OWRB is an integral part of everything we do for our clients. Reports must be produced when installing or abandoning a well. This is necessary for many reasons not the least of which is safety and ground continuity. However, it can be confusing for both drilling companies and clients.
Each time we work with a well, soil boring, anode or cathodic protection well we must create a well report. These well reports must match the driller records. (in the event of an audit) So, for example, if you have a well installed (even if it is temporary) a well report is created that describes the owner information, finding location including project name and general address, depth, lithology, hydrology and proper GPS for that well. The importance of this is to ensure that the well can be easily located and that the composition of the well is accurate. Once this well report is created, it is given a "well ID number". The well ID number that is given to the well does not travel through the well lifespan in OWRB, in fact the well ID number that is given is a record number, it only identifies the record in the OWRB system ; so it may not match the ID number assigned by you or your company. If you need to match the record number with the actual well ID, be sure to make note of the Record number (ex: OWRB Report - Well ID Number: 224978) along with any ID you have given to the well (ex: Well Name: MW 21) So for your records the information could read like this: Well ID: MW 21 - OWRB224978.
Now when you are ready to abandon that same well, the OWRB will give it another "Well ID Number" which is the OWRB record number associated with the abandonment. So in order to better track a wells life span , you can update records to include both OWRB numbers along with the Well name. (Ex: MW 21 - OWRB224978 + OWRB269785) The last number in the example shows the abandonment report ID so now you have linked the reports to your well.
This can be awfully confusing. However, if you need to find a record of well that was installed or abandoned and you cannot locate the report number; you can always locate the report by other means such as using the the following information: date well was drilled or abandoned, County it is in, well owner name and address, GPS coordinates and the well name it was given by you or your client. For example: Say I want to find a well drilled in June of 2023 but I don't have the OWRB "well ID number" No problem, I just need the month and year it was done, the name of the owner and Well name (ex MW 23). Enter this information in the search section on the OWRB website and you should easily locate your well report showing your well information. If you are unable to locate the search feature of the OWRB, you can always check with your favorite drilling company and I am sure they will help you get the information you need.
Comments