Ala. Admin. Code r. 335-6-8-.24 - Class VI Well Plugging Requirements
(1) At the conclusion of CO2 injection
activities, the injection well must be permanently plugged, permanently removed
from service, and cannot be converted to any other type of use.
(2) Prior to the well plugging , the owner or
operator must flush each Class VI injection well with a buffer fluid, determine
bottomhole reservoir pressure, and perform a final external mechanical
integrity test.
(3) The owner or
operator of a Class VI well must prepare, maintain, and comply with a well
plugging plan that is acceptable to the Department . The requirement to maintain
and implement an approved plan is directly enforceable regardless of whether
the requirement is a condition of the permit. The well plugging plan must be
submitted as part of the permit application and must include the following
information:
(a) Appropriate tests or
measures for determining bottomhole reservoir pressure;
(b) Appropriate testing methods to ensure
external mechanical integrity as specified in
335-6-8-.21;
(c) The type and number of plugs to be
used;
(d) The placement of each
plug, including the elevation of the top and bottom of each plug;
(e) The type, grade, and quantity of material
to be used in plugging . The material must be compatible with the carbon dioxide
stream ; and
(f) The method of
placement of the plugs.
(4) The owner or operator must notify the
Department , in writing, at least 60 days before plugging of a well. At this
time, if any changes have been made to the original well plugging plan, the
owner or operator must also provide the proposed revisions to the well plugging
plan. The Department may allow for a shorter notice period. Any amendments to
the injection well plugging plan must be approved by the Department , must be
incorporated into the permit, and are subject to the permit modification
requirements of
335-6-8-.08.
(5) Within 60 days after plugging , the owner
or operator must submit a plugging report to the Department , and to the EPA,
pursuant to rule
335-6-8-.23(e).
The report must be certified as accurate by the owner or operator and by the
person who performed the plugging operation (if other than the owner or
operator.) The owner or operator shall retain the well plugging report for 10
years following site closure.
Notes
Author: Sonja Massey
Statutory Authority: Code of Ala. 1975, §§ 22-22-9, 22-22A-5, 22-22A-6, 22-22A-8.
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