§146.8. Mechanical integrity. — Inbound Citations

(2) The owner or operator of a Class I, II or III injection well authorized by rule shall establish and maintain mechanical integrity as defined in § 146.8 of this chapter until the well is properly plugged in accordance with an approved plugging and abandonment plan pursuant to §§ 144.28(c) and 146.10, and a plugging and abandonment report pursuant to § 144.28(k) is submitted, or until the well is converted in compliance with § 144.28(j). For EPA-administered programs, the Regional Administrator may require by written notice that the owner or operator comply with a schedule describing when mechanical integrity demonstrations shall be made.

(1) The owner or operator of a Class I, II, III or VI well permitted under this part shall establish mechanical integrity prior to commencing injection or on a schedule determined by the Director. Thereafter the owner or operator of Class I, II, and III wells must maintain mechanical integrity as defined in § 146.8 of this chapter and the owner or operator of Class VI wells must maintain mechanical integrity as defined in § 146.89 of this chapter. For EPA-administered programs, the Regional Administrator may require by written notice that the owner or operator comply with a schedule describing when mechanical integrity demonstrations shall be made.

(8) A permit for any Class I, II, III or VI well or injection project which lacks mechanical integrity shall include, and for any Class V well may include, a condition prohibiting injection operations until the permittee shows to the satisfaction of the Director under § 146.8, or § 146.89 of this chapter for Class VI, that the well has mechanical integrity.

(3) A description of how the Director will implement the mechanical integrity testing requirements of § 146.8 of this chapter, or, for Class VI wells, the mechanical integrity testing requirements of § 146.89 of this chapter, including the frequency of testing that will be required and the number of tests that will be reviewed by the Director each year;

(3) A demonstration of mechanical integrity pursuant to § 146.8 at least once every five years during the life of the well; and

(2) A demonstration of mechanical integrity pursuant to § 146.8;

(3) A demonstration of mechanical integrity pursuant to § 146.8 at least once every five years during the life of the injection well;

(2) A demonstration of mechanical integrity pursuant to § 146.8;

(d) In fulfilling the requirements of § 146.8, the owner or operator of a Class I hazardous waste injection well shall conduct the mechanical integrity testing as follows:

(1) The long string casing, injection tube, and annular seal shall be tested by means of an approved pressure test with a liquid or gas annually and whenever there has been a well workover;

(2) The bottom-hole cement shall be tested by means of an approved radioactive tracer survey annually;

(3) An approved temperature, noise, or other approved log shall be run at least once every five years to test for movement of fluid along the borehole. The Director may require such tests whenever the well is worked over;

(4) Casing inspection logs shall be run whenever the owner or operator conducts a workover in which the injection string is pulled, unless the Director waives this requirement due to well construction or other factors which limit the test's reliability, or based upon the satisfactory results of a casing inspection log run within the previous five years. The Director may require that a casing inspection log be run every five years, if he has reason to believe that the integrity of the long string casing of the well may be adversely affected by naturally-occurring or man-made events;

(5) Any other test approved by the Director in accordance with the procedures in § 146.8(d) may also be used.

(4) The Director may allow the owner or operator of a well which lacks mechanical integrity pursuant to § 146.8(a)(1) of this chapter to continue or resume injection if the owner or operator has made a satisfactory demonstration that there is no movement of fluid into or between USDWs.

(3) The Director may allow the owner or operator of a well which lacks mechanical integrity pursuant to § 146.8(a)(1) of this chapter to continue or resume injection, if the owner or operator has made a satisfactory demonstration that there is no movement of fluid into or between USDWs.

The monitoring of annulus pressure listed in § 146.8(b)(1) of this chapter will only be acceptable if preceded by a pressure test, using liquid or gas that clearly demonstrates that mechanical integrity exists at the time of the pressure test.

(a) Monitoring of annulus pressure conducted pursuant to § 146.8(b)(1) shall be preceded by an initial pressure test. A positive gauge pressure on the casing/tubing annulus (filled with liquid) shall be maintained continuously. The pressure shall be monitored monthly.

(b) Pressure tests conducted pursuant to § 146.8(b)(2) of this chapter shall be performed with a pressure on the casing/tubing annulus of at least 200 p.s.i. unless otherwise specified by the Director. In addition, pressure tests conducted during well operation shall maintain an injection/annulus pressure differential of at least 100 p.s.i. throughout the tubing length.

(c) Monitoring of enhanced recovery wells conducted pursuant to § 146.8(b)(3), must be preceded by an initial pressure test that was conducted no more than 90 days prior to the commencement of monitoring.

(iii) For wells as described in § 146.8(b)(3)(ii), installing a smaller diameter pipe inside the existing injection tubing and setting it on an appropriate packer; and

(iii) For wells as described in § 146.8(b)(3)(ii), installing a smaller diameter pipe inside the existing injection tubing and setting it on an appropriate packer; and

(5) Any other test approved by the Director in accordance with the procedures in § 146.8(d) may also be used.

(f) The Director may require additional or alternative tests if the results presented by the owner or operator under § 146.8(e) are not satisfactory to the Director to demonstrate that there is no movement of fluid into or between USDWs resulting from the injection activity.