Canada Oil and Gas Geophysical Operations Regulations (SOR/96-117)

PART IIIOnshore Geophysical Operations

Survey Monuments

16 Every operator who is conducting an onshore geophysical operation shall

• (a) determine the location of survey monuments in the vicinity of the field location of the operation and along any access roads or trails;

• (b) before the movement of any equipment, ensure that all survey monuments are clearly flagged; and

• (c) ensure that no work that is related to the operation is conducted within 2 m of a survey monument.

Seismic Energy Sources

• 17 (1) Every operator who is conducting an onshore geophysical operation shall, when determining the location for a seismic energy source, ensure that the seismic energy source

  • (a) is located so that, when the energy source is activated, no damage is caused to any wells, mines, pipelines, buried utilities, buildings or dams;

  • (b) is placed at least 2 m from any driveway, gateway or buried telephone or other communication line;

  • (c) where the energy source is a charge comprised of explosives, is placed

    • (i) where the quantity of explosives being used for the charge is set out in column I of an item of Schedule I, at least the distance set out in column II of that item from any oil or gas well or the centre line of any oil or gas pipeline, and

    • (ii) where the quantity of explosives being used for the charge is set out in column I of an item of Schedule I, at least twice the distance set out in column II of that item from any dam, residence, area of public congregation or water well; and

  • (d) where the energy source is other than a charge referred to in paragraph (c), is placed at least

    • (i) 100 m from any dam,

    • (ii) 15 m from any oil or gas well or the centre line of any oil or gas pipeline,

    • (iii) 50 m from any residence, structure with a concrete base or area of public congregation, and

    • (iv) 100 m from any water well if the energy source is vibroseis, or 50 m from such a well if the energy source is not vibroseis.

• (2) An operator shall not allow more than 500 kg of explosives to be detonated in any shot hole or array of shot holes.

• (3) Every operator who is conducting an onshore geophysical operation shall ensure that

  • (a) magazines that contain a quantity of explosives set out in column I of an item of Schedule II are located at least

    • (i) the distance set out in column II of that item from any highway or road accessible to the public, any railway, airfield, bank of a navigable or recreational waterway, park or other recreational area, or the work area for the operation, and

    • (ii) twice the distance set out in column II of that item from any building or storage area for inflammable substances in bulk; and

  • (b) magazines are located or protected so that they will not be damaged by accidental impact.

Preparation of a Charge

• 18 (1) Every operator who is conducting an onshore geophysical operation shall, when charges are being prepared, ensure that

  • (a) no tools other than tools made of bronze or another non-sparking material are used to cut or pierce a cartridge;

  • (b) there is no stripping of cartridges;

  • (c) priming is done only at the blasting site and all explosives, other than the charge to be loaded into the shot hole, are kept inside a magazine until the primed cartridge is loaded into the shot hole;

  • (d) no detonating cord is capped and no cartridge is primed in any place where explosives are stored; and

  • (e) the detonating cord is handled in a manner that prevents bending or pinching of the cord.

• (2) Every operator who is conducting an onshore geophysical operation shall ensure that all the electric detonators used in a circuit are of the same design and made by the same manufacturer.

Drilling Shot Holes for Charges

• 19 (1) Every operator who is conducting an onshore geophysical operation shall, when a shot hole is being drilled for a charge, ensure that

  • (a) no drilling is done within 5 m of a shot hole that contains a charge, whether or not the charge has been detonated; and

  • (b) the shot hole is of sufficient size to allow the insertion of a charge into position in the shot hole without the use of undue force.

• (2) Every operator who is conducting an onshore geophysical operation shall, when a shot hole is being drilled in an area that is prone to deposits of shallow gas, ensure that

  • (a) the drilling rig is positioned, with respect to the wind, so that gas encountered during drilling will not accumulate in the vicinity of the rig;

  • (b) the drilling rig is free from heat sources that might ignite any gas that has accumulated in the vicinity of the rig; and

  • (c) the engine is equipped with air intake shut-off valves that can be activated by the driller.

• (3) Every operator who is conducting an onshore geophysical operation shall, when gas is encountered during drilling, and where it can be done safely, allowing sufficient time to permit evacuation, ensure that the air intake shut-off valves on the engine are placed in the off position.

Loading Charges into Shot Holes

• 20 (1) Every operator who is conducting an onshore geophysical operation shall, when charges are being loaded into a shot hole, ensure that

  • (a) detonator lead wires are unravelled or unwound slowly when a charge is being lowered into a shot hole and are not unravelled or unwound by being thrown or dragged along the ground;

  • (b) damaged lead wires and damaged connecting wires are not used in blasting circuits;

  • (c) every member of the geophysical crew who is engaged in the handling of explosives or involved in the blasting operation is warned of the potential build-up of static electricity on the member’s clothing or in the atmosphere as a result of drifting sand or snow and of possible accidental firing of detonators if detonator lead wires are thrown to the ground;

  • (d) loading poles and pole extension fittings for them are made of non-sparking, anti-static material;

  • (e) undue force is not used to insert a charge into position in a shot hole; and

  • (f) any device that is used to decrease the buoyancy of a charge or to anchor a charge in a shot hole is made of non-sparking material.

• (2) Every operator who is conducting an onshore geophysical operation shall, once a charge is loaded into a shot hole, ensure that

  • (a) the detonator lead wires remain shunted at all times except during circuit testing;

  • (b) detonation of the charge occurs within 30 days after the day on which the charge is loaded into the shot hole, or any longer period approved by a conservation officer; and

  • (c) in inhabited areas or areas where there is the possibility that the detonator lead wires or detonating cord of the charge may be tampered with, a temporary plug is placed in the shot hole and the ground in the vicinity of the shot hole is levelled.

• (3) Every operator who is conducting an onshore geophysical operation shall ensure that

  • (a) when blasting in the vicinity of buildings, railways, roads or inhabited areas, the charge used is no larger than required;

  • (b) when blasting within 50 m of an overhead power line, the shooter who is responsible for the blasting uses

    • (i) detonating cord as a downline to the charge, and

    • (ii) a short detonator lead wire to initiate the detonating cord if the total detonator lead wire length is less than the distance from the overhead power line to the nearest point on the ground at the blasting site;

  • (c) when blasting in the area of a commercial electromagnetic transmitter with power in an amount that is set out in column I of an item of Schedule III, a charge is not loaded into a shot hole, primed or detonated unless the shot hole is located at least the distance set out in column II of that item from the base of the transmitter mast; and

  • (d) the circuit of every electric detonator is tested with a blaster’s galvanometer immediately after the charge is loaded into a shot hole and, if the test indicates that the circuit is open, no attempt is made to remove the charge and a fresh primed cartridge is inserted into the shot hole.

• (4) Every operator who is conducting an onshore geophysical operation shall ensure that charges are not loaded into a shot hole during an electrical storm or when an electrical storm is imminent.

Flagging Charged Shot Holes

21 Every operator who is conducting an onshore geophysical operation shall ensure that all shot holes that contain a charge are clearly flagged.

Firing Charges

22 Every operator who is conducting an onshore geophysical operation shall ensure that

• (a) detonator lead wires remain shunted at all times except when the charges are ready to be fired and during circuit testing after loading;

• (b) all blasting equipment at the blasting site is under the direct supervision and control of the shooter;

• (c) when conducting a blasting operation in the vicinity of buildings, railways, roads or inhabited areas, the shooter

  • (i) takes adequate precautions to prevent any damage to property, and

  • (ii) places warning signs or barricades or uses flagpersons to ensure that no persons other than those engaged in the blasting operation remain in the area made dangerous by the blasting operation;

• (d) when blasting operations are being carried out, the shooter takes adequate precautions to ensure that no charge is fired until all persons in the vicinity of the charge are protected by suitable cover from falling rocks, flying debris, mud and any other material disturbed or displaced as a result of the detonation or are at a safe distance from the charge;

• (e) detonators that are used near the surface of the ground are covered in such a manner that any fragments of metal and debris resulting from the detonation are confined;

• (f) a radio transmitter is not used at or near a blasting site when there are detonators outside of a magazine and above ground;

• (g) all blasting equipment is maintained in good working condition;

• (h) repair work to blasting equipment or to the firing cable is not conducted while the firing cable is wired to charges;

• (i) the blasting equipment is disconnected from the blasting circuit and the ends of the lead wires connected to the charge are twisted together

  • (i) immediately after firing, if the charge fails to detonate, and

  • (ii) before any member of the geophysical crew inspects any shot hole that contains or may contain explosives;

• (j) every detonator remains disconnected from the firing cable until the next charge or the next series or pattern of charges is ready to be fired and until the shotpoint is clear of all persons;

• (k) all shot holes containing a charge are fired before the termination of the operation;

• (l) blasting operations are not carried out during an electrical storm or when an electrical storm is imminent;

• (m) anti-static detonators are used where possible for all blasting operations; and

• (n) all electric detonator lead wires and other refuse from the blasting operation are retrieved from the field location of the operation.

Detonating Cords

• 23 (1) Every operator who is conducting an onshore geophysical operation shall ensure that, when a detonating cord is used in water,

  • (a) the end of the cord is sealed;

  • (b) the entire length of cord is submerged before the firing cable is connected to the blasting equipment; and

  • (c) the charge is detonated as soon as possible after loading.

• (2) Every operator who is conducting an onshore geophysical operation shall ensure that, when a detonating cord is used on damp ground, the charge is detonated as soon as possible after loading.

• (3) Every operator who is conducting an onshore geophysical operation shall ensure that no vehicle is driven over a detonating cord.

Misfired Charges

• 24 (1) Every operator who is conducting an onshore geophysical operation shall, in respect of any charge that has not detonated as a result of misfire, ensure that

  • (a) no attempt is made to remove the charge from the shot hole; and

  • (b) an attempt is made to detonate the charge promptly by means of a fresh primer or by inserting and detonating another charge in that shot hole.

• (2) When a charge fails to detonate after an attempt is made under paragraph (1)(b), the operator shall ensure that the charge and the lead wires that are connected to it are buried in the shot hole and that the shot hole is plugged in accordance with section 25.

• (3) Every operator who is conducting an onshore geophysical operation shall, on completion of the operation, report in writing to a conservation officer the location of all charges that failed to detonate.