Kan. Admin. Regs. § 82-3-403

Current through Register Vol. 43, No. 24, June 13, 2024

Section 82-3-403 - Permitting factors; application approval

(a) Permitting factors. When a permit authorizing injection is issued, the following factors shall be considered by the conservation division:

(1) Maximum injection rate;

(2) maximum surface pressure, formation pressure, pressure at the formation face, or all of the above;

(3) the type of injection fluid and the rock characteristics of the injection zone and the overlying strata;

(4) the adequacy and thickness of the confining zone or zones between the injection interval and the base of the lowest fresh and usable water; and

(5) the construction of all oil and gas wells within a 1/4-mile radius of the proposed injection well, including all abandoned, plugged, producing, and other injection wells, to ensure that fluids introduced into the proposed injection zone will be confined to that zone. If deemed necessary by the conservation division to ensure the protection of fresh and usable water, this radius may be determined pursuant to 40 C.F.R. 146.6(a)(2), as published July 1, 2000, which is hereby adopted by reference.

(b) Conditions for simultaneous injection. Simultaneous injection may be permitted if, in addition to the requirements of subsection (a) above, all of the following conditions are met:

(1) Injection will not adversely affect offsetting production or endanger fresh and usable ground-water.

(2) Injection pressure is limited to less than the local injection formation fracture gradient.

(3) The injection well is continuously cemented across the injection and producing intervals.

(4) The well demonstrates mechanical integrity.

(c) Protection of fresh and usable water. Before any formations may be approved for use, determinations shall be made that these formations are separated from fresh and usable water formations by impervious beds to give adequate protection to the fresh and usable water formations.

(d) In reviewing applications for injection wells, the protection of hydrocarbons and water resources and oil and gas advisory committee recommendations concerning safe depths for injection for all producing areas in the state shall be considered by the conservation division.

(e) Minimum depth for injection. If no additional information, including well logs, formation tests, water quality data, and water well data, is made available by the operator, table II, "established minimum depths for disposal wells," revised August 1, 1987, and hereby adopted by reference, shall be used by the conservation division in determining the minimum depth for the injection of saltwater.

(f) For all injection well applications that require wellhead pressure to inject fluids, filed on and after December 8, 1982, the operator shall inject the fluids through tubing under a packer set immediately above the uppermost perforation or open-hole zone, except as specified in K.A.R. 82-3-406. A packer run on the tubing shall be set in casing opposite a cemented interval at a point immediately above the uppermost perforation or open-hole interval.

(g) Design approval. If the application requests design approval, approval of the design of the proposed well may be obtained before actual construction of the well.

(1) Each applicant shall be notified by the conservation division of its approval of the well design if both of the following conditions are met:

(A) All requirements set forth in K.A.R. 82-3-401(a), K.A.R. 82-3-402(a), and K.A.R. 82-3-403(a) have been met.

(B) The design of the proposed well will protect fresh and usable water.

(2) Upon completion of each well, the applicant shall submit a copy of the well completion report, on the form furnished by the commission, to the conservation division. The application for the injection of fluid into the proposed well for injection purposes shall be approved, if there are not significant differences between actual construction and the approved designed construction of the proposed well and if the mechanical integrity of the well has been tested according to K.A.R. 82-3-407.

(h) Emergency authority. Emergency authority to inject or dispose of fluids at an alternate location, if a facility is shut in for maintenance, testing, or repairs, or by order of the commission, may be granted by the conservation division.

Kan. Admin. Regs. § 82-3-403

Authorized by K.S.A. 55-151, 55-152, 55-605, 55-901; implementing K.S.A. 55-151, 55-605, 55-901, 55-1003; effective, T-83-44, Dec. 8, 1982; effective May 1, 1983; amended May 1, 1984; amended April 23, 1990; amended April 5, 2002.