La. Admin. Code tit. 43 § XVII-3319

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 11, November 20, 2024

Section XVII-3319 - Operating Requirements

A. Cavern Roof. Without exception or variance to these rules and regulations, no cavern shall be used for solution mining if the cavern roof has grown above the top of the salt stock. The operation of an already permitted cavern shall cease and shall not be allowed to continue if information becomes available that shows this condition exists. The Office of Conservation may order the solution-mining well and cavern closed according to an approved closure and post-closure plan.

B. Blanket Material. Before beginning solution-mining operations, a blanket material shall be placed into the cavern to prevent unwanted leaching of the cavern roof. The blanket material shall consist of crude oil, diesel, mineral oil, or other fluid possessing similar noncorrosive, insoluble, low-density properties. The blanket material shall be placed between the outermost hanging string and innermost cemented casing of the cavern and shall be of sufficient volume to coat the entire cavern roof. In all caverns which have not been plugged and abandoned, the cavern roof and level of the blanket material shall be monitored at least once every five years by running a density interface survey or using an alternative method approved by the Office of Conservation. A blanket meeting the requirements of this section shall remain in place for active caverns and shall be removed from inactive caverns only upon the approval of the Office of Conservation.

C. Remedial Work. No remedial work or repair work of any kind shall be performed on the solution-mining well or cavern without prior authorization from the Office of Conservation. The provision for prior authorization shall also extend to doing mechanical integrity pressure and leak tests, sonar caliper surveys, and all logs, including casing inspection logs and through tubing logs; however, a work permit is not required in order to conduct routine interface surveys. The owner or operator or its agent shall submit a valid work permit request form (Form UIC-17 or successor). Before beginning well or cavern remedial work, the pressure in the cavern shall be relieved, as practicable.

D. Well Recompletion-Casing Repair. The following applies to solution-mining wells where remedial work results from well upgrade, casing wear, or similar condition. For each paragraph below, a casing inspection log shall be performed on the entire length of the innermost cemented casing in the well before doing any casing upgrade or repair. Authorization from the Office of Conservation shall be obtained before beginning any well recompletion, repair, upgrade, or closure. A solution-mining well that cannot be repaired or upgraded shall be properly closed according to an approved closure and post-closure plan.

1. Liner. A liner may be used to recomplete or repair a well with severe casing damage. The liner shall be run from the well surface to the base of the innermost cemented casing. The liner shall be cemented over its entire length and shall be successfully pressure tested.

2. Casing Patch. Internal casing patches shall not be used to repair severely corroded or damaged casing. Casing patches shall only be used for repairing or covering isolated pitting, corrosion, or similar localized damage. The casing patch shall extend a minimum of 10 feet above and below the area being repaired. The entire casing shall be successfully pressure tested.

E. Multiple Well Caverns. No newly permitted well shall be drilled into an existing cavern until the cavern pressure has been relieved, as practicable, to 0 PSI measured at the surface.

F. Cavern Allowable Operating Pressure

1. The maximum allowable cavern injection pressure shall be calculated at a depth referenced to the well's deepest cemented casing seat. The injection pressure at the wellhead shall be calculated to ensure that the pressure induced within the salt cavern during injection does not initiate new fractures or propagate existing fractures in the salt. In no case shall injection pressure initiate fractures in the confining zone or cause the migration of injection or formation fluids out of the salt stock or into an underground source of drinking water.

2. When measured at the surface and calculated with respect to the appropriate reference depth, the maximum allowable cavern injection pressure shall never exceed a pressure gradient of 0.90 PSI/FT of vertical depth.

3. The solution-mining well shall never be operated at pressures over the maximum allowable injection pressure defined above, exceed the maximum allowable pressure as may be established by permit, or exceed the rated burst or collapse pressure of all well tubulars (cemented or hanging strings) even for short periods, including pressure pulsation peaks, abnormal operating conditions, well or cavern tests, etc.

La. Admin. Code tit. 43, § XVII-3319

Promulgated by the Department of Natural Resources, Office of Conservation, LR 40:335 (February 2014), Amended LR 42417 (3/1/2016), Amended LR 482311 (9/1/2022).

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 30:4 et seq.