LAC 43:XIX.4931. Plugging and Abandonment

A. Schedule of Abandonment 1. Dry Holes a. All wells drilled for geothermal resources found to be non-commercial prior to or after the effective date of this Order shall be plugged within 90 days after operations have been completed thereof or 90 days after the effective date of this Order, whichever is later, unless an extension of time is granted by the Commissioner of Conservation to consider the future utility of such well. 2. Other Wells on or After Effective Date of Order a. All wells wherein production operations or use as a service well have ceased on or after the effective date of this Order shall continue to be reported on the Form GR-5PD with the appropriate notation that the well is off production or no longer in use as a service well, along with the date of last production or date the service well ceased to be used. B. The responsibility of plugging any well over which the Commissioner of Conservation has jurisdiction shall be the owner(s) of record. C. In the event any owner(s) responsible for plugging any well fails to do so, and after a diligent effort has been made by the Office to have said well plugged, then the commissioner may call a public hearing to show cause why said well was not plugged, D. The Commissioner or his agent may require the posting of a reasonable bond with good and sufficient surety in order to secure the performance of the work of proper abandonment. E. The district manager shall be notified immediately by the new operator whenever a change of operator occurs. This must be accomplished by submitting Office of Conservation Form GR-10-A (Application for Amended Permit to Drill for Geothermal Resource) to reflect the new operator. F. Plugging Procedures 1. Notification of intention to plug any well or wells over which the Commissioner of Conservation has jurisdiction, shall be given to the appropriate district manager prior to the plugging thereof. Notification shall be made in writing to the district office in the form of a work permit (Form GR-4), of which an original and three copies are required. Where plugging involves a well with a rig on location, the district manager may grant verbal approval to plug and abandon the well provided the work permit is subsequently submitted. Any operator who fails to comply with this requirement may be required by the district manager to place additional cement plug(s) and/or prove the plug(s) are placed as the operator states they are. 2. Once an operator has been issued a work permit to plug and abandon a well by the appropriate district manager, then said operator shall be required to contact the appropriate inspector a minimum of 12 hours prior to beginning the plugging operations. During drilling and/or workover operations, the requirement to contact the appropriate inspector a minimum of 12 hours prior to beginning the plugging operations shall be waived at the time verbal notification is made to the district office. 3. In plugging geothermal resource wells, it is essential that all known oil or gas bearing formations be protected. a. A cement plug of at least 150 feet shall be placed immediately above the uppermost perforated, or pro­ducing, interval of the reservoir. If he deems it advisable, the District Manager may allow a bridge plug with a minimum of one hundred feet of cement on top to be placed immediately above each reservoir. b. In wells completed with screen or perforated liners, if it is impractical for the operator to remove the screen or perforated liner, he shall place a cement plug of at least 150 feet, with the bottom as near as practical to the top of the screen or liner. If the district manager deems it advisable, a bridge plug with a minimum of 100 feet of cement on top and placed as near as practical to the top of the screen or liner may be used in lieu of the cement plug. c. When production casing is not run or is removed from the well and surface casing has been set below the base of the lowest 3000 mg per liter of total dissolved solids aquifer(s), a cement plug of at least 100 feet shall be placed from at least 50 feet below the shoe of the surface casing to at least 50 feet above. In lieu of the above, the operator shall have the option of using a cement retainer placed at least 50 feet above the surface casing shoe, and a sufficient amount of cement shall be squeezed below the retainer to form a cement plug from the base of the retainer to 50 feet below the base of the surface casing. A 10 foot cement plug shall be placed on top of the retainer. d. If fresh water horizons are exposed when producing or intermediate casing is removed from the well or, as a result of not being run, a cement plug shall be placed from at least 50 feet below the base of the aquifer(s) containing 3000 mg per liter of total dissolved solids to at least 200 feet above the base of the aquifer(s). A cement plug of at least 100 feet shall also be placed from at least 50 feet below the shoe of the surface casing to at least 50 feet above it. In lieu of the above, the operator shall have the option of using a cement retainer placed at least 50 feet above the surface casing shoe and a sufficient amount of cement shall be squeezed below the retainer to form a cement plug from the base of the retainer to 50 feet below the base of the surface casing. A 10 foot cement plug shall be placed on top of the retainer. e. The setting and location of the first plug below the top 30 foot plug shall be verified by tagging. In the event a retainer is used, tagging will not be necessary. f. Additional cement plugs shall be placed to adequately contain any high pressure oil, gas or water sands or as may be required by the district manager. g. A 30 foot cement plug minimum shall be placed in the top of the well. h. Mud-laden fluid with sufficient weight per gallon, but not less than nine pounds per gallon, shall be placed in all portions of the well not filled with cement, unless otherwise approved by the district manager. i. All cement plugs shall be placed by the circulation or pump down method unless otherwise authorized by the district manager. The hole must be in a static condition at the time the plugs are placed. j. After placing the top plug, the operator shall be required on all land locations to cut the casing a minimum of two feet below plow depth. On all water locations, the casing shall be cut a minimum of 10 feet below the mud line. If an operator contemplates reentering the well at some future date for salt water disposal or other purpose, the district manager may approve, after receiving written request from an operator, not to cut off the casing below plow depth or mud line. k. The plan of abandonment may be altered if new or unforeseen conditions arise during the well work, but only after approval by the district manager. 4. Upon plugging any well for any cause, a complete record thereof shall be made out, duly verified and filed in triplicate on Form P & A in the district office within 20 days after the plugging of such well. A cementing report shall be filed with the plugging report. G. Temporary Abandonment of Drilling Wells 1. Any drilling well which is to be temporarily abandoned and the rig moved away, shall be mudded and cemented as it would be for permanent abandonment, except a cement plug at the surface may be omitted.