N.M. Admin. Code § 19.27.4.31

Current through Register Vol. 35, No. 23, December 10, 2024

Section 19.27.4.31 - WELL DRILLING - ARTESIAN (CONFINED) WELL REQUIREMENTS

Artesian wells shall be constructed such that groundwater does not move appreciably between hydrogeologic units nor flow uncontrolled to the ground surface. For regulatory purposes, the final determination of whether a well is artesian shall be based upon evaluations made by the state engineer. A well driller shall ensure that well drilling activities associated with the drilling of artesian wells are made in accordance with 19.27.4.29 NMAC and the following requirements:

A.Plan of operations: Before conducting any well drilling activities for an artesian well, prior approval from the owner of the land upon which the well drilling activity is planned must be granted, the permittee, well owner, or the owner's agent or attorney, shall provide a plan of operations describing the proposed work on a form prescribed by the state engineer, and the plan of operations shall be approved by the state engineer. The plan of operations shall provide information on the well design and materials to be used in the well construction, including the cementing and testing procedures. If the materials or cementing and testing procedures are not provided for in these rules and regulations, then the plan of operations must provide documentation to support their use. The plan of operations shall be signed by a well driller. Well drilling activities of an artesian well shall be conducted in accordance with the plan of operations as approved and conditioned by the state engineer. While conducting well drilling activities the well driller shall have a copy of the approved permit and plan of operations on site and available for inspection upon request.

B.Construction inspection: The casing, cementing, plugging, and testing of an artesian well shall be witnessed by an authorized representative of the state engineer. Alternatives to onsite witnessing may be utilized at the discretion of the state engineer.

C.Artesian wells - no prior knowledge of artesian condition: In the course of drilling a well, if a previously unidentified artesian stratum is encountered, the state engineer shall be immediately notified that an artesian stratum was encountered, any flowing groundwater to ground surface shall be controlled immediately, and a plan of operations shall be submitted for approval in accordance with Subsection A of 19.27.4.31 NMAC.

D.Casing and coupling material requirements: Casing and coupling material used in the construction of an artesian well shall meet specifications approved by the state engineer prior to well drilling. The casing for artesian wells shall be inspected by an authorized representative of the state engineer prior to well construction.

E.Casing installation requirements: The casing shall be centralized in the borehole throughout the casing string hole and centered at the top so grout may be evenly placed around the casing. A commercially made float shoe shall be installed on the lowermost joint of the casing to be landed unless an alternate method for cementing has been approved by the state engineer. The casing shall be un-perforated and the well shall be designed in a manner to prevent the commingling of water from the artesian stratum with water in an overlying or underlying hydrogeologic unit. All threaded casing joints must be tightened to manufacturer's designated torque specifications during installation. Casing shall be set at or near the base of the confining formation or the top of the artesian stratum.

F.Annular space: The diameter of the borehole in which the seal shall be placed shall be at least four inches greater than the outside diameter of the casing set to include the coupling diameter. If pressure grouting from the bottom up is used for sealant placement then the diameter of the borehole in which the seal shall be placed may be reduced to three inches greater than the outside diameter of the casing set. If surface casing is used, the inside diameter of the surface casing shall be at least three inches greater than the outside diameter of the production casing including the diameter of the coupling on the casing.

G.Annular space sealing requirements: The annular seal shall consist of an office of the state engineer approved sealant. The seal shall originate at or near the base of the confining unit and shall be continuously placed to ground surface. The sealing process shall be witnessed by an authorized representative of the state engineer. When necessary, sufficient annular seal shall be placed to prevent inter-aquifer exchange of water and to prevent loss of hydraulic head between hydrogeologic units.

H.Annular space - seal placement: The office of the state engineer approved sealant shall be placed in the annular space by one of the following methods:

(1)Tremie method: The office of the state engineer approved sealant shall be pumped using a tremie pipe to fill the annular space of the well from the bottom of the seal to ground surface. Flow of undiluted sealant out of the top of the annular space shall be established with the tremie pipe suspended in the annulus. The lower end of the tremie shall remain immersed in the sealant for the duration of pumping. The tremie pipe may be gradually removed as sealant level in the annulus rises.

(2)Pressure grout method: The office of the state engineer approved sealant shall be pumped down the inside of the casing, through the float shoe, and up the annular space until undiluted sealant circulates out of the annulus at ground surface. Excess sealant will be displaced out of the casing from behind by pumping an industry approved drillable plug in front of the drilling fluid until it has bumped up sufficiently at the float shoe. The fluid volume pumped into the casing to displace the sealant shall equal the inside volume of the casing string itself to assure total displacement. Should undiluted sealant not be displaced out the top of the annulus in a continuous pressure grouting operation, the sealing job may be completed by the use of the tremie method. If the tremie method is employed, then a tremie pipe shall be suspended in the annulus to the approximate level of the competent sealing material. The office of the state engineer approved sealant shall be pumped to fill the annular space of the well from the top of the competent sealing material to ground surface.

I.Sealing off formations: The compressive strength of office of the state engineer approved sealant shall be 500 psi or more before well drilling is resumed. Cement must be allowed to set a minimum of 48 hours before well drilling is resumed. Shorter set times may be requested if approved alternate sealants or accelerants are used. Sealing off of the formations shall be checked by a method acceptable to the state engineer. In the case of remediation of artesian boreholes, the compressive strength of office of the state engineer approved sealant shall be 1,000 psi or more before artesian head is shut-in at the wellhead.

J.Repair requirements: When an artesian well is in need of repair, the permittee, well owner, or the owner's agent or attorney with prior approval from the owner of the land upon which the well is located, shall provide a plan of operations to the state engineer for approval. The plan of operations shall be prepared in accordance with Subsection A of 19.27.4.31 NMAC. When required in the approved plan of operations, before repairs are made to an artesian well, the well shall first be inspected by an authorized representative of the state engineer to determine if the condition of the well is such that it may be repaired. When a leak in the casing is found and the casing and well are otherwise in good condition, the state engineer may allow the well to be repaired. A packer or bridge plug may be required to complete necessary well repairs. The use of a lead packer is prohibited. An inspection shall be made at the completion of the work to determine if the repair is satisfactory. During an inspection, the well shall be open to allow for the entrance of equipment for testing and inspection.

K.Plugging requirements: An artesian well that is a permanently discontinued well or a well in a state of disrepair, a failed well drilling attempt, or an improperly constructed or completed well shall be plugged. In accordance with Subsection A of 19.27.4.31 NMAC, a well plugging plan of operations shall be approved by the state engineer prior to plugging. The well shall be plugged from the bottom upwards with an office of the state engineer approved sealant. The well plugging shall be witnessed by an authorized representative of the state engineer.

(1)Contamination indicated: Wells encountering contaminated water or soil may require coordination between the office of the state engineer and the New Mexico environment department (or other authorized agency or department) prior to the plugging of the well. Specialty plugging materials and plugging methods may be required.

(2)Plugging record: A well driller shall keep a record of each plugging activity as the work progresses. A plugging record shall be filed in accordance with Paragraph (3) of Subsection C of 19.27.4.30 NMAC.

N.M. Admin. Code § 19.27.4.31

19.27.4.31 NMAC - Rp, SE 66-1, Articles 4-15, 4-16, 4-17, 4-18, and 4-19, 8-31-2005, Adopted by New Mexico Register, Volume XXVIII, Issue 11, June 13, 2017, eff. 6/30/2017