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 5 - Requirements for Underground Gas Storage Projects › Section 1726.6 - Mechanical Integrity Testing

Current through Register 2024 Notice Reg. No. 28, July 12, 2024
(a) The operator shall, at a minimum, conduct
					 the following mechanical integrity testing on each gas storage well and every
					 other well that penetrates the gas storage reservoir of the operator's
					 underground gas storage project, with the exception of wells that have been
					 plugged and abandoned in accordance with Public Resources Code section
					 3208:
(1) A temperature and noise log shall be
					 conducted at least annually to ensure integrity. Logging shall include a repeat
					 section of no less than 200 feet, preferably across intervals where anomalies
					 are present. If an anomaly is identified that indicates a possible loss of or
					 threat to the mechanical integrity of the well, then the operator shall
					 immediately report the anomaly to the appropriate district office. If the
					 operator is unable to explain any anomaly, then the well shall not be used for
					 injection or withdrawal without subsequent approval from the
					 Division.
(2) A casing wall
					 thickness inspection to estimate internal and external corrosion, employing
					 such methods as magnetic flux or ultrasonic technologies, shall be performed at
					 least once every 24 months to determine if there are possible issues with
					 casing integrity. Logging shall include a repeat section of no less than 200
					 feet, preferably across intervals where anomalies are present. The results
					 shall be compared against prior results and any other available data to
					 determine the corrosion rate. If the casing wall thickness inspection indicates
					 that within the next 24 months thinning of the casing will diminish the
					 casing's ability to contain 115 percent of the well's maximum allowable
					 operating pressure utilizing Barlow's equation or another, similarly effective
					 method, then the well shall be remediated and shall not be used for injection
					 or withdrawal without subsequent approval from the Division. The Division may
					 approve a less frequent casing wall thickness inspection schedule for a well if
					 the operator demonstrates that the well's corrosion rate is low enough that
					 biennial inspection is not necessary.
(3) Pressure testing of the production casing
					 shall be conducted at a minimum frequency determined on a well-by-well basis
					 under Section
					 1726.3, subdivision (d)(3),
					 provided that the well-specific minimum pressure testing frequency has been
					 reviewed and approved by the Division. If the Division has not approved a
					 well-specific minimum pressure testing frequency for a well as part of the Risk
					 Management Plan, then the operator shall pressure test the well at least once
					 every 24 months. If injection in the gas storage well is through tubing and
					 packer, then the pressure test shall be of the casing-tubing annulus of the
					 well. Pressure testing shall be conducted in accordance with the parameters
					 specified in Section
					 1726.6.1. 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 or withdrawal without
					 subsequent approval from the Division.