Establishment or modification of a brine production drilling unit

(1) Upon the petition of an owner or operator of a brine well, the board may order the establishment of a brine production drilling unit. (2) Within a brine production drilling unit, only one brine well may be drilled for production from the reservoir, except as provided in Subsections (6) and (7). (3) A brine production drilling unit may not be smaller than the maximum area that can be efficiently and economically drained by one brine well. (4) (a) Each brine production drilling unit within a reservoir shall be of uniform size and shape, unless the board finds that the board is required to make an exception due to geologic, geographic, or other factors. (b) If the board finds it necessary to divide a reservoir into zones and establish a brine production drilling unit for each zone, brine production drilling units may differ in size and shape for each zone. (5) An order of the board that establishes a brine production drilling unit for a reservoir shall: (a) be made upon terms and conditions that are just and reasonable; (b) include the lands determined by the board to overlay the reservoir; (c) specify the acreage and shape of each brine production drilling unit as determined by the board; and (d) specify the location of the brine well in terms of distance from brine production drilling unit boundaries and other brine wells. (6) The board may establish a brine production drilling unit and concurrently authorize the drilling of more than one brine well in a brine production drilling unit if the board finds that: (a) engineering or geologic characteristics justify the drilling of more than one brine well in that brine production drilling unit; and (b) the drilling of more than one brine well in the brine production drilling unit will not result in waste or unreasonably interfere with correlative rights. (7) The board may modify an order that establishes a brine production drilling unit for a reservoir to provide for: (a) an exception to the authorized location of a brine well; (b) the inclusion of additional areas which the board determines overlays the reservoir; (c) the increase or decrease of the size of the brine production drilling units; or (d) the drilling of additional brine wells within brine production drilling units. (8) After an order establishing a brine production drilling unit is entered by the board, the drilling of a brine well into the reservoir at a location other than that authorized by the order is prohibited.