Current through Register Vol. 41, No. 3, September 23, 2024
A. Applicability.
This section shall apply to every permittee who drills or operates a well or
drills a corehole:
1. In areas of unknown
hydrogen sulfide conditions;
2.
Below the base of the devonian shale; or
3. In areas where the hydrocarbons contain
gas with a concentration of 100 parts per million (ppm) or greater of hydrogen
sulfide as a constituent of the gas.
B. Permittees shall not remove hydrocarbons
with a hydrogen sulfide concentration of 100 parts per million or greater from
the well site where they were produced unless:
1. The hydrocarbons have been cleaned on-site
so that the hydrogen sulfide concentration is less than 100 parts per million;
or
2. The permittee has received a
variance from the director.
C. General requirements.
1. Each permittee subject to this section
shall determine the hydrogen sulfide concentration in the hydrocarbons by a
test approved by the director such as a test in accordance with ASTM Standard
D-2385-66, or GPA Plant Operation Test Manual C-1, GPA Publication
2265-68.
2. Automatic hydrogen
sulfide detection and alarm equipment that will warn of the presence of
hydrogen sulfide gas shall be utilized at the site.
D. Materials and equipment.
1. For new construction or modification of
facilities, including materials and equipment to be used in drilling and
workover operations, permittees shall only use metal components, approved by
the director, which have been selected and manufactured so as to be resistant
to hydrogen sulfide stress cracking under the operating conditions for which
their use is intended. This requirement may be met by use of components that
satisfy the requirements of NACE Standard MR-01-75 and API RP-14E, §§
1.7(c), 2.1(c) and 4.7. The handling and installation of materials and
equipment used in hydrogen sulfide service are to be performed in such a manner
so as not to induce susceptibility to sulfide stress cracking.
2. Other materials and equipment, including
materials and equipment used in drilling and workover operations, may be used
for hydrogen sulfide service provided such materials and equipment are proved,
as the result of advancements in technology or as the result of control and
knowledge of operating conditions such as temperature and moisture content,
suitable for the use intended and where such usage is technologically
acceptable as good engineering practice, and the director has approved a
variance for the materials and equipment for the specific uses.
3. In the event of a failure of any element
of an existing system as the result of hydrogen sulfide stress cracking, the
compliance status of the system shall be determined by the director after the
operator has submitted a detailed written report on the failure to the
director.
E. Reporting.
The permittee shall report the hydrogen sulfide concentrations of the
hydrocarbon in any well or corehole where the hydrogen sulfide concentration is
equal to or exceeds 100 parts per million with the drilling report under
4VAC25-150-360 or with the plugging
affidavit for coreholes under
4VAC25-150-460.
Statutory Authority
§§ 45.1-161.3 and 45.1-361.27 of the Code of
Virginia.
