North Carolina Administrative Code › Title 15A - Environmental Quality › Chapter 05 - MINING - MINERAL RESOURCES › Subchapter H - OIL AND GAS CONSERVATION › Section .1600 - WELL CONSTRUCTION AND COMPLETION › Section 05H .1618 - REQUIREMENTS FOR PERMANENT CLOSURE OF OIL OR GAS WELLS

Current through Register Vol. 39, No. 2, July 15, 2024
(a) All lost holes, dry holes, and oil or gas
				  wells incapable of production shall be plugged and abandoned. In addition to
				  the requirements detailed within this Rule, all plugging and abandonment
				  activities shall meet the standards in API Recommended Practice 51-R
				  "Environmental Protection for Onshore Oil and Gas Production Operations and
				  Leases," and API Bulletin E3 "Environmental Guidance Document: Well Abandonment
				  and Inactive Well Practices for U.S. Exploration and Production Operations,"
				  which are incorporated by reference, including subsequent amendments and
				  editions. These documents may be viewed online for no charge at
http://publications.api.org/
.
(b) The permittee shall plug and abandon lost
				  holes and dry holes prior to releasing the drilling rig from the well
				  pad.
(c) Non-drillable material
				  that would prevent re-entry of an oil or gas well shall not be placed in any
				  wellbore.
(d) Trash or refuse shall
				  not be used as plugging and abandonment material.
(e) Conductor casing or surface casing shall
				  not be removed from any wellbore during plugging and abandonment
				  operations.
(f) All pits or tanks
				  utilized during oil or gas well plugging and abandonment operations to contain
				  waste shall conform to Rule .1504 of this Subchapter.
(g) Cement or mechanical bridge plugs shall
				  be placed within the wellbore to isolate hydrocarbon bearing zones, prevent
				  migration of fluids in the wellbore, protect fresh groundwater aquifers, and
				  prevent surface water from entering the wellbore. All plugs used for plugging
				  and abandonment shall meet the following requirements:
(1) all cement used to plug an oil or gas
				  well shall conform to Rule .1606 of this Section;
(2) cement plugs shall be placed by
				  circulation using tubing, casing, or drill pipe;
(3) all intervals between the cement and
				  mechanical bridge plugs shall be filled with a bentonite- based mud that has a
				  minimum weight of nine and one half pounds per gallon;
(4) vertical wellbores shall have cement
				  plugs placed in the following intervals:
(A)
				  from the total depth to a minimum of 100 feet above the top of the deepest
				  hydrocarbon bearing zone or alternatively, from a minimum of 50 feet below the
				  base of the deepest hydrocarbon bearing zone penetrated to a minimum of 100
				  feet above the top of the deepest hydrocarbon bearing zone;
(B) from a minimum of 50 feet below to a
				  minimum of 100 feet above each succeeding hydrocarbon bearing or fresh
				  groundwater zone, not isolated by intermediate or surface casing;
(C) from a minimum of 100 feet below to a
				  minimum of 100 feet above the base of intermediate and surface casing strings;
				  and
(D) from a minimum of 200 feet
				  below ground surface to three feet below ground surface.
(5) horizontal wellbores shall have cement
				  plugs placed in accordance with Parts (g)(4)(A) through (g)(4)(D) of this Rule
				  with the exception that the bottom plug, as outlined in Part (g)(4)(A) of this
				  Rule, shall be placed at the depth of the well curve kick-off point and extend
				  above that point a minimum of 200 feet; and
(6) if mechanical bridge plugs are used, the
				  plug shall be set directly above each zone identified in Parts (g)(4)(A)
				  through (g)(4)(D) of this Rule and covered with a minimum of 50 feet of
				  cement.