| (C) Prior to commencement of injection for cavern construction, the pilot hole or core hole shall be filled with salt-saturated cement from total investigated depth back to the designed depth of the salt cavern floor. (4) Well integrity testing. The mechanical integrity of a well must be demonstrated prior to initiation of injection activities. A mechanical integrity test shall consist of: (A) a pressure test with liquid or gas; (B) a temperature, noise log, or oxygen activation log; (C) a casing inspection log, if required by the executive director; and (D) any other test required by the executive director. (f) Compatibility. All well materials must be compatible with formations and fluids with which the materials may be expected to come into contact. A well shall be deemed to have compatibility as long as the materials used in the construction of the well meet or exceed standards developed for such materials by the American Petroleum Institute (API), the American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM), or comparable standards acceptable to the executive director. (g) Pre-injection units. (1) The injection pump system shall be designed to assure that the surface injection pressure limitations authorized by the well permit shall not be exceeded. (2) Instrumentation shall be installed to continuously monitor changes in annulus pressure and annulus fluid volume for the purpose of detecting well malfunctions. (3) Pre-injection units, while allowing for pressure release, shall be designed to prevent the release of unauthorized cavern contents to the atmosphere. (4) To protect the ground surface from spills and releases, the wellhead will have secondary containment in the form of a diked, impermeable pad or sump. (h) Construction supervision. All phases of well construction and all phases of any well workover shall be supervised by a licensed professional engineer or licensed professional geoscientist, as appropriate, with current registration under the Texas Engineering Practice Act or Texas Geoscience Practice Act, who is knowledgeable and experienced in practical drilling engineering and who is familiar with the special conditions and requirements of injection well construction. (i) Approval of completion of the well construction stage. Prior to beginning cavern construction, the permittee shall obtain written approval from the executive director which states that the well construction is in compliance with the applicable provisions of the permit. To obtain approval, the permittee shall submit to the executive director within 90 days of completion of well construction, including all logging, coring, and testing of the pilot hole, the following reports and certifications prepared and sealed by a licensed professional engineer or licensed professional geoscientist with current registration under the Texas Engineering Practice Act or Texas Geoscience Practice Act: (1) final construction, "as-built" plans and specifications, reservoir data, and an evaluation of the considerations set out in §331.45(2) of this title (relating to Executive Director Approval of Construction and Completion); (2) certification that construction of the well has been completed in accordance with the provisions of the disposal well permit and with the design and construction specifications of the permittee's application; and (3) certification that actual reservoir data obtained will not result in the need for a change in the operating parameters specified in the permit. |
| Source Note: The provisions of this §331.163 adopted to be effective June 22, 1992, 17 TexReg 4097; amended to be effective January 2, 1995, 19 TexReg 10099; amended to be effective November 23, 2000, 25 TexReg 11433; amended to be effective May 30, 2002, 27 TexReg 4576; amended to be effective January 9, 2003, 28 TexReg 340; amended to be effective October 2, 2003, 28 TexReg 8367 |
