New Mexico Administrative Code › Title 19 - NATURAL RESOURCES AND WILDLIFE › Chapter 14 - GEOTHERMAL POWER › Part 27 - CASING AND CEMENTING REQUIREMENTS › Section 19.14.27.8 - CASING AND CEMENTING REQUIREMENTS

Current through Register Vol. 35, No. 13, July 16, 2024
A. All wells drilled for the production of
				geothermal resources, including low-temperature thermal wells, and all
				specialty wells, including injection and disposal wells, shall be cased and
				cemented in such manner as to protect surface waters, if any, useable ground
				waters, geothermal resources, and life, health and property. Thermal gradient
				wells shall be drilled, completed and plugged in such a manner as to protect
				surface waters, in any, and useable ground waters. The division may require
				casing and cementing as is deemed necessary for such wells.
B. All casing strings reaching the surface
				shall provide adequate anchorage for blowout prevention equipment, hole
				pressure control, and protection for all natural resources. Although
				specifications for casing programs shall be determined on a well-to-well basis,
				the following general casing requirements should be used as guidelines in
				submitting form G-101, application for permit to drill, deepen, or plug
				back-geothermal resources well.
(1) Conductor
				Pipe: A minimum of 90 feet and a maximum of 200 feet. In special cases the
				division may allow conductor pipe to be run and cemented at deeper depths.
				Annular space is to be cemented solid to the surface. An annular
				blowout-preventer or equivalent approved by the division shall be installed on
				conductor pipe on exploratory wells and on development wells when deemed
				necessary by the division. Note: For thermal gradient wells and low-temperature
				thermal wells the conductor pipe requirement may be reduced or waived by the
				division. The above conductor pipe requirements are not meant to be applicable
				to the single or double joint of large diameter pipe often run to keep mud out
				of the cellar.
(2) Surface Casing:
				Except in the case of thermal gradient wells and low-temperature thermal wells,
				the surface casing hole shall be logged with an electrical or radioactivity
				log, or equivalent, before running casing. Note: This requirement may vary from
				area to area, depending upon the amount of subsurface data available, and may
				be waived under certain conditions. Requests for exceptions to the logging
				requirement should be noted on form G-101 when applying for a drilling permit.
				Surface casing shall provide for control of formation fluids, for protection of
				useable ground water and for adequate anchorage for blowout-prevention
				equipment. All surface casing shall be, if possible, cemented solid to the
				surface.
(a) Length of Surface Casing:
(i) In areas where subsurface geological
				conditions are variable or unknown, surface casing in general shall be set at a
				depth equalling or exceeding 10 percent of the proposed total depth of the
				well. A minimum of 200 feet and a maximum of 1,500 feet of surface casing shall
				be set.
(ii) In areas of known high
				formation pressure, surface casing shall be set at a depth determined by the
				division after a careful study of geological conditions. The division will make
				such a determination within 30 days. Drilling shall not commence until such
				determination has been made.
(iii)
				Within the confines of designated geothermal fields, the depth at which surface
				casing shall be set shall be determined by the division on the basis of known
				field conditions. Requirements (a)(1) and (a)(2) [now (i) and (ii) of
				Subparagraph (a) and (b)of Paragraph (2) of Subsection B of 19.14.27.8 NMAC]
				above may be waived for low-temperature thermal wells.
(b) Cementing Point for Surface Casing:
(i) In areas where subsurface geological
				conditions are variable or unknown, surface casing shall be set in accordance
				with (a) (1) [now (i) Subparagraph (a) of Paragraph (2) of Subsection B of
				19.14.27.8 NMAC] above and through a sufficient series of low permeability,
				competent lithologic units (such as claystone or siltstone) to ensure a solid
				anchor for blowout-prevention equipment and to protect useable ground water and
				surface water from contamination. A second string of surface casing may be
				required if the first string has not been cemented through a sufficient series
				of low permeability, competent lithologic units and either a rapidly increasing
				thermal gradient or rapidly increasing formation pressures are
				encounted.
(ii) In areas of known
				high formation pressure, surface casing shall be set in accordance with (a) (2)
				[now (ii) Subparagraph (a) of Paragraph (2) of Subsection B of 19.14.27.8 NMAC]
				above and through a sufficient series of low permeability, competent lithologic
				units (such as claystone, siltstone or basalt) to ensure a solid anchor for
				blowout-prevention equipment and to protect useable ground water and surface
				water from contamination. A second string of surface casing may be required,
				before drilling into the known high pressure zone is permitted, if the first
				string of surface casing has not been cemented through a sufficient series of
				low-permeability, competent lithologic units.
(iii) Within the confines of designated
				geothermal fields, cementing point shall be determined by the division on the
				basis of known field conditions. Requirements (b)(1) and (b)(2) [now (i) and
				(ii) of Subparagraph (b) of Paragraph (2) of Subsection B of 19.14.27.8 NMAC ]
				above may be waived for low-temperature thermal wells.
(c) Return mud temperatures: Return mud
				temperatures shall be entered into the log book after each joint of pipe has
				been drilled down. See Rule G-106(b) [now Subsection B of 19.14.25.8 NMAC].
(d) Blowout-prevention equipment
				(BOPE): BOPE capable of shutting in the well during any operation shall be
				installed on the surface casing and maintained ready for use at all time (see
				Section H) [see compiler's note].
(3) Intermediate casing: Intermediate casing
				shall be required for protection against anomalous pressure zones, caveins,
				washouts, abnormal temperature zones, uncontrollable lost circulation zones or
				other drilling hazards. Intermediate casing strings shall be, if possible,
				cemented solid to the surface. This requirement (to circulate cement) may be
				waived if the production casing will be cemented to the surface.
(4) Production casing: Production casing may
				be set above or through the producing or injection zone and cemented above the
				objective zones. Sufficient cement shall be used to exclude overlying formation
				fluids from the zone, to segregate zones and to prevent movement of fluids
				behind the casing into zones that contain useable ground water. Production
				casing shall either be cemented solid to the surface or lapped into
				intermediate casing, if run. If the production casing is lapped into an
				intermediate string, the casing overlap shall be at least 50 feet, the lap
				shall be cemented solid, and it shall be pressure tested to ensure its
				integrity. In order to reduce casing corrosion, production casing used to
				produce corrosive brine reservoirs shall be of the same nominal inside diameter
				from the shoe of the casing to the ground surface.
(5) Casing and Cement Tests: All casing
				strings shall be tested after cementing and before commencing any other
				operations on the well. Form G-103 shall be filed for each casing string
				reporting the grade and weight of pipe used. In the case of combination strings
				utilizing pipe of varied grades or weights, the footage of each grade and
				weight used shall be reported. The results of the casing test, including actual
				pressure held on the pipe and the pressure drop observed, shall also be
				reported on the form G-103. See Rule G-203C(2) [now Paragraph (2) of Subsection
				C of 19.14.54.8 NMAC].
(a) Casing strings in
				wells drilled with rotary tools shall be pressure-tested. Minimum casing test
				pressure shall be approximately one-third of the manufacturer's rated internal
				yield pressure except that the test pressure shall not be less than 600 pounds
				per square inch and need not be greater than 1,500 pounds per square inch. In
				cases where combination strings are involved, the above test pressures shall
				apply to the lowest pressure-rated casing used. Test pressures shall be applied
				for a period of 30 minutes. If a drop of more than ten percent of the test
				pressure should occur, the casing or cement job shall be considered defective
				and corrective measures shall be taken before commencing any further operations
				on the well.
(b) Casing strings in
				wells drilled with cable tools may be tested as outlined in Rule 5(a) [now
				Subparagraph (a) of Paragraph (5) of Subsection B of 19.14.27.8 NMAC] above, or
				by bailing the well dry, in which case the well must remain satisfactorily dry
				for a period of at least one hour before commencing any further operations on
				the well.
(6) Defective
				casing or cementing: If the cementing of any casing appears to be defective, or
				if the casing in any well appears to be defective or corroded or parted, or if
				there appears to be any underground leakage for whatever other reason, which
				may cause or permit underground waste, the operator shall proceed with
				diligence to use the appropriate method or methods to eliminate such hazard. If
				such hazard of waste cannot be eliminated, the well shall be plugged and
				abandoned in accordance with a division approved plugging program.
(7) Logging: All wells, except thermal
				gradient wells and low-temperature thermal wells, shall be logged with an
				electrical or radioactivity log, or equivalent, from total depth to the surface
				casing shoe. This requirement may be waived by the division depending upon
				geological or engineering conditions.