226. Production drilling and extraction of methane from boreholes.
(1)While drilling for exploration or extraction of methane through boreholes, all precautions and arrangements shall be made to ensure that no frictional or open spark occurs inside the borehole containing methane gas or likely to contain methane which may cause explosion or blow out in the borehole.(2)Before commencement of degasification from a hole, necessary arrangements shall be made to control the release of the methane through the degasification hole.(3)Arrangements shall be made and kept functional to ensure that there is no leakage of gas from the borehole.(4)Automatic gas and leakage detectors fitted with audio-visual alarm shall be provided at the collar of the borehole to give warning in the event of any leakage of inflammable gas or any other noxious gas from the borehole into the atmosphere.(5)In addition to the automatic detector mentioned in sub-regulation (4), a competent person shall check for the leakage of inflammable or noxious gases using hand-held gas detector at regular interval during the shift and a record thereof shall be maintained in a bound-paged book kept for the purpose, duly signed and dated by him and countersigned and dated by the assistant manager in-charge of the drilling operations and the manager.
