§250.521. When do I have to perform a casing diagnostic test? — Inbound Citations

Once you install your wellhead, you must meet the casing pressure management requirements of API Recommended Practice 90 (incorporated by reference, see § 250.198) and the requirements of §§ 250.519 through 250.531. 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.

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 and 250.523.

(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;