Geologic Review

Geologic Review is an ongoing program created by the Louisiana Geological Survey in 1982 which provides regulatory technical assistance to the Office of Coastal Management (OCM) of the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources.

Meeting Scheduling

Geologic Review meetings can be scheduled on any day of the week (dependent on personnel availability) through the Office of Coastal Management (OCM).

To schedule a pre-application or application Geologic Review Meeting the permit applicant must contact OCM. A minimum of two weeks advance notice is preferable.

For GR scheduling please contact one of the OCM personnel below:

Guidelines And Information Required

Please refer to the Geologic Review Meeting Form as it covers most topics that will be reviewed/discussed. Please ensure you bring supporting documentation pertinent to the items to be reviewed as described in the Geologic Review Meeting Form, if you have any questions or need clarification at all please contact the Geologic Reviewer directly Dr. Clare Falcon at cfalcon@lsu.edu or cell 225-333-9252.

Download a Printable version of the GUIDELINES and ReQUIRED INFORMATION

A containerized mud system will be recommended for land-based drilling operations if:

  1. The location is on or immediately adjacent to an area of unusual environmental or administrative sensitivity as defined by Coastal Management Division.
  2. A non-water-based mud is to be used.
  3. A mud cooling system is to be used.
  4. The location is in an area of standing water.
  5. The location is at an elevation of <1' MSL.The location is less than 500' from a human habitation.
  6. The location is less than 1500' from a body of Section 10 open water or drainage feature, unless it is more than 500' from that water and down gradient from it.
  7. A request to that effect is made by a permitting or commenting agency.

The following information is what is generally needed for a Geologic Review meeting, although additional unlisted items may be required depending on the nature of each individual application. With the exception of public information no maps or data will be retained and the confidentiality of all items examined will be maintained.

Name and location of the well, accurate, detailed location plats (normally these are the plats sent to the appropriate agencies before scheduling the meeting); and the nature of the application (i.e. dredging, filling, directional well, etc.); dimensions of any dredging or filling; name of the applicant; names of operator if not the applicant; names and locations of any other applicant wetland permits in the area.

Lease maps, lease information, spacing and unitization constraints, contractual obligations, and any constraints (landowner problems, pipelines, houses, ditches, etc.) that may affect the proposed location.

Aerial photographs, imagery, photographs of the proposed site and proposed access routes, status and/or soundings of proposed access routes, field trip data, and site surveys that provide data about the proposed location. Often the inclusion of site photography can avoid the necessity of a field trip to the site and the associated costs and delays.

Number of significant objectives, depth and expected contents, structure maps of all significant horizons, well logs of nearby wells (preferably correlated ones), cross-sections relevant to the area, fault cuts, fault plane maps, isopach maps, all significant seismic lines (with interpretations), gas/oil/water contacts, shows and production of nearby wells in the same producing horizon. The well's surface and bottomhole locations should be shown on all maps and the well path should be projected onto all cross-sections and seismic lines.

TVD of the well, proposed mud program, proposed casing program, presence of depleted zones their depths and pressure readings, presence of overpressured zones and the depth it begins, FPG and FFG plots of nearby wells, well histories of wells in the area, directional history in the area, documentation to back up the presented well histories (i.e. mud recaps, drilling time, bit records, etc.).

The best estimate of the applicant's future plans in the event of both the success and the failure of the well(s) in question.

While not usually needed, detailed AFE's for the well as proposed and as a directional prospect may be required. If needed the applicant will be requested to provide them at a later date.

The meeting will be held at the State Lands and Natural Resources building in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. A fixed format in which questions will be asked in a series paralleling the listings above will be followed. After the information has been obtained the state and federal agencies will meet briefly to determine a joint recommendation after which the applicant will be advised of the results of the review.

Please insure that all data, maps, cross-sections, aerial photos, images, and charts are legible, clearly marked, and interpreted where appropriate. The proposed location's surface and bottomhole location (if different) should be clearly marked on each map, cross-section, seismic line, aerial photo, and image and each item should have its scale and orientation clearly shown. If at all possible all plats and maps should be the same scale.

 

Applicant Geologic Review Meeting Attendees

The only applicant personnel generally required to attend a GR meeting are the geologist and the petroleum engineer who are handling the prospect/project. Any regulatory or environmental affairs coordinator or other consultant involved in the permit should also attend. Other attendees are optional but certainly not unwelcome.

Location

Geologic Review meetings are held in the LaSalle Building at the northwest corner of North Street and N. Third Street, downtown Baton Rouge.

Building Access

A valid photo I.D. must be presented upon entering the building to check in on the ground floor.

Parking

The Welcome Center parking garage at North Street and River Road is the nearest covered parking. The Galvez garage at North Street and N. Fifth Street also provides covered parking. Curbside meters are available along downtown streets.

Negotiating downtown Baton Rouge is relatively easy. However, persons unfamiliar with downtown Baton Rouge should beware that most streets are one way and that five blocks south of and parallel to North Street is North Boulevard, a divided street that passes by the Old State Capitol building.