Wyoming Administrative Code › Agency 020 - Environmental Quality, Dept. of › Sub-Agency 0011 - Water Quality › Chapter 24 - Class VI Injection Wells and Facilities Underground Injection Control Program › Section 24-20 - Testing and Monitoring Requirements

Current through July 13, 2024
(a) The owner or
				operator of a Class VI well shall prepare, maintain, and comply with a testing
				and monitoring plan to verify that the geologic sequestration project is
				operating as permitted and is not endangering USDWs. The testing and monitoring
				plan shall be submitted with the permit application, shall be subject to
				Administrator approval, and shall include a description of how the owner or
				operator will meet the requirements of this Section, including accessing sites
				for all necessary monitoring and testing during the life of the
				project.
(b) In addition to the
				requirements of W.S. §
									
										35-11-313, testing and monitoring associated
				with geologic sequestration projects shall include:
(i) Analysis of the carbon dioxide stream
				with sufficient frequency to yield data representative of its chemical and
				physical characteristics;
(ii)
				Installation and use, except during well workovers, of continuous recording
				devices to monitor:
(A) Injection
				pressure;
(B) Injection rate and
				volume;
(C) Pressure on the annulus
				between the tubing and the long string casing;
(D) The annulus fluid volume added;
				and
(E) The pressure on the annulus
				between the tubing and the long string casing;
(iii) Corrosion monitoring of the well
				materials for loss of mass, loss of thickness, cracking, pitting, and other
				signs of corrosion, which shall be performed and recorded at least quarterly to
				ensure that the well components meet the minimum standards for material
				strength and performance set forth in Section
				14(b) of this Chapter by:
(A) Analyzing coupons of the well
				construction materials placed in contact with the carbon dioxide
				stream;
(B) Routing the carbon
				dioxide stream through a loop constructed with the material used in the well
				and inspecting the materials in the loop; or
(C) Using an alternative method approved by
				the Administrator;
(iv)
				Periodic monitoring of the groundwater quality and geochemical changes above
				the confining zones that may be a result of carbon dioxide movement or
				displaced formation fluid movement through the confining zones or additional
				zones. The monitoring wells shall:
(A) Use
				specific information about the geologic sequestration project, including
				injection rate and volume, geology, the presence of artificial penetrations,
				and other relevant factors to establish the location and number of monitoring
				wells; and
(B) Use baseline
				geochemical data that have been collected under Section
				10(b)(xvi) of this
				Chapter and any modeling results in the area of review evaluation required by
				Section
				13(b) of this Chapter to
				establish the monitoring frequency and spatial distribution of monitoring
				wells;
(v) A
				demonstration of external mechanical integrity pursuant to Section
				19(c) at least once per
				year until the well is plugged;
(vi) If required by the Administrator, a
				casing inspection log pursuant to requirements of Section
				19(d) of this Chapter at
				a frequency established in the testing and monitoring plan;
(vii) A pressure fall-off test that
				identifies reservoir conditions with respect to flow dynamics at least once
				every five (5) years, unless more frequent testing is required by the
				Administrator based on site-specific information;
(viii) Testing and monitoring to track the
				extent of the carbon dioxide plume, the position of the pressure front, and
				surface displacement using:
(A) Direct methods
				in the injection zone(s); and
(B)
				Indirect methods in the injection zone (e.g., seismic, electrical, gravity, or
				electromagnetic surveys and/or down-hole carbon dioxide detection tools) unless
				the Administrator determines, based on site-specific geology, that such methods
				are not appropriate;
(ix) Based on site-specific conditions,
				surface air monitoring or soil gas monitoring to detect movement of carbon
				dioxide that could endanger a USDW or otherwise threaten human health, safety,
				or the environment;
(A) The surface air or
				soil gas monitoring plan shall:
(I) Be based
				on potential risks to USDWs, and modeling within the area of review;
(II) Use baseline data to establish the
				monitoring frequency and spatial distribution of surface air monitoring or soil
				gas monitoring; and
(III) Specify
				how the proposed monitoring will yield useful information for the area of
				review delineation and the potential movement of fluid:
(1.) Containing any contaminant into USDWs in
				exceedance of any primary drinking water regulation under 40 C.F.R. Part 141;
				or
(2.) Which may otherwise
				adversely affect human health, safety, or the environment;
(B) If an owner or operator
				demonstrates that monitoring employed under
				40 C.F.R. §§
												98.440 to
				98.449 accomplishes
				the goals of subparagraph (b)(ix)(A) of this Section, the Administrator shall
				approve the use of monitoring employed under
				40 C.F.R. §§
												98.440 to
				98.449. An owner or
				operator who uses monitoring employed under
				40 C.F.R. §§
												98.440 to
				98.449 to meet the
				requirements of this Section shall comply with
				40 C.F.R. §§
												98.440 to
				98.449;
(x) Any additional monitoring, as
				required by the Administrator, necessary to support, upgrade, and improve
				computational modeling of the area of review re-evaluation required under
				Section
				13(c) of this Chapter and
				as necessary to demonstrate that there is no movement of fluid containing any
				contaminant into USDWs in exceedance of any primary drinking water regulation
				under 40 C.F.R. Part 141, Subparts E, F, and G, or which could otherwise
				adversely affect human health, safety, or the environment;
(xi) The owner or operator shall periodically
				review the testing and monitoring plan to incorporate monitoring data collected
				under this Section, operational data collected under Section
				18 of this Chapter, and the most recent
				area of review reevaluation performed under Section
				13 of this Chapter. The owner or operator
				shall review the testing and monitoring plan at least once every five (5)
				years. Based on this review, the owner or operator shall submit an amended
				testing and monitoring plan or demonstrate to the Administrator that no
				amendment to the testing and monitoring plan is needed. Any amendments to the
				testing and monitoring plan are subject to approval by the Administrator, shall
				be incorporated into the permit, and are subject to the permit modification
				requirements of Section
				6 of this
				Chapter. Amended plans or demonstrations shall be submitted to the
				Administrator as follows:
(A) Within one (1)
				year of an area of review reevaluation;
(B) Following any significant changes to the
				facility, such as addition of monitoring wells or newly permitted injection
				wells within the area of review; or
(C) When required by the Administrator;
				and
(xii) A quality
				assurance and surveillance plan for all testing and monitoring
				requirements.