California Code of Regulations › Title 14 - Natural Resources › Division 2 - Department of Conservation › Chapter 4 - Development, Regulation, and Conservation of Oil and Gas Resources › Subchapter 1 - Onshore Well Regulations › Article 4 - Underground Injection Control › Section 1724.10.1 - Mechanical Integrity Testing Part One - Casing Integrity

Current through Register 2024 Notice Reg. No. 28, July 12, 2024
(a) Casing Pressure Test at the Maximum
					 Allowable Surface Pressure. Prior to commencing injection operations for the
					 first time after a well is approved or reapproved by the Division for
					 injection, each injection well shall pass a pressure test of the casing to
					 determine the absence of leaks. Thereafter, the casing of each well shall be
					 tested at least once every five years, prior to recommencing injection
					 operations following the repositioning or replacement of downhole equipment, or
					 whenever requested by the Division. If an injection well is a gas disposal
					 well, then the casing of the well shall be tested at least once every year. If
					 a required pressure test is not successfully completed, then the operator shall
					 immediately notify the Division and the well shall not be used for injection
					 without subsequent written approval from the Division.
(b) Pressure testing under this section shall
					 conform to the following:
(1) If injection in
					 the well is through tubing and packer, then the pressure test shall be of the
					 casing-tubing annulus of the well.
(2) Pressure testing shall be conducted with
					 a liquid unless the Division approves pressure testing with gas.
(3) If pressure testing will be conducted
					 with a liquid that contains additive other than brine, corrosion inhibitors, or
					 biocides, then the operator shall consult with the Division regarding the
					 contents of the liquid prior to commencing testing.
(4) The wellbore shall be filled with a
					 stable column of fluid that is free of excess gases.
(5) Pressure tests shall be recorded and a
					 calibrated gauge shall be used that can record a pressure with an accuracy
					 within one percent of the testing pressure. Pressure shall be recorded at least
					 once per minute during testing. If an analog gauge is used, then the test
					 pressure shall be within the mid-range scale of the gauge. The pressure test
					 results shall be submitted to the Division in a digital tabular format within
					 60 days of the date the test is conducted. The charts or digital recording of
					 the pressures during testing shall be provided to the Division upon
					 request.
(6) The operator may
					 select the initial test pressure of the pressure test, provided that the
					 pressure test is conducted at an initial test pressure of at least 200 psi
					 above surface pressure, and the maximum allowable surface injection pressure
					 for the injection well, as determined under Section
					 1724.10.3, shall not exceed the
					 initial test pressure used during the most recent successful pressure
					 test.
(7) Pressure tests shall test
					 the casing of the well from the surface to a depth that is within 100 feet
					 measured depth above the uppermost perforation, immediately above the casing
					 shoe of the deepest cemented casing, or immediately above the top of the landed
					 liner, whichever is highest. If the top of the landed liner is 100 feet or more
					 above the cemented casing shoe, then the pressure test shall be to a depth
					 specified by the Division on a case-by-case basis.
(8) A pressure test is successful if the
					 pressure gauge does not show more than a three percent change from the initial
					 test pressure over a continuous 30-minute period, except that if the well is a
					 cyclic steam injection well, then an increase in pressure of as much as 10
					 percent is a successful test.
(9)
					 The Division may modify the testing parameters on a case-by-case basis if, in
					 the Division's judgment, the modification is necessary to ensure an effective
					 test of the integrity of the casing.