every 3 months for fire-alarm
system and gas detecting system;
- At least once every 12 months for pressure
release valves.
4. Readjusting gas-detecting system and
fire-alarm system, which, when being tested, are found no longer precise.
For offshore exploitation projects, the operator
shall have to submit to the Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation the list of safety
equipment and anti-environmental pollution equipment no later than 45 days
after commencing oil and gas exploitation at such project, update data into the
list as prescribed above and submit to the Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation
within 45 days after completing the following activities:
- Considerably changing the safety system of the
project according to Article 48;
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The operator shall have to report to the Vietnam
Oil and Gas Corporation on all erronous tests or failed tests of the safety
system of the project or equipment of the safety system, no later than 30 days
after completing the test.
Article 67.- Support
facilities
The operator shall only be entitled to use the
support facilities designed, manufactured and preserved in a way to be capable
of operating safely under the anticipated natural environment conditions in
such areas.
The operator shall be allowed to use the support
facilities only when such facilities are equipped with sound and light signal
system in accordance with the regulations on maritime safety applicable to such
ship, and equipped with emergency rescue equipment with the quantity being
enough to release and save all people aboard such means when any incident
happens.
The manager of the rescue facility shall have to
inform all people boarding the rescue facilities the safety regulations being
applied to such means.
Article 68.- Rescue
ship
The operator of a man-controlled offshore
exploitation project must be possessed of rescue ship which continuously
operate within the 5 km-distance and the scope the ship can travel therefrom to
the project after 20 minutes in case of a storm.
The rescue ship shall have to meet the following
criteria:
1. Having enough rooms for every people from the
exploitation project in case of an evacuation;
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3. Being capable of rescuing people who fell
into the sea near the exploitation project;
4. Being equipped to function as a communication
center in case of emergency so as to ensure the communication between the
exploitation project and other ships as well as other exploitation projects in
the vicinity, the rescue means, the inland rescue stations and means.
The operator of man-controlled offshore
exploitation project shall have to ensure that the rescue ships are ready to
rescue people working on the exploitation project in case of emergency and
approach near the exploitation project, if necessary, to stand ready for rescue
in the following cases where:
- Helicopters are taking off or landing;
- People are working by the sides of ships,
rigs;
- People are working by water edge or in water;
- Support is needed in order to avoid crashes
against the exploitation project and other dangers.
Article 69.-
Transportation
The operator shall have to ensure that the
transportation of people and commodities in and out of the exploitation project
is carried out safely and in accordance with the current provisions of law.
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The operator of the man-controlled offshore
exploitation project shall have to ensure that the communication facilities at
the project are capable of operating uninterruptedly and that the operators are
fully qualified.
People must be put on duty around the clock to
monitor, receive, listen to and record all information on walkie-talkie at the 156.8
MHz frequency, and monitor information, notices and signals on the sea and in
the air related to the movement of all support means operating in between the
exploitation projects and inland control centers.
Article 71.- Keeping
the Regulation
The operator shall have to file the copy of this
Regulation at the exploitation project and ensure that such copy must always be
available for references and examination when requested.
Article 72.- Suspension
of production activities
The operator shall have to immediately suspend
all exploitation activities if deeming that their continuity shall discharge
into the environment the volume of wastes exceeding the limits prescribed in
this Regulation or the limit stated in the document approving the exploitation
activities, or cause unsafety to workers, wells or to the operations of other
projects.
The operator shall be allowed to resume the
exploitation activities only when they are carried out in a safe manner and do
not discharge wastes into the environment beyond the prescribed limits.
When there are persons seriously injured or
incidents causing serious harms to equipment, the operator shall have to
suspend all activities that may cause casualty or serious harms. The operator
shall not be allowed to resume the operation if not so permitted by the Vietnam
Oil and Gas Corporation.
When a well in the exploitation zone goes beyond
control or faces the danger of uncontrollability, the operator shall have to
shut down all wells in the exploitation zone till the uncontrollable well or
the uncontrollability-prone well is controlled.
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For offshore exploitation systems, the operator
shall have to be capable of locating any undersea systems.
Chapter XI
SAFETY AND PERSONNEL
TRAINING
Article 74.- Cadres'
qualifications
The operator shall have to ensure that all of
their supervisors in the exploitation zone have good knowledge and been well
trained to perform their tasks with safety before they undertake the assigned
tasks.
At the request of the Vietnam Oil and Gas
Corporation, the operator shall have to supply the precis of qualifications and
experience of any supervisor working in the exploitation zone.
Article 75.- Training
When the exploitation activities require
employees with special skills, the operator shall have to submit to the Vietnam
Oil and Gas Corporation a report on the program for additional training of
employees. The operator shall have to ensure that the persons selected for the
approved training program splendidly accomplish their courses.
Article 76.- Practice
on safety and environmental protection
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At least once every 12 months, the operator of
exploitation projects shall have to organize practice on coping with and
gathering spilt oil for people working at the exploitation site according to
current regulations.
The operator shall have to organize the
repractice of any process being applied at the exploitation project if it is
deemed unsafe and must notify everyone to participate in the practice. In case
of necessity, the operator shall have to include the safety-practice program
into the safety manual.
Article 77.- The
equipment maintenance and replacement process
The operator shall have the following
responsibilities:
1. To immediately repair or replace the
equipment which are being used at the exploitation projects and out of order
and may cause unsafety for people and equipment thereat;
2. To draft support programs that require
advanced technologies to control the mechanical and chemical corrosion for
components of the exploitation project as well as pipe, pole, well heads... at
the exploitation project and report to the Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation
thereon when requested.
Chapter XII
RIGHT TO ACCESS,
SUPERVISION AND INVESTIGATION
Article 78.- The right
to access
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1. Members of the exploitation crew or persons
so permitted by the operator;
2. Representatives of the Vietnam Oil and Gas
Corporation or the competent State management agency(ies);
3. Person(s) appointed by the Vietnam Oil and
Gas Corporation but accompanied by the operator's man(men);
4. Inspection groups or inspector(s) as
prescribed by the Petroleum Law.
The operator of offshore exploitation projects
shall have to apply appropriate measures to ensure that the operators of boats,
ships or airplanes operating in or approaching the safety zones of the projects
realize the boundaries of the safety zones.
The safety zone of an offshore exploitation
project as prescribed above is a zone which is 500 meters from the outmost edge
of such exploitation project or from the anchoring place of a floating
facility.
Other special cases shall be determined by
competent State management agencies.
All facilities, boats and ships are not allowed
to anchor within two nautical miles from the outmost edge of an exploitation
project.
Article 79.- Equipment
inspection and remedial measures
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When re-testing the equipment, if detecting that
such equipment operate not in accordance with their technical specifications
stated in the operation manuals, the operator shall have to immediately replace
or repair such equipment.
If the above-mentioned equipment cannot be inspected
satisfactorily, the operator may request the operator re-examine or replace
them immediately.
Article 80.-
Investigation of incidents
The Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation or
representatives of the competent State management agencies shall investigate
any incidents or phenomena in the exploitation zones if they deem that such
phenomena may cause considerable destruction or damage to exploitation
equipment, the overflowing of substances into the natural environment beyond
the limits prescribed in this Regulation or approved document or causing
casualties to laborers at the exploitation projects.
The Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation may conduct
investigation in other cases if it is necessary and reasonable.
Chapter XIII
RECORDING AND REPORTING
Article 81.- Unit
system
The operator shall have to use the international
unit system (SI) to record data and in the reports submitted to the Vietnam Oil
and Gas Corporation. For special cases, other units may be used but changed
into SI units enclosed therewith.
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The operator shall have to immediately notify
the Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation by the quickest communication means of
accidents that cause human death or missings, serious injuries, of any threats
to the safety of individuals or collectives, of fires, explosions,
uncontrollability of wells, spills of oil or toxic substance, of the
considerable destruction of exploitation projects or serious incidents or
accidents having occurred at the exploitation projects.
After informing the Vietnam Oil and Gas
Corporation of the accident(s) or incidents, the operator shall have to
immediately report in writing to the former on such accidents or incidents.
Article 83.- The names
of and naming fields and wells
The Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation shall
stipulate and approve the naming of reservoirs or fields.
The Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation shall
approve the boundaries of reservoirs or fields submitted by the operator.
The operator shall have to use the approved names
of reservoirs or fields in all reports, recordings and other documents as
requested by the Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation.
The operator shall name the completion wells for
putting them into exploitation according to the following order:
1. A fixed name including separate number sign
with the name number of the field and reservoir designing the well;
2. A non-fixed name indicating type of wells and
their status.
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- The operational well is named with letter O;
- The suspended well is named with letter S;
- The abandoned well is named with letter A;
- The injection well is named with letter I;
- The production well is named with letter P.
Article 84.- The change
of operator
When an incumbent operator proposes another to
replace him/her, apart from abiding by other legal documents, the former shall
have to submit to the Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation the following documents:
- The reason(s) for the replacement of operator;
- Papers evidencing the new operator is fully
capable of fulfilling the responsibility commitments of the incumbent operator
in accordance with the provisions of this Regulation.
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Article 85.-
Construction schedule
When requested, the operator shall, within 15
days, have to submit to the Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation the brief report on
major developments in the construction timetable or important events having
occurred in the course of construction or installation of exploitation project
in the month.
Article 86.- Recording
production activities
The operator shall have to keep and supply, when
requested, to the Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation the following documents:
- Training in safety skills and safety
practices;
- The list of persons working in the
exploitation zone at any time;
- The movement of support facilities;
- The inspections, repairs, modifications or
break-down of equipment;
- Inspection of corrosion of the exploitation
system and the maintenance results;
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- The data on pressure, temperature, flows of
compressors, treating facilities and equipment;
- Calibration of measuring and other equipment;
- Checking of safety valves on the surface and
down the hole;
- The status of operation of wells;
- The leak of hydrocarbon or chemicals into the
natural environment.
The operator shall have to keep the above
documents for at least 5 years and submit to the Vietnam Oil and Gas
Corporation their originals or copies before destroying them.
Article 87.- Recording
exploitation activities
The operator shall have to record and keep data on
reservoir or field exploitation and submit them when requested by the Vietnam
Oil and Gas Corporation.
The operator shall have to keep the above
documents till the termination of exploitation.
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Within the first 10 days of a month, the
operator shall have to submit to the Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation three (3)
copies of the report on the exploitation situation of the preceding month
according to the set form.
The operator shall have to comply with the
exploitation output calculation process already approved in writing by the
Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation.
Article 89.- Monthly
reports on oil and gas treatment
Within the first 10 days of a month, the manager
of an oil and gas treating station shall have to submit to the Vietnam Oil and
Gas Corporation three (3) copies of the report on the oil and gas treatment
situation, clearly stating the volume already treated in the preceding month
according to the set form.
Article 90.- Data
report
The operation shall have to submit to the
Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation three (3) copies of the results, data, analysis
and diagrams according to set forms within 30 days after completing all
following activities:
1. Testing, measuring, counting and analyzing
geo-physical samples or fluid samples as prescribed in Chapter III of this
Regulation;
2. The dissociation testing or trial operation
of wells as prescribed in Chapter IV of this Regulation.
Article 91.- Trial
exploitation diagrams
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When completing the trial reservoir or field
exploitation diagrams, the operator shall have to submit to the Vietnam Oil and
Gas Corporation the following reports on:
1. The results of the experiment together with
data and proving analyses;
2. The conclusion on the possibility of applying
the experimental diagrams to mass exploitation.
Article 92.- Annual
reports on exploitation and/or evaluation of environmental impacts
Annually before March 1st, the operator shall
have to submit to the Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation the annual reports on
exploitation and evaluation of environmental impacts regarding reservoirs or
fields of the preceding year submitted to the competent State management agency
in charge of environment.
The annual exploitation report prescribed above
includes:
1. The exploitation or injection diagram of
reservoir or field;
2. The evaluation of the exploitation situation
of each well of a reservoir or a field;
3. Assessing the exploitation capacity of each
reservoir or field;
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5. Details on the reservoir status;
6. Evaluation of the situation on aqueous
exploitation of products;
7. The summary of tests and studies related to
well status and reservoir or field exploitation equipment;
8. Evaluation of the operation of safety valves
down the hole;
9. List of major changes of any exploitation
projects at reservoirs or fields.
The annual report on evaluation of environmental
impacts as prescribed above for offshore exploitation areas must include the overall
evaluation of the annual environment such as hydrographic and oceanographic
conditions as well as the operation suspension duration due to weather
conditions.
When the operation status of a well or reservoir
sees considerable changes as compared with the forecast in the annual report of
such well or reservoir, the operator shall have to submit the report on the
evaluation of operation of the well in each period as requested by the Vietnam
Oil and Gas Corporation.
Article 93.- Keeping
and ensuring confidentiality of and making public information and documents
The Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation shall file
and keep secret all information, documents and samples submitted by the
operator according to provisions in Article 94 of this Regulation.
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Article 94.-
Dissemination of information
It is forbidden to widely disseminate
information related to field development plans, experimental exploitation
diagrams and all other exploitation activities.
When necessary, the Vietnam Oil and Gas
Corporation shall have the right to inform concerned parties of major
information including: the names and locations of fields, wells or exploitation
projects, which have been used by the operator and the exploitation status of
reservoirs or fields.
The information supplied by the operator when
submitting application for the approval of the field development plan, the
experimental exploitation diagram or the right to conduct exploitation
activities as prescribed in Article 9, shall not be made public without consent
of the Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation.
The Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation may announce
information related to studies on environment or anti-accident plans when it
deems necessary.
Article 95.- The right
to make public information
The Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation may announce
information on exploitation activities directly related to the safety work in
the area after informing the operator thereof.
The Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation shall have
the right to inform the concerned parties of information in reports as
prescribed in Article 82.
Chapter XIV
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Article 96.- Handling
of violations
Organizations or individuals that violate the
provisions of this Regulation shall be handled according to Article 43 of the Petroleum
Law and Chapter IX of Decree No. 84-CP.
Article 97.- Regulation
implementation guidance
The Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation shall,
within its functions and powers, have to guide the implementation of this
Regulation.
Article 98.-
Implementation effect
This Regulation takes effect 15 days after its
signing for promulgation by the Prime Minister.
All previous stipulations contrary to this
Regulation are now annulled.