Louisiana Form UIC-28 is the underground injection well operator’s report that offshore operators, out-of-state operators, and commercial disposal facilities file with the Office of Conservation to record each permitted well’s injection volume and maximum surface pressure for the reporting period. It’s due by the 15th day of the month following the period it covers, and you can download it from the Department of Conservation and Energy’s Environmental Division forms page.1Department of Conservation and Energy. CON: Forms – Environmental Division
Who Has to File
UIC-28 is limited to three categories of permit holders: offshore operators, out-of-state operators, and commercial disposal facilities running injection wells in Louisiana.1Department of Conservation and Energy. CON: Forms – Environmental Division If you run onshore, in-state disposal or enhanced-recovery wells that aren’t commercial disposal facilities, this isn’t your form. Those operators file different reports, such as UIC-10 for routine monthly monitoring of injection pressure and rate under LAC 43:XIX.417.2Louisiana Department of Conservation and Energy. Louisiana Administrative Code Title 43 Part XIX – Office of Conservation General Operations
The obligation attaches to the permit, not to activity. A well that sat idle all month still needs a report showing zero volume and zero pressure so the Office of Conservation keeps a continuous record on file.
Where to Get the Form
The Department of Conservation and Energy publishes UIC-28 as a downloadable PDF on its Environmental Division forms page, in the Exploration and Production Waste Section, listed alongside related injection-well forms.1Department of Conservation and Energy. CON: Forms – Environmental Division
How to Complete It
Enter your operator name and the operator code the state assigned you. That header links the filing to your permit file. Identify each well by its state-assigned serial number so the Office of Conservation can match the data to the correct well record.
For each well, record the total volume of fluid injected during the period and the maximum surface injection pressure observed. Louisiana’s oil-and-gas reporting convention uses barrels for volume. If a well had no injection activity, enter zero rather than leaving the field blank. Blank fields tend to be treated as incomplete filings and can trigger a rejection or a follow-up.
Confirm the reporting period dates match the data you entered. A mismatch between the month on the form and the numbers underneath it is one of the more common clerical errors and it delays processing. Keep daily gauge logs and meter readings within reach so you can reconstruct any figure the Office of Conservation asks about.
When It’s Due
Reports are due by the 15th day of the month following the reporting period. January activity has to reach the Office of Conservation no later than February 15. If you hand-deliver on the 15th, the report needs to arrive before the office closes that day. Late filings count as violations for every day they remain outstanding, so a few days of buffer in your workflow pays off.
How to Submit
The Office of Conservation runs the Strategic Online Natural Resources Information System (SONRIS) as its main electronic portal for regulatory filings. Confirm with the Office of Conservation whether UIC-28 submissions for your permit type go through SONRIS or must arrive in another format, since the Department’s electronic filing capabilities continue to evolve. When you file electronically, save the confirmation receipt or timestamp the system produces. That’s your proof of on-time compliance.
Penalties for Late or Missing Reports
Louisiana Revised Statutes 30:18 authorizes civil penalties of up to $5,000 per day for each day an operator violates a conservation rule, regulation, or order.3Justia Law. Louisiana Revised Statutes 30:18 – Penalties for Violation of Provisions A knowing and willful violation can also be prosecuted as a misdemeanor, with fines of up to $5,000 per day per violation. Missing a UIC-28 deadline falls within this framework because the form is required by Office of Conservation regulations. The numbers stack fast when multiple wells go unreported, since each well and each day of noncompliance can be treated as a separate violation.
If the Office of Conservation issues a compliance order and the operator doesn’t take corrective action within the time it specifies, the daily penalty ceiling rises to $50,000.3Justia Law. Louisiana Revised Statutes 30:18 – Penalties for Violation of Provisions Build the filing into your monthly close-out routine and none of that becomes your problem.