Section 331.62 - Construction Standards(a) All Class I wells shall be designed, constructed, and completed to prevent the movement of fluids that could result in the pollution of an underground source of drinking water (USDW). The following standards apply to all Class I wells except those wells authorized to inject only nonhazardous desalination concentrate or nonhazardous drinking water treatment residuals. (1) Design criteria. Casing and cement used in the construction of each newly drilled well shall be designed for the life expectancy of the well, including the post-closure care period. The well shall be designed and constructed to prevent potential leaks from the well, to prevent the movement of fluids along the wellbore into or between USDWs, to prevent the movement of fluids along the wellbore out of the injection zone, to permit the use of appropriate testing devices and workover tools, and to permit continuous monitoring of injection tubing, long string casing, and annulus, as required by this chapter. All well materials must be compatible with fluids with which the materials may be expected to come into contact. A well shall be deemed to have compatibility as long as the materials used in the construction of the well meet or exceed standards developed for such materials by the American Petroleum Institute, the American Society for Testing Materials, or comparable standards acceptable to the executive director. (A) Casing design. Surface casing shall be set to a minimum subsurface depth, as determined by the executive director, which extends into the confining bed below the lowest formation containing a USDW or freshwater aquifer. At least one long string casing, using a sufficient number of centralizers, shall extend to the injection interval. In determining and specifying casing and cementing requirements, the following factors shall be considered: (i) depth of lowermost USDW or freshwater aquifer;(ii) depth to the injection interval;(iii) injection pressure, external pressure, internal pressure, and axial loading;(v) size and grade of all casing strings (wall thickness, diameter, nominal weight, length, joint specification, and construction material);(vi) the maximum burst and collapse pressures, and tensile stresses which may be experienced at any point along the length of the casings at any time during the construction, operation, and closure of the well;(vii) corrosive effects of injected fluids, formation fluids, and temperatures;(viii) lithology of injection and confining intervals;(ix) presence of lost circulation zones or other subsurface conditions that could affect the casing and cementing program;(x) types and grades of cement; and(xi) quantity and chemical composition of the injected fluid.(B) Tubing and packer design. All Class I injection wells shall inject fluids through tubing with a packer, set at a depth specified by the executive director. Fluid seal systems will not be approved by the commission. The annulus system shall be designed and constructed to prevent the leak of injection fluids into any unauthorized zones. In determining and specifying requirements for tubing and packer, the following factors shall be considered:(i) depth to the injection zone;(ii) characteristics of injection fluid (chemical content, corrosiveness, temperature, and density);(iii) injection pressure;(v) rate (intermittent or continuous), temperature, and volume of injected fluid;(vii) tensile, burst, and collapse strengths of the tubing.(2) Plans and specifications. Except as specifically required in the terms of the disposal well permit, the drilling and completion of the well shall be done in accordance with the requirements of this chapter and all permit application plans and specifications.(3) Changes to plans and specifications. Any proposed changes to the plans and specifications must be approved in writing by the executive director that said changes provide protection standards equivalent to or greater than the original design criteria. (A) If during the drilling and/or completion of the well, the operator proposes to change the cementing of the surface casing, the executive director shall require a written description of the proposed change, including any additional data necessary to evaluate the request. The operator may not execute the change until the executive director gives written approval. The operator may change the setting depth of the surface casing to a depth greater than that specified in the permit, either during drilling and/or completion, without approval from the executive director. Approval for setting depths shallower than specified in the permit will not be authorized.(B) If the operator proposes to change the injection interval to one not reviewed during the permit application process, the operator shall submit an application to amend the permit. The operator may not inject into any unauthorized zone.(C) Any other changes, including but not limited to the number of casing strings, changes in the size or material of intermediate and production casings, changes in the completion of the well, changes in the exact setting of screens or injection intervals within the permitted injection zone, and changes in the type of cement used, or method of cementing shall be considered minor changes. If minor changes are requested, the executive director may give immediate oral and subsequent written approval or written approval for those changes. The operator is required to submit a detailed written description of all minor changes, along with the information required in § 331.65 of this title (relating to Waste Disposal Operating Requirements), before approval for operation of the well may be granted.(4) Drilling requirements. (A) The well shall be drilled according to sound engineering practices to minimize problems which may jeopardize completion attempts, such as deviated holes, washouts and stuck pipe.(B) As much as technically practicable and feasible, the hole should be drilled under laminar flow conditions, with appropriate fluid loss control, to minimize hole washouts.(C) Immediately prior to running casing, the drilling fluid in the hole is to be circulated and conditioned to establish rheological properties commensurate with proper cementing practices.(5) Construction performance standard. All Class I wells shall be cased and all casings shall be cemented to prevent the movement of fluids along the borehole into or between USDWs or freshwater aquifers, and to prevent movement of fluids along the borehole out of the injection zone.(6) Cementing requirements, for all Class I wells constructed after the promulgation of this rule, including wells converting to Class I status. (A) Cementing shall be by the pump and plug or other method approved by the executive director. Cementing may be accomplished by staging. Cement pumped shall be of a volume equivalent to at least 120% of the volume calculated necessary to fill the annular space between the hole and casing and between casing strings to the surface of the ground. The executive director may require more than 120% when the geology or other circumstances warrant it. A two-dimensional caliper shall be used to measure the hole diameter. If the two-dimensional caliper can not measure the diameter of the hole over an interval, then the minimum amount of cement needed for that interval shall be a volume calculated to be equivalent to or greater than 150% of the space between the casing and the maximum measurable diameter of the caliper.(B) If lost circulation zones or other subsurface conditions are anticipated and/or encountered, which could result in less than 100% filling of the annular space between the casing and the borehole or the casings, the owner/operator shall implement the approved contingency plan submitted according to § 331.121(a)(2)(O) of this title (relating to Class I Wells).(7) Logs and tests. (A) Integrity testing. Appropriate logs and other tests shall be conducted during the drilling and construction of Class I wells. All logs and tests shall be interpreted by the service company which processed the logs or conducted the test; or by other qualified persons. A minimum of the following logs and tests shall be conducted: (i) deviation checks on all holes, conducted at sufficiently frequent intervals to assure that avenues for fluid migration in the form of diverging holes are not created during drilling;(ii) for surface casing; (I) spontaneous potential, resistivity, natural gamma, and caliper logs before the casing is installed;(II) cement bond with variable density log, and temperature logs after casing is set and cemented; and(III) any other test required by the executive director;(IV) the executive director may allow the use of an alternate to subclauses (I) and (II) of this clause when an alternative will provide equivalent or better information; and(iii) for intermediate and long string casing:(I) spontaneous potential, resistivity, natural gamma, compensated density and/or neutron porosity, dipmeter/fracture finder, and caliper logs, before the casing is installed;(II) a cement bond with variable density log, casing inspection, and temperature logs after casing is set and cemented, and an inclination survey; and(III) any other test required by the executive director; and(iv) a mechanical integrity test consisting of:(I) a pressure test with liquid or gas;(II) a radioactive tracer survey;(III) a temperature or noise log;(IV) a casing inspection log, if required by the executive director; and(V) any other test required by the executive director.(B) Pressure tests. Surface casing shall be pressure tested to 1,000 pounds per square inch, gauge (psig) for at least 30 minutes, and long string casing shall be tested to 1,500 psig for at least 30 minutes, unless otherwise specified by the executive director.(C) Core samples. Full-hole cores shall be taken from selected intervals of the injection zone and lowermost overlying confining zone; or, if full-hole coring is not feasible or adequate core recovery is not achieved, sidewall cores shall be taken at sufficient intervals to yield representative data for selected parts of the injection zone and lowermost overlying confining zone. Core analysis shall include a determination of permeability, porosity, bulk density, and other necessary tests.(8) Injectivity tests. After completion of the well, injectivity tests shall be performed to determine the well capacity and reservoir characteristics. Surveys shall be performed to establish preferred injection intervals. Prior to performing injectivity tests, the bottom hole pressure, bottom hole temperature, and static fluid level shall be determined, and a representative sample of formation fluid shall be obtained for chemical analysis. Information concerning the fluid pressure, temperature, fracture pressure and other physical and chemical characteristics of the injection and confining zones shall be determined or calculated.(9) Construction and workover supervision. All phases of well construction and all phases of any well workover shall be supervised by qualified individuals acting under the responsible charge of a licensed professional engineer or licensed professional geoscientist, as appropriate, with current registration under the Texas Engineering Practice Act or Texas Geoscience Practice Act, who is knowledgeable and experienced in practical drilling engineering and who is familiar with the special conditions and requirements of injection well construction.(10) The executive director shall have the opportunity to witness all cementing of casing strings, logging and testing. The owner or operator shall submit a schedule of such activities to the executive director at least 30 days prior to commencing drilling of the well. The executive director shall be given at least 24 hour notice before each activity in order that a representative of the executive director may be present.(b) Class I wells authorized to inject only nonhazardous desalination concentrate or nonhazardous drinking water treatment residuals shall be constructed in compliance with the following standards: (1) Wells shall be sited in such a fashion that they inject into a formation which is beneath the lowermost formation containing, within one quarter mile of the well bore, an underground source of drinking water.(2) Wells shall be cased and cemented to prevent the movement of fluids into or between underground sources of drinking water. The casing and cement used in the construction of each newly drilled well shall be designed for the life expectancy of the well. In determining and specifying casing and cementing requirements, the following factors shall be considered: (A) Depth to the injection zone;(B) Injection pressure, external pressure, internal pressure, and axial loading;(D) Size and grade of all casing strings (wall thickness, diameter, nominal weight, length, joint specification, and construction material);(E) Corrosiveness of injected fluid, formation fluids, and temperatures;(F) Lithology of injection and confining intervals; and(G) Type or grade of cement.(3) Injection wells, except those municipal wells injecting non-corrosive wastes or those using an alternative as provided by subparagraph (A) of this paragraph shall inject fluids through tubing with a packer set immediately above the injection zone, or tubing with an approved fluid seal as an alternative. The tubing, packer, and fluid seal shall be designed for the expected service. (A) The use of other alternatives to a packer may be allowed with the written approval of the executive director. To obtain approval, the operator shall submit a written request to the executive director, which shall set forth the proposed alternative and all technical data supporting its use. The executive director shall approve the request if the alternative method will reliably provide a comparable level of protection to underground sources of drinking water. The executive director may approve an alternative method solely for an individual well or for general use.(B) In determining and specifying requirements for tubing, packer, or alternatives the following factors shall be considered: (ii) Characteristics of injection fluid (chemical content, corrosiveness, and density);(iii) Injection pressure;(v) Rate, temperature and volume of injected fluid; and(4) Appropriate logs and other tests shall be conducted during the drilling and construction of new Class I wells. A descriptive report interpreting the results of such logs and tests shall be prepared by a knowledgeable log analyst and submitted to the executive director. At a minimum, such logs and tests shall include:(A) Deviation checks on all holes constructed by first drilling a pilot hole, and then enlarging the pilot hole by reaming or another method. Such checks shall be at sufficiently frequent intervals to assure that vertical avenues for fluid migration in the form of diverging holes are not created during drilling; and(B) Such other logs and tests as may be needed after taking into account the availability of similar data in the area of the drilling site, the construction plan, and the need for additional information, that may arise from time to time as the construction of the well progresses. In determining which logs and tests shall be required, the following logs shall be considered for use in the following situations: (i) For surface casing intended to protect underground sources of drinking water: (I) Resistivity, spontaneous potential, and caliper logs before the casing is installed; and(II) A cement bond, temperature, or density log after the casing is set and cemented.(ii) For intermediate and long strings of casing intended to facilitate injection: (I) Resistivity, spontaneous potential, porosity, and gamma ray logs before the casing is installed;(II) Fracture finder logs; and(III) A cement bond, temperature, or density log after the casing is set and cemented.(5) At a minimum, the following information concerning the injection formation shall be determined or calculated for new Class I wells authorized to inject only nonhazardous desalination concentrate or nonhazardous drinking water treatment residuals: (D) Other physical and chemical characteristics of the injection matrix; and(E) Physical and chemical characteristics of the formation fluids.30 Tex. Admin. Code § 331.62
The provisions of this §331.62 adopted to be effective June 15, 1995, 20 TexReg 4055; amended to be effective November 23, 2000, 25 TexReg 11433; amended to be effective October 2, 2003, 28 TexReg 8367; amended to be effective July 10, 2008, 33 TexReg 5342