Rules & Regulations of the State of Tennessee
Title 0400 - Environment and Conservation
Subtitle 0400-52 - Drilling, Re-Entering, Plugging and Abandoning Exploratory and Exploitation Oil and Gas Wells (Transferred from 1040-02)
Chapter 0400-52-07 - Casing Program (Transferred from 1040-02-07)
Section 0400-52-07-.05 - ISOLATION OF OIL, GAS AND FRESH-WATER-BEARING STRATA, AND POTENTIAL MINABLE COAL AND OTHER MINERAL DEPOSITS

Notwithstanding compliance with the foregoing requirements, all potential minable coal and other minerals shall be isolated from any possible communication through the annulus with oil-, gas- or waterbearing strata or deposits of other potential minable coal or other minable minerals. Pressure testing of casing as specified in Rule 0400-52-06-.02 and documentation of cementing as required in Rule 0400-52-07-.01 shall constitute the minimum requirements for maintaining isolation through well integrity. In order to ascertain whether cementing has been effectively performed, the operator may elect to either run a cement bond log, or block squeeze each stratum or zone which is required to be isolated. If the cement bond log indicates a minimum of 25 feet of cement bond above the top and 25 feet of bond below the base of each stratum or zone to be isolated, then the provision of this rule shall have been complied with. If such bonding is not shown by the bond log, the Supervisor may require the operator to perform the necessary work to assure the isolation of such above described strata zones.

Authority: T.C.A §§ 60-1-201 et seq., and 4-5-201 et seq.