43 CFR § 3173.6 - Water-draining operations.

---
identifier: "/us/cfr/t43/s3173.6"
source: "ecfr"
legal_status: "authoritative_unofficial"
title: "43 CFR § 3173.6 - Water-draining operations."
title_number: 43
title_name: "Public Lands: Interior"
section_number: "3173.6"
section_name: "Water-draining operations."
chapter_name: "BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR"
subchapter_number: "C"
subchapter_name: "MINERALS MANAGEMENT (3000)"
part_number: "3170"
part_name: "ONSHORE OIL AND GAS PRODUCTION"
positive_law: false
currency: "2026-03-24"
last_updated: "2026-03-24"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
authority: "25 U.S.C. 396d and 2107; 30 U.S.C. 189, 306, 359, and 1751; and 43 U.S.C. 1732(b), 1733, and 1740."
regulatory_source: "81 FR 81421, Nov. 17, 2016, unless otherwise noted."
cfr_part: "3170"
---


# 3173.6 Water-draining operations.

When water is drained from a production storage tank, the operator, purchaser, or transporter, as appropriate, must document the following information:

(a) Federal or Indian lease, unit PA, or CA number(s);

(b) The tank location by land description;

(c) The unique tank number and nominal capacity;

(d) Date of the opening gauge;

(e) Opening gauge (gauged manually or automatically), TOV, and free-water measurements, all to the nearest 
1/2 inch;

(f) Unique identifying number of each seal removed;

(g) Closing gauge (gauged manually or automatically) and TOV measurement to the nearest 
1/2 inch; and

(h) Unique identifying number of each seal installed.