Legal Definitions - deviation-well survey

A deviation-well survey is a specialized technical examination performed to determine the precise underground path of a drilled well, particularly its deepest point. The primary purpose is to verify whether the bottom of the well remains entirely within the boundaries of the property where it was intended to be drilled, or if it has inadvertently or intentionally extended underneath a neighboring property.

• Oil and Gas Extraction Dispute: An energy company is drilling for natural gas on its leased land. A neighboring landowner, who also holds mineral rights to their own property, suspects that the energy company's well might have deviated significantly underground, causing the bottom of the well to extend beneath their property line. The neighbor commissions a deviation-well survey to obtain definitive proof, which could then be used in a legal claim alleging illegal extraction of resources from their land. This survey would precisely map the well's subterranean trajectory to confirm or deny the encroachment.
• Geothermal Heating System Installation: A large commercial developer is installing a deep geothermal heating and cooling system for a new office complex. The system requires several boreholes that extend hundreds of feet into the earth. To prevent any future legal issues with an adjacent residential community, the developer proactively orders a deviation-well survey for each borehole. This ensures that all parts of their geothermal wells, especially their deepest points, remain strictly within the commercial property's boundaries and do not inadvertently cross into the residential lots.
• Agricultural Water Well Encroachment: Two large agricultural farms share a common property boundary. Farm A drills a new, very deep irrigation well to access a specific underground aquifer. Farm B, concerned about its own water rights and potential depletion, suspects that Farm A's well might have deviated underground and is drawing water from beneath Farm B's land. Farm B requests a deviation-well survey to legally establish whether the bottom of Farm A's well has crossed the property line, which would indicate an unauthorized use of their subsurface resources.