North Dakota Administrative Code
Title 43 - Industrial Commission
Article 43-02 - Mineral Exploration and Development
Chapter 43-02-02.2 - In Situ Leach Mining Rules
Section 43-02-02.2-26 - Well construction requirements - General
Universal Citation: ND Admin Code ยง 43-02-02.2-26
Current through Supplement No. 392, April, 2024
1. Construction requirements listed in this section apply to all wells installed for activities related to mining.
2. The department may grant a deviation from the requirements through a technical revision, if the operator proves that alternative requirements are reliable, ensure mechanical integrity, and will protect ground water.
3. Injection and production wells must be generally constructed as follows:
a. Annular seals must be installed to protect
the casing against corrosion, ensure the casing's structural integrity,
stabilize the upper formations, protect against contamination or pollution of
the well from the surface, and prevent migration of ground water from one
aquifer or water-bearing strata to another in accordance with the following
requirements:
(1) The drill hole must have a
sufficient annular opening to allow for one and one-half inches [38.1
millimeters] of grout around the casing and couplings as per section
33.1-18-01-06.
The department may approve an alternative casing design if it provides an
equivalent degree of ground water protection;
(2) Before placing the annular seal, the well
bore must be under static conditions and all loose drill cuttings, rock chips,
or other obstructions must be removed from the annular space by circulating the
borehole with water or drilling mud slurry;
(3) Grout must be placed to fill all voids as
required in subsection 10 of section
33.1-18-01-06
using a bottom-up trimmie grouting method. Grout must be injected into the
subsurface in a sequence beginning at the bottom of the void and progressing
upward in two-foot [.61-meter] increments;
(4) Sealing material must consist of neat
cement grout or bentonite grout mixtures meeting the following requirements:
(a) Cement grout must be composed of high
sulfate-resistant Portland cement and no more than six gallons [22.71 liters]
of clean water for each ninety-four-pound [42.64-kilogram] sack of cement to
yield a slurry weight of approximately thirteen pounds per gallon. Cement grout
must conform to the requirements of subsection 10 of section
33.1-18-01-06;
(b) Bentonite grout must conform to
subsection 10 of section
33.1-18-01-06
requirements. High-solids bentonite clay grout, bentonite chips, or bentonite
tablets must be commercially prepared specifically for the purpose of sealing
water wells;
(c) The sealing
material must be thoroughly mixed before applied so there are no balls, clods,
or other features that could reduce the seal's effectiveness;
(d) Special quick-setting cement, cement
accelerators, retarders, fluid-loss additives, dispersants, extenders,
loss-of-circulation materials, and other additives, including hydrated lime to
make the mix more fluid or bentonite to make the mix more fluid and reduce
shrinkage, may be used, if approved by the department; and
(e) Used drilling mud or drill cuttings from
the borehole may not be used as sealing material;
b. Well casing must conform to the
requirements in subsections 2 and 3 of section
33.1-18-01-06.
The casing must be of sufficient strength and diameter to prevent casing
collapse during installation, convey liquid at a specified injection/recovery
rate and pressure, and allow for sampling. Casing must be installed to avoid
damage to casing sections and joints. All joints in the casing above the
perforations or screens must be watertight. Casing must be equipped with
centralizers placed at a maximum spacing of one per forty feet [12.19 meters]
to ensure even thickness of annular seal and gravel pack; and
c. Well development must be by methods that
will not cause damage to the well or cause adverse subsurface conditions that
may destroy barriers to the vertical movement of water between water-bearing
strata.
General Authority: NDCC 38-12-02
Law Implemented: NDCC 38-12-02
Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. North Dakota may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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