25 Pa. Code § 78a.92 - Wells in coal areas-surface or coal protective casing is cemented
(a) In a well
underlain by a workable coal seam, where the surface casing or coal protective
casing is cemented and the production casing is not cemented or the production
casing is not present, the owner or operator shall plug the well as follows:
(1) The retrievable production casing shall
be removed by applying a pulling force at least equal to the casing weight plus
5,000 pounds or 120%, whichever is greater. If this fails, an attempt shall be
made to separate the casing by cutting, ripping, shooting or other method
approved by the Department, and making a second attempt to remove the casing by
exerting a pulling force equal to the casing weight plus 5,000 pounds or 120%
of the casing weight, whichever is greater. The well shall be filled with
nonporous material from the total depth or attainable bottom of the well to a
point 50 feet below the lowest stratum bearing or having borne oil, gas or
water. At this point there shall be placed a plug of cement, which shall extend
for at least 50 feet above this stratum. Each overlying formation bearing or
having borne oil, gas or water shall be plugged with cement a minimum of 50
feet below this formation to a point 50 feet above this formation. The zone
between cement plugs shall be filled with nonporous material. The cement plugs
shall be placed in a manner that will completely seal the hole. The operator
may treat multiple strata as one stratum and plug as described in this
subsection with a single column of cement or other materials approved by the
Department. Where the production casing is not retrievable, the operator shall
plug that portion of the well under §
78a.91(d)
(relating to general provisions).
(2) After plugging strata bearing or having
borne oil, gas or water, the well shall be filled with nonporous material to a
point approximately 100 feet below the surface or coal protective casing seat,
whichever is deeper. At this point, a 100-foot plug of cement shall be
installed.
(3) After the plug has
been installed below the casing seat, the inner casing shall be emptied of
liquid from the surface to the plug of cement. A vent or other device approved
by the Department shall then be installed on top of the inner string of casing
to prevent liquids and solids from entering the well but permit access to the
full internal diameter of the inner casing when required. The vent or other
device approved by the Department must extend, when finally in place, a
distance of at least 72 inches above ground level and the permit or
registration number must be permanently affixed.
(b) The owner or operator shall plug a well,
where the surface casing, coal protective casing and production casing are
cemented, as follows:
(1) If the total depth
or attainable bottom is deeper than the cemented production casing seat, the
operator shall plug that portion of the well under subsection (a)(1).
(2) Cement plugs shall be set in the cemented
portion of the production casing so that the plugs will extend from at least 50
feet below each stratum bearing or having borne oil, gas or water to a point at
least 100 feet above each stratum bearing or having borne, oil, gas or water. A
Department-approved mechanical plug may be set 20 feet above each stratum
bearing or having borne oil, gas or water as a substitute for the plug of
cement. Nonporous material must separate each cement plug or mechanical plug.
The operator may treat multiple strata as one stratum and plug as described in
this subsection with a single column of cement or other materials as approved
by the Department.
(3) Following
the plugging of the cemented portion of the production casing, the uncemented
portion of the production casing shall be separated from the cemented portion
and retrieved by applying a pulling force at least equal to the casing weight
plus 5,000 pounds or 120%, whichever is greater. If this fails, an attempt
shall be made to separate the casing by cutting, ripping, shooting or other
method approved by the Department, and making a second attempt to remove the
casing by exerting a pulling force equal to the casing weight plus 5,000 pounds
or 120% of the casing weight, whichever is greater. The maximum distance the
stub of the uncemented portion of the production casing may extend is 100 feet
below the surface or coal protective casing whichever is lower. In no case may
the uncemented portion of the casing left in the well extend through a
formation bearing or having borne oil, gas or water. Other stratum above the
cemented portion of the production casing bearing or having borne oil, gas or
water shall be plugged by filling the hole with nonporous material to 20 feet
above the stratum and setting a 50-foot plug of cement. The operator may treat
multiple strata as one stratum and plug as described in this subsection with a
single column of cement or other material as approved by the Department. When
the uncemented portion of the production casing is not retrievable, the
operator shall plug that portion of the well under §
78a.91(d).
(4) After plugging all strata bearing or
having borne oil, gas or water, the well shall be filled with nonporous
material to a point approximately 100 feet below the surface or coal protective
casing seat, whichever is deeper. At this point a 200-foot cement plug shall be
placed so that the plug extends from 100 feet below the casing seat to a point
at least 100 feet above the casing seat.
(5) After the 200-foot plug has been
installed, the remainder of the well shall be plugged and vented as described
in subsection (a)(3).
(c)
A person authorized by the Department under the act or section 13 of the Coal
and Gas Resource Coordination Act (58 P.S. §
513) to plug a gas well that penetrates a
workable coal seam that was drilled prior to November 30, 1955, or which was
permitted after that date but not plugged in accordance with the act, shall
plug the well to mine through it in the following manner:
(1) The gas well shall be cleaned out to a
depth of at least 200 feet below the coal seam which is proposed to be mined
and, unless impracticable, to a point 200 feet below the deepest mineable coal
seam that the well penetrates.
(2)
The gas well shall be plugged in accordance with section 13(a)(1), (2), (3) or
(4) of the Coal and Gas Resource Coordination
Act.
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