Ariz. Admin. Code § R18-9-J662 - Class VI; Logging, Sampling, and Testing Prior to Well Operation
A. During the
drilling and construction of a Class VI injection well, the owner or operator
must run appropriate logs, surveys and tests to determine or verify the depth,
thickness, porosity, permeability, and lithology of, and the salinity of any
formation fluids in all relevant geologic formations to ensure conformance with
the injection well construction requirements under
R18-9-J661 and to establish
accurate baseline data against which future measurements may be compared. The
owner or operator must submit to the Director a descriptive report prepared by
a knowledgeable log analyst that includes an interpretation of the results of
such logs and tests. At a minimum, such logs and tests must include:
1. Deviation checks during drilling on all
holes constructed by drilling a pilot hole which is enlarged by reaming or
another method. Such checks must be at sufficiently frequent intervals to
determine the location of the borehole and to ensure that vertical avenues for
fluid movement in the form of diverging holes are not created during drilling;
and
2. Before and upon installation
of the surface casing:
a. Resistivity,
spontaneous potential, and caliper logs before the casing is installed;
and
b. A cement bond and variable
density log to evaluate cement quality radially, and a temperature log after
the casing is set and cemented.
3. Before and upon installation of the long
string casing:
a. Resistivity, spontaneous
potential, porosity, caliper, gamma ray, fracture finder logs, and any other
logs the Director requires for the given geology before the casing is
installed; and
b. A cement bond and
variable density log, and a temperature log after the casing is set and
cemented.
4. A series of
tests designed to demonstrate the internal and external mechanical integrity of
injection wells, which may include:
a. A
pressure test with liquid or gas;
b. A tracer survey such as oxygen-activation
logging;
c. A temperature or noise
log;
d. A casing inspection log;
and
5. Any alternative
methods that provide equivalent or better information and that are required by
and/or approved of by the Director.
B. The owner or operator must take whole
cores or sidewall cores of the injection zone and confining system and
formation fluid samples from the injection zone or zones, and must submit to
the Director a detailed report prepared by a log analyst that includes: Well
log analyses (including well logs), core analyses, and formation fluid sample
information. The Director may accept information on cores from nearby wells if
the owner or operator can demonstrate that core retrieval is not possible and
that such cores are representative of conditions at the well. The Director may
require the owner or operator to core other formations in the
borehole.
C. The owner or operator
must record the fluid temperature, pH, conductivity, reservoir pressure, and
static fluid level of the injection zone or zones.
D. At a minimum, the owner or operator must
determine or calculate the following information concerning the injection and
confining zone or zones:
1. Fracture
pressure;
2. Other physical and
chemical characteristics of the injection and confining zone or zones;
and
3. Physical and chemical
characteristics of the formation fluids in the injection zone or
zones.
E. Upon
completion, but prior to operation, the owner or operator must conduct the
following tests to verify hydrogeologic characteristics of the injection zone
or zones:
1. A pressure fall-off test;
and,
2. A pump test; or
3. Injectivity tests.
F. The owner or operator must provide the
Director with the opportunity to witness all logging and testing by this Part.
The owner or operator must submit a schedule of such activities to the Director
30 days prior to conducting the first test and submit any changes to the
schedule 30 days prior to the next scheduled test.
Notes
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