N.M. Admin. Code § 19.11.4.10

Current through Register Vol. 35, No. 21, November 5, 2024

Section 19.11.4.10 - WELL CONSTRUCTION AND CASING REQUIREMENTS

Permittees shall construct and case all geothermal wells in a manner to protect or minimize damage to life, health, property, ground water and surface waters, geothermal resources, other natural resources, the environment and the public welfare. No permittee shall construct, operate, maintain, convert, plug, abandon or conduct any other injection activity in a manner that allows the movement of fluid containing any contaminant into underground sources of drinking water, if the contaminant may cause a violation of drinking water regulations or rules or may otherwise adversely affect the health of persons. The permittee has the burden of showing that it meets these requirements. The permittee shall attach the permanent well head completion equipment to the production casing or to the intermediate casing if production casing does not reach the surface. The permittee shall install an annular blowout preventer on wells when the division deems it necessary. All surface, intermediate and production casing strings reaching the surface shall provide adequate anchorage for BOPE, pressure control and protection for all natural resources. The casing design criteria listed below represent minimum requirements.

A.Conductor casing. The permittee shall install a minimum of 40 feet of conductor casing. The permittee shall cement the annular space solid to the surface. The permittee shall allow a 24-hour cure period for the grout prior to drilling out the shoe unless the permittee uses additives, approved by the division, to obtain early strength.

B.Surface casing. A surface casing shall provide for control of formation fluids, for protection of shallow usable ground water and for adequate anchorage for BOPE. The permittee shall cement all surface casing solid to the surface. The permittee shall allow a 24-hour cure period prior to drilling out the shoe of the surface casing unless the permittee uses additives, approved by the division, to obtain early strength. The permittee shall set sufficient casing to reach a depth below all known or reasonably estimated levels of fresh water and water of present or future value for domestic, commercial or agricultural use and to protect those aquifers and to prevent blowout or uncontrolled flows.

C.Intermediate casing. Intermediate casing is required for protection against unusual pressure zones, cave-ins, wash-outs, abnormal temperature zones, uncontrollable lost circulation zones or other drilling hazards. The permittee shall cement intermediate casing strings solid to the surface or to the top of the liner hanger whenever the permittee runs intermediate casing string as a liner. The permittee shall pressure test the liner lap, of any unslotted liner, prior to resumption of drilling.

D.Production casing. The permittee shall set production casing above or through the producing or injection zone and cement it above the injection zones. The permittee shall use sufficient cement to exclude overlying formation fluids from the geothermal zone, to segregate zones and to prevent movement of fluids behind the casing into zones that contain fresh ground water. The permittee shall either cement production casing solid to the surface or lap it into intermediate casing, if run. If the permittee laps production casing into an intermediate casing, the casing overlap shall be at least 100 feet, cemented solid and pressure tested to ensure its integrity.

E. All casing materials shall be suitable for the proposed operating design stresses and temperatures.

N.M. Admin. Code § 19.11.4.10

Adopted by New Mexico Register, Volume XXIX, Issue 04, February 27, 2018, eff. 2/27/2018