Kan. Admin. Regs. § 82-3-106

Current through Register Vol. 43, No. 49, December 5, 2024

Section 82-3-106 - Surface casing and cement

(a) Each operator shall set and cement surface casing pursuant to this regulation and the instructions on the notice of intent to drill approved pursuant to K.A.R. 82-3-103 before drilling to any depth to test for or produce oil or gas.

(b) Each operator shall set and cement surface casing in compliance with the following, which are hereby adopted by reference:

(1) Table I and appendix A, as incorporated in the commission order dated August 1, 1991, docket no. 34,780-C (C-1825); and

(2) appendix B, as incorporated in the commission order dated June 29, 1994, docket no. 133,891-C (C-20,079).

(c) Cementing alternatives.

(1) Alternate I cementing shall be performed as follows:

(A) A single string of surface casing shall be set from surface to the depth specified in the documents adopted in subsection (b).

(B) The surface casing shall be cemented continuously from the bottom of the surface casing string to the surface.

(2) Alternate II cementing, which includes a primary surface casing string and additional surface casing, shall be performed as follows:

(A) The primary surface casing string shall be set to a depth at least 20 feet below all unconsolidated material.

(B) The primary surface casing shall be cemented from the bottom of the primary surface casing string to the surface.

(C) All additional surface casing strings next to the borehole shall be set and cemented from the depth specified in the documents adopted in subsection (b) to the surface.

(i) The operator shall notify the appropriate district office before cementing the additional casing.

(ii) The additional cementing shall be completed within 120 days after the spud date unless otherwise provided in the documents adopted in subsection (b).

(iii) A backside squeeze shall be prohibited unless permitted by the appropriate district office with consideration of the cement evaluation method to be utilized and submitted as verification of cement placement. "Backside squeeze" shall mean the uncontrolled placement of cement from the surface into the annular space between the primary surface casing and the additional casing.

(d) Methods and materials.

(1) The operator shall use a drill bit that is at least two and one-quarter inches larger in diameter than the surface casing, when measured from the outside of the casing.

(2) The annular space between the surface casing and the borehole shall be filled with a portland cement blend and maintained at surface level.

(3) If cement does not circulate, the operator shall notify the appropriate district office immediately and perform remedial cementing sufficient to prevent fluid migration. If the surface casing is perforated, the operator shall pressure-test the surface casing according to district office specifications to ensure mechanical integrity.

(4) The use of any material other than a portland cement blend shall be prohibited.

(5) The cemented casing string shall stand and further operations shall not begin until the cement has been in place for at least eight hours and has reached a compressive strength of 300 pounds per square inch.

(6) The operator shall install centralizers as follows:

(A) If the surface casing is 300 feet or less, a centralizer shall be installed at the top of the shoe joint.

(B) If the surface casing is more than 300 feet, a centralizer shall be installed at approximately 300 feet and at every fourth joint of casing to the bottom of the surface casing.

(7) When total depth has been reached during drilling operations, the operator or contractor shall not move the rig off of the well until the required casing has been run or the well has been plugged. All wells that are subject to the documents adopted in paragraph (b)(2) shall be exempt from the requirements in this paragraph.

(e) Each operator of a well not in compliance with this regulation shall shut the well in until compliance is achieved.

(f) Upon written, timely request by an operator, the director may provide an exception to any of the requirements of this regulation. In considering a request for an exception, the director may require the operator to provide financial assurance sufficient to cover the plugging costs for the well. Each request shall demonstrate that fresh and usable water will be protected by the proposed exception.

Kan. Admin. Regs. § 82-3-106

Authorized by K.S.A. 2014 Supp. 55-152; implementing K.S.A. 2014 Supp. 55-152, K.S.A. 55-159, K.S.A. 55-162; effective, T-83-44, Dec. 8, 1982; effective May 1, 1983; amended May 1, 1984; amended, T-85-1, Jan. 13, 1984; amended, T-85-51, Dec. 19, 1984; amended May 1, 1985; amended May 1, 1986; amended, T-87-46, Dec. 19, 1986; amended May 1, 1987; amended May 1, 1988; amended May 8, 1989; amended April 23, 1990; amended Feb. 24, 1992; amended March 20, 1995; amended by Kansas Register Volume 34, No. 31; effective 8/14/2015.