§146.86. Injection well construction requirements. — Inbound Citations

(12) Injection well construction procedures that meet the requirements of § 146.86;

(a) During the drilling and construction of a Class VI injection well, the owner or operator must run appropriate logs, surveys and tests to determine or verify the depth, thickness, porosity, permeability, and lithology of, and the salinity of any formation fluids in all relevant geologic formations to ensure conformance with the injection well construction requirements under § 146.86 and to establish accurate baseline data against which future measurements may be compared. The owner or operator must submit to the Director a descriptive report prepared by a knowledgeable log analyst that includes an interpretation of the results of such logs and tests. At a minimum, such logs and tests must include:

(1) Deviation checks during drilling on all holes constructed by drilling a pilot hole which is enlarged by reaming or another method. Such checks must be at sufficiently frequent intervals to determine the location of the borehole and to ensure that vertical avenues for fluid movement in the form of diverging holes are not created during drilling; and

(i) Resistivity, spontaneous potential, and caliper logs before the casing is installed; and

(ii) A cement bond and variable density log to evaluate cement quality radially, and a temperature log after the casing is set and cemented.

(i) Resistivity, spontaneous potential, porosity, caliper, gamma ray, fracture finder logs, and any other logs the Director requires for the given geology before the casing is installed; and

(4) A series of tests designed to demonstrate the internal and external mechanical integrity of injection wells, which may include:

(i) A pressure test with liquid or gas;

(ii) A tracer survey such as oxygen-activation logging;

(iii) A temperature or noise log;

(iv) A casing inspection log; and

(5) Any alternative methods that provide equivalent or better information and that are required by and/or approved of by the Director.

(2) All requirements at § 146.86 with the following modified requirements:

(i) The owner or operator must ensure that Class VI wells with a waiver are constructed and completed to prevent movement of fluids into any unauthorized zones including USDWs, in lieu of requirements at § 146.86(a)(1).

(ii) The casing and cementing program must be designed to prevent the movement of fluids into any unauthorized zones including USDWs in lieu of requirements at § 146.86(b)(1).

(iii) The surface casing must extend through the base of the nearest USDW directly above the injection zone and be cemented to the surface; or, at the Director's discretion, another formation above the injection zone and below the nearest USDW above the injection zone.

(c) This subpart also applies to owners or operators of permit- or rule-authorized Class I, Class II, or Class V experimental carbon dioxide injection projects who seek to apply for a Class VI geologic sequestration permit for their well or wells. Owners or operators seeking to convert existing Class I, Class II, or Class V experimental wells to Class VI geologic sequestration wells must demonstrate to the Director that the wells were engineered and constructed to meet the requirements at § 146.86(a) and ensure protection of USDWs, in lieu of requirements at §§ 146.86(b) and 146.87(a). By December 10, 2011, owners or operators of either Class I wells previously permitted for the purpose of geologic sequestration or Class V experimental technology wells no longer being used for experimental purposes that will continue injection of carbon dioxide for the purpose of GS must apply for a Class VI permit. A converted well must still meet all other requirements under part 146.

(i) The owner or operator must ensure that Class VI wells with a waiver are constructed and completed to prevent movement of fluids into any unauthorized zones including USDWs, in lieu of requirements at § 146.86(a)(1).

(c) This subpart also applies to owners or operators of permit- or rule-authorized Class I, Class II, or Class V experimental carbon dioxide injection projects who seek to apply for a Class VI geologic sequestration permit for their well or wells. Owners or operators seeking to convert existing Class I, Class II, or Class V experimental wells to Class VI geologic sequestration wells must demonstrate to the Director that the wells were engineered and constructed to meet the requirements at § 146.86(a) and ensure protection of USDWs, in lieu of requirements at §§ 146.86(b) and 146.87(a). By December 10, 2011, owners or operators of either Class I wells previously permitted for the purpose of geologic sequestration or Class V experimental technology wells no longer being used for experimental purposes that will continue injection of carbon dioxide for the purpose of GS must apply for a Class VI permit. A converted well must still meet all other requirements under part 146.

(c) Corrosion monitoring of the well materials for loss of mass, thickness, cracking, pitting, and other signs of corrosion, which must be performed on a quarterly basis to ensure that the well components meet the minimum standards for material strength and performance set forth in § 146.86(b), by:

(1) Analyzing coupons of the well construction materials placed in contact with the carbon dioxide stream; or

(2) Routing the carbon dioxide stream through a loop constructed with the material used in the well and inspecting the materials in the loop; or

(3) Using an alternative method approved by the Director;

(ii) The casing and cementing program must be designed to prevent the movement of fluids into any unauthorized zones including USDWs in lieu of requirements at § 146.86(b)(1).