La. Admin. Code tit. 43 § XVII-615

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

Section XVII-615 - Siting Criteria, AOR, and Corrective Action

A. Minimum Criteria for Siting. Applicants, owners, or operators of Class VI wells must demonstrate to the satisfaction of the commissioner that the wells will be sited in areas with a suitable geologic system. The demonstration must show that the geologic system comprises:

1. an injection zone of sufficient areal extent, thickness, porosity, and permeability to receive the total anticipated volume of the carbon dioxide stream;

2. confining zone(s) free of transmissive faults or fractures and of sufficient areal extent and integrity to contain the injected carbon dioxide stream and displaced formation fluids, and allow injection at proposed maximum pressures and volumes without initiating or propagating fractures in the confining zone(s).

a. The commissioner may require owners or operators of Class VI wells to identify and characterize additional zones that will impede vertical fluid movement, are free of faults and fractures that may interfere with containment, allow for pressure dissipation, and provide additional opportunities for monitoring, mitigation, and remediation.

B. Area of Review (AOR)

1. The area of review is the region surrounding the geologic sequestration project where USDWs may be endangered by the injection activity. The area of review is delineated using computational modeling that accounts for the physical and chemical properties of all phases of the injected carbon dioxide stream and is based on available site characterization, monitoring, and operational data.

2. The owner or operator of a Class VI well must prepare, maintain, and comply with a plan to delineate the area of review for the proposed geologic sequestration project, periodically reevaluate the delineation, and perform corrective action that meets the requirements of these regulations and is acceptable to the commissioner. The requirement to maintain and implement an approved plan is directly enforceable regardless of whether the requirement is a condition of the permit. As a part of the permit application, the owner or operator must submit an area of review and corrective action plan that includes the following information:

a. the method for delineating the area of review that meets the requirements of §615.B 3, including the model to be used, assumptions that will be made, and the site characterization data on which the model will be based;

b. a description of:

i. the minimum fixed frequency-not to exceed five years-at which the owner or operator proposes to reevaluate the area of review;

ii. the monitoring and operational conditions that would warrant a reevaluation of the area of review prior to the next scheduled reevaluation as determined by the minimum fixed frequency established in §615.B.2.b i

iii. how monitoring and operational data (e.g., injection rate and pressure) will be used to inform an area of review reevaluation; and

iv. how corrective action will be conducted to meet the requirements of §615 C, including what corrective action will be performed prior to injection and what, if any, portions of the area of review the operator proposes to have corrective action addressed on a phased basis and how the phasing will be determined; how corrective action will be adjusted if there are changes in the area of review; and how site access will be guaranteed for future corrective action.

3. Area of Review Boundary Delineation. Owners or operators of Class VI wells must perform the following actions to delineate the area of review and identify all wells that require corrective action:

a. predict, using existing site characterization, monitoring and operational data, and computational modeling, the projected lateral and vertical migration of the carbon dioxide plume and formation fluids in the subsurface from the commencement of injection activities until the plume movement ceases, until pressure differentials sufficient to cause the movement of injected fluids or formation fluids into a USDW are no longer present, or until the end of a fixed time period as determined by the commissioner. The model must:

i. be based on detailed geologic data collected to characterize the injection zone(s), confining zone(s) and any additional zones; and anticipated operating data, including injection pressures, rates, and total volumes over the proposed life of the geologic sequestration project;

ii. take into account any geologic heterogeneities, other discontinuities, data quality, and their possible impact on model predictions; and

iii. consider potential migration through faults, fractures, and artificial penetrations.

b. using methods approved by the commissioner, the owner or operator shall at a minimum, identify all penetrations, including active and abandoned wells and underground mines, in the area of review that penetrate the confining and injection zone(s). (See §603.H.4 Provide a description of each wells type, construction, date drilled, location, depth, record of plugging and/or completion, and any additional information the commissioner may require; and

c. determine which abandoned wells in the area of review have been plugged in a manner that prevents the movement of carbon dioxide or other fluids that may endanger USDWs, including use of materials compatible with the carbon dioxide stream.

C. Corrective Action

1. Owners or operators of Class VI wells must perform corrective action on all wells in the area of review that are determined to need corrective action, using methods designed to prevent the movement of fluid into or between USDWs, including use of materials compatible with the carbon dioxide stream, where appropriate.

2. At the minimum fixed frequency-not to exceed five years-as specified in the area of review and corrective action plan, or when monitoring and operational conditions warrant, owners or operators must:

a. reevaluate the area of review in the same manner specified in §615.B.3 a;

b. identify all wells in the reevaluated area of review that require corrective action in the same manner specified in §615.B 3;

c. perform corrective action on wells requiring corrective action in the reevaluated area of review in the same manner specified in §615.C 1; and

d. submit an amended area of review and corrective action plan or demonstrate to the commissioner through monitoring data and modeling results that no amendment to the area of review and corrective action plan is needed. Any amendments to the area of review and corrective action plan must be approved by the commissioner, must be incorporated into the permit, and are subject to the permit modification requirements at §613, as appropriate.

3. The emergency and remedial response plan (as required by §623) and the demonstration of financial responsibility (as described by §609.C must account for the area of review delineated as specified in §615.B.3.a or the most recently evaluated area of review delineated under §615.C 2, regardless of whether or not corrective action in the area of review is phased.

4. All modeling inputs and data used to support area of review reevaluations under §615.C.2 shall be retained for at least 10 years.

La. Admin. Code tit. 43, § XVII-615

Promulgated by the Department of Natural Resources, Office of Conservation, LR 4769 (1/1/2021).

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 30:4 et seq., 30:22 et seq., and 30:1101 et seq.