Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 9, September 20, 2024
A. New Wells
1. Before operating a new well drilled for
enhanced recovery injection or saltwater disposal, the casing outside the
tubing shall be tested under the supervision of the Office of Conservation at a
pressure not less than the maximum authorized injection pressure, or at a
pressure of 300 psi, whichever is greater.
2.
a. If
open-hole logs of a nearby well were not run through the lowermost USDW, a new
well shall be logged from the surface to the total depth before casing is
set.
b. If such logs exist for a
nearby well, the new well need only be logged electrically below the surface
casing before the long string is set.
3. After cementing the casing, a cement bond
log, temperature survey, X-ray log, density log or some other acceptable test
shall be run to assure there are no channels adjacent to the casing which will
permit migration of fluids up the wellbore from the disposal formation to the
lowermost USDW. The casing program shall be designed for the lifetime of the
well.
B. Converted
Wells. Before operating an existing well newly converted to enhanced recovery
injection or disposal, the casing outside the tubing shall be tested under
supervision of the Office of Conservation at a pressure of 1,000 psi or maximum
authorized injection pressure, whichever is less, provided no testing pressure
shall be less than 300 psi.
C.
Existing Wells
1. An injection well has
mechanical integrity if:
a. there is no
significant leak in the casing, tubing or packer; and
b. there is no significant fluid movement
into an underground source of drinking water through vertical channels adjacent
to the injection wellbore.
2. One of the following methods must be used
to evaluate the absence of significant leaks under
§419. C.1.a above:
a. monitoring of annulus pressure;
or
b. pressure test with liquid;
or
c. records of monitoring showing
the absence of significant changes in the relationship between injection
pressure and injection flow rate for the following enhanced recovery wells:
i. existing wells completed without a packer
provided that a pressure test has been performed and the data is available and
provided further that one pressure test shall be performed at a time when the
well is shut down and if the running of such a test will not cause further loss
of significant amounts of oil or gas; or
ii. existing wells constructed without a
longstring casing, but with surface casing which terminates at the base of the
lowest USDW provided that local geological and hydrological features allow such
construction and provided further that the annular space shall be visually
inspected. For these wells, the commissioner shall prescribe a monitoring
program which will verify the absence of significant fluid movement from the
injection zone into a USDW.
3. One of the following methods must be used
to determine the absence of significant fluid movement under
§419. C.1.b above:
a. cementing records demonstrating the
presence of adequate cement to prevent such migration; or
b. the results of a temperature or noise
log.
4. The commissioner
may approve a request for the use of a test to demonstrate mechanical integrity
other than those listed in
§419. C.2 above, if the
proposed test will reliably demonstrate the mechanical integrity for wells for
which its use is proposed.
5. Each
disposal and enhanced recovery well shall demonstrate mechanical integrity at
least once every five years. The commissioner will prescribe a schedule and
mail notification to operators to allow for orderly and timely compliance with
this requirement.
D. The
operator shall notify the commissioner at least 48 hours prior to the testing.
Testing shall not commence before the end of the 48-hour period unless
authorized by the commissioner. The commissioner may authorize or require
alternative tests or surveys as is deemed appropriate and necessary.
E. A complete record of all mechanical
integrity pressure tests shall be made out, verified and filed in duplicate on
the Form PLT# 1 within 30 days after the testing.
AUTHORITY NOTE:
Promulgated in accordance with
R.S.
30:4 et
seq.
