Section 312 IAC 29-5-1 - Class II well applicationsAuthority: IC 14-10-2-4; IC 14-37-3
Affected: IC 14-37; IC 25-39-1.5
Sec. 1.
(a) This rule establishes permit requirements for Class II wells in addition to the requirements of 312 IAC 29-4.(b) In addition to the requirements of 312 IAC 29-4, an application for a permit to convert an existing well or to drill and construct a Class II well must be accompanied by the following:(1) The well survey required under 312 IAC 29-4-2(e) must also include the permit number, location, and depth of:(A) each well for oil and gas purposes;(B) any other well, including abandoned and nonoperational wells, that penetrate the injection formation or production zone; and(C) each water well recorded with the department under IC 25-39-1.5; located within the area of review of the proposed Class II well.
(2) Information for wells identified under this subsection that is a matter of public record and information that should have been known to the applicant regarding the wells must be included under this subsection.(3) Evidence that all wells identified under subdivision (1) contain an adequate amount of cement and are constructed or plugged in a manner that will prevent the injection fluid and the fluid in the injection formation from entering an underground source of drinking water. The types of evidence that will be considered acceptable by the division include, but are not limited to:(A) well completion reports;(C) well construction records;(F) oxygen activation logs; and(4) If a determination is made by the division that any well within the area of review does not contain an adequate amount of cement or is inadequately constructed or plugged, the applicant shall submit either of the following:(A) Documentation to demonstrate that injection of fluids using the Class II well and formation will not cause contamination of an underground source of drinking water. If the applicant intends to submit evidence of fluid level measurements for any well in the area of review, the fluid level measurements shall be witnessed by an oil and gas inspector.(B) A corrective action plan describing the measures that will be taken on a well in the area of review to ensure that the well will not serve as a conduit for the migration of fluids into an underground source of drinking water. If approved by the division, the corrective action plan shall be incorporated as a condition of the permit for the Class II well.(5) A schematic diagram of the proposed Class II well showing the following: (A) The total depth of the plugback of the well, if any.(B) The depth of the injection or disposal interval.(C) The geological name of the injection or disposal zone.(D) The geological name, thickness, and description of the confining zone.(E) The vertical distance separating the uppermost extremity of the injection zone from the base of the lowest underground source of drinking water.(F) The depths of the tops and the bottoms of the casing and the cement to be used in the well.(G) The size of the casing and tubing and the depth of the packer.(H) The depth to the base of the lowermost underground source of drinking water.(6) If the well was originally drilled for purposes other than as a Class II well, a copy of the completion report and any available geophysical log of the well.(7) If the formation interval proposed to be used for disposal is capable of producing oil or gas, the application shall include a demonstration that the use of that interval for disposal does not constitute waste.(8) Proposed operating data for the Class II well as follows: (A) The geological name, depth, and location of the injection fluid source.(B) For enhanced recovery wells, a description of additives other than produced fluids that are proposed to be injected.(C) A standard laboratory analysis of a representative sample of fluids to be injected under the proposed Class II permit.(D) The location and description of each underground source of drinking water through which the well would pass.(E) A description of the current or proposed casing program, including the following: (i) Casing size, weight, depth, and type.(ii) Cement volume and type.(iii) Packer type and setting depth.(iv) Type of completion for the well and the proposed method for testing casing.(F) The proposed maximum injection rate and pressure. The maximum allowable injection pressure at the well head shall be less than that pressure which might initiate new fractures or propagate existing fractures in the confining zone adjacent to an underground source of drinking water and cause movement or injection of fluids into an underground source of drinking water. The maximum allowable injection pressure may be determined by one (1) of the following methods: (i) The immediate shut in pressure (ISIP) method based on a well treatment report that is less than ten (10) years old for the uppermost injection zone. The maximum allowable injection pressure at the well head shall be a value of ninety percent (90%) of the ISIP less fourteen and seven-tenths (14.7) psi.(ii) The step rate test method performed on the uppermost injection zone. The maximum allowable injection pressure at the well head shall be a value of ninety percent (90%) of the lower of the breakover pressure or the maximum pressure reached during the test, less fourteen and seven-tenths (14.7) psi.(iii) The pressure calculation formula. The maximum allowable injection pressure at the well head may be determined according to the following formula: Pmax = (0.8 psi/ft - (.433 psi/ft (SG)))d
Where: Pmax = Maximum injection pressure (psia).
SG = Specific Gravity of the injected fluid.
d = Depth to the top of the uppermost injection zone in feet.
(iv) An alternate method approved by the division director based on technical data that can be demonstrated to not initiate new fractures in the confining zone.Natural Resources Commission; 312 IAC 29-5-1; filed 12/1/2017, 10:35 a.m.: 20171227-IR-312160230FRAReadopted filed 1/17/2023, 1:53 p.m.: 20230215-IR-312220328RFA