---
kind: "range"
citation: "30 C.F.R. §§ 250.519–250.531"
title: "30"
from: "250.519"
to: "250.531"
count: 13
url: "https://uscodex.org/cfr/30/250.519..250.531"
---

# §250.519. What are the requirements for casing pressure management?


Once you install your wellhead, you must meet the casing pressure management requirements of API Recommended Practice 90 (incorporated by reference, see [§ 250.198](/cfr/30/250.198.md)) and the requirements of [§§ 250.519 through 250.531](/cfr/30/250.519..250.531.md). If there is a conflict between API Recommended Practice 90 and the casing pressure requirements of this subpart, you must follow the requirements of this subpart.


# §250.520. How often do I have to monitor for casing pressure?


You must monitor for casing pressure in your well according to the following table:


# §250.521. When do I have to perform a casing diagnostic test?

- (a) You must perform a casing diagnostic test within 30 days after first observing or imposing casing pressure according to the following table:
- (b) You are exempt from performing a diagnostic pressure test for the production casing on a well operating under active gas lift.

# §250.522. How do I manage the thermal effects caused by initial production on a newly completed or recompleted well?


A newly completed or recompleted well often has thermal casing pressure during initial startup. Bleeding casing pressure during the startup process is considered a normal and necessary operation to manage thermal casing pressure; therefore, you do not need to evaluate these operations as a casing diagnostic test. After 30 days of continuous production, the initial production startup operation is complete and you must perform casing diagnostic testing as required in §§ [250.521](/cfr/30/250.521.md) and [250.523](/cfr/30/250.523.md).


# §250.523. When do I have to repeat casing diagnostic testing?


Casing diagnostic testing must be repeated according to the following table:


# §250.524. How long do I keep records of casing pressure and diagnostic tests?


Records of casing pressure and diagnostic tests must be kept at the field office nearest the well for a minimum of 2 years. The last casing diagnostic test for each casing or riser must be retained at the field office nearest the well until the well is abandoned.


# §250.525. When am I required to take action from my casing diagnostic test?


You must take action if you have any of the following conditions:

- (a) Any fixed platform well with a casing pressure exceeding its maximum allowable wellhead operating pressure (MAWOP);
- (b) Any fixed platform well with a casing pressure that is greater than 100 psig and that cannot bleed to 0 psig through a 1/2-inch needle valve within 24 hours, or is not bled to 0 psig during a casing diagnostic test;
- (c) Any well that has demonstrated tubing/casing, tubing/riser, casing/casing, riser/casing, or riser/riser communication;
- (d) Any well that has sustained casing pressure (SCP) and is bled down to prevent it from exceeding its MAWOP, except during initial startup operations described in [§ 250.522](/cfr/30/250.522.md);
- (e) Any hybrid well with casing or riser pressure exceeding 100 psig; or
- (f) Any subsea well with a casing pressure 100 psig greater than the external hydrostatic pressure at the subsea wellhead.

# §250.526. What do I submit if my casing diagnostic test requires action?


Within 14 days after you perform a casing diagnostic test requiring action under [§ 250.525](/cfr/30/250.525.md):


# §250.527. What must I include in my notification of corrective action?


The following information must be included in the notification of corrective action:

- (a) Lessee or Operator name;
- (b) Area name and OCS block number;
- (c) Well name and API number; and
- (d) **Casing diagnostic test data.**

# §250.528. What must I include in my casing pressure request?


The following information must be included in the casing pressure request:

- (a) API number;
- (b) Lease number;
- (c) Area name and OCS block number;
- (d) Well number;
- (e) Company name and mailing address;
- (f) All casing, riser, and tubing sizes, weights, grades, and MIYP;
- (g) All casing/riser calculated MAWOPs;
- (h) All casing/riser pre-bleed down pressures;
- (i) Shut-in tubing pressure;
- (j) Flowing tubing pressure;
- (k) Date and the calculated daily production rate during last well test (oil, gas, basic sediment, and water);
- (l) Well status (shut-in, temporarily abandoned, producing, injecting, or gas lift);
- (m) Well type (dry tree, hybrid, or subsea);
- (n) Date of diagnostic test;
- (o) Well schematic;
- (p) Water depth;
- (q) Volumes and types of fluid bled from each casing or riser evaluated;
- (r) **Type of diagnostic test performed—**
  - (1) Bleed down/buildup test;
  - (2) Shut-in the well and monitor the pressure drop test;
  - (3) Constant production rate and decrease the annular pressure test;
  - (4) Constant production rate and increase the annular pressure test;
  - (5) Change the production rate and monitor the casing pressure test; and
  - (6) Casing pressure and tubing pressure history plot;
- (s) The casing diagnostic test data for all casing exceeding 100 psig;
- (t) Associated shoe strengths for casing shoes exposed to annular fluids;
- (u) Concentration of any H2S that may be present;
- (v) Whether the structure on which the well is located is manned or unmanned;
- (w) Additional comments; and
- (x) **Request date.**

# §250.529. What are the terms of my casing pressure request?


Casing pressure requests are approved by the Regional Supervisor, Field Operations, for a term to be determined by the Regional Supervisor on a case-by-case basis. The Regional Supervisor may impose additional restrictions or requirements to allow continued operation of the well.


# §250.530. What if my casing pressure request is denied?

- (a) If your casing pressure request is denied, then the operating company must submit plans for corrective action to the respective District Manager within 30 days of receiving the denial. The District Manager will establish a specific time period in which this corrective action will be taken. You must notify the respective District Manager within 30 days after completion of your corrected action.
- (b) You must submit the casing diagnostic test data to the appropriate Regional Supervisor, Field Operations, within 14 days of completion of the diagnostic test required under [§ 250.523(e)](/cfr/30/250.523.md?p=e).

# §250.531. When does my casing pressure request approval become invalid?


A casing pressure request becomes invalid when:

- (a) The casing or riser pressure increases by 200 psig over the approved casing pressure request pressure;
- (b) The approved term ends;
- (c) The well is worked-over, side-tracked, redrilled, recompleted, or acid stimulated;
- (d) A different casing or riser on the same well requires a casing pressure request; or
- (e) A well has more than one casing operating under a casing pressure request and one of the casing pressure requests become invalid, then all casing pressure requests for that well become invalid.