312 IAC 29-22-5 - Protection of well head equipment and casing during hydraulic fracture stimulation operations
Authority: IC 14-10-2-4; IC 14-37-3
Affected: IC 4-21.5; IC 14-37
Sec. 5.
(a) The
following requirements apply when hydraulic fracturing is performed through a
frac string or work string run inside the production casing string:
(1) Unless an alternate design is submitted
for approval by the division director, the frac string must either be stung
into a liner or run with a packer set inside the casing with circulated cement
to a point within one hundred (100) feet of the top of the interval being
treated by hydraulic fracturing.
(2) The combined production casing and frac
string annular hydrostatic pressure and surface pressure shall be sufficient to
maintain tubing and packer integrity during hydraulic fracturing.
(3) The production casing and frac string
annulus must be monitored during the hydraulic fracturing operations.
(4) A record of the annular pressures
observed during hydraulic fracturing operations shall be included with the
hydraulic fracturing report required by section 8 of this rule.
(5) To protect against overpressuring during
hydraulic fracturing operations, at least one (1) of the following methods
shall be used:
(A) An adequately sized,
function tested pressure relief valve and an adequately sized diversion line
must be utilized to divert flow from the production casing to drilling or
completion pit or a containment vessel in case of frac string failure. The
relief valve must be set to limit annular pressure to no more than eighty-five
percent (85%) of the lowest internal yield pressure of the frac
string.
(B) Electronic pressure
trip switches shall be installed on all pumps. The pressure trips shall be set
to limit surface pressure to no more than eighty-five percent (85%) of the
lowest internal yield pressure of the frac string. Prior to initiating
hydraulic fracturing operations, the pressure trips shall be tested to ensure
proper functioning.
(6)
If the intermediate or production casing string has not been circulated with
cement to the surface, the surface casing valve must be fully open and
pressures monitored and recorded throughout the treatment.
(b) The following requirements apply when
hydraulic fracturing is performed through the production string:
(1) Unless the well head and all associated
valves and gauges affixed to the well are rated to withstand working pressures
at least one hundred twenty percent (120%) of the maximum design hydraulic
fracturing pressure, the well shall be equipped with a well head isolation tool
or tree saver installed through the well head and stung into the production
casing. The well head isolation tool or tree saver shall be tested prior to
initiating hydraulic fracturing operations to ensure proper installation and
capability to withstand maximum design hydraulic fracturing
pressures.
(2) The production
casing shall have primary cement circulated to a point at least one hundred
(100) feet inside the cemented intermediate or surface casing string or be
remedially cemented so there is cement from one hundred (100) feet below the
lowermost underground source of drinking water to the surface.
(3) For new wells, prior to perforating the
zone to be hydraulically fractured, a pressure test to the maximum treating
pressure shall be performed and recorded to no greater than eighty-five percent
(85%) of the lowest internal yield pressure for any section of the production
casing string. The pressure must be held for at least thirty (30) minutes with
less than five percent (5%) loss to a pressure equal to or in excess of the
maximum hydraulic fracture design pressure.
(4) For wells other than new wells, a
pressure test shall be conducted on the production casing and well head to the
maximum treating pressure but no greater than eighty-five percent (85%) of the
lowest internal yield pressure for any section of the production casing string
or well head equipment affixed to the well if a well head isolation tool or
tree saver is not to be used.
(5)
If cement was not circulated to the surface during production casing cementing
operations, cement evaluation tools may be run to verify cement placement. If
there is no verification that cement is present between the well head and one
hundred (100) feet below the lowermost underground source of drinking water, or
that cement has not been circulated to a point at least one hundred (100) feet
inside the cemented intermediate or surface casing string, a frac string shall
be run inside the production casing.
(6) If the intermediate or production casing
string has not been circulated with cement to the surface, the surface casing
valve must be fully open and pressures monitored and recorded throughout the
hydraulic fracturing.
(7) To
protect against overpressure during hydraulic fracturing, at least one (1) of
the following methods shall be used:
(A) An
adequately sized, function tested pressure relief valve and an adequately sized
diversion line must be utilized to divert flow from the production casing to
the drilling or completion pit or containment vessel in case of frac string
failure. The relief valve must be set to limit annular pressure to no more than
eighty-five percent (85%) of the lowest internal yield pressure of the
production casing string.
(B)
Electronic pressure trip switches shall be installed on all pumps. The pressure
trips shall be set to limit surface pressure to no more than eighty-five
percent (85%) of the lowest internal yield pressure of the production casing
string. Prior to initiating hydraulic fracturing, the pressure trips shall be
tested to ensure proper functioning.
(8) A record of the pressures observed during
hydraulic fracturing shall be included with the hydraulic fracturing
stimulation report required by section 8 of this rule.
(9) When pumping hydraulic fracturing fluids
at rates exceeding thirty (30) barrels per minute, the casing tool shall be
equipped with diffusers designed to reduce turbulent flow in the upper section
of production casing to protect the casing string from excessive
erosion.
(c) The division
shall issue notice of approval or denial of an application submitted under
subsection (a) in accordance with
312 IAC 29-3-5.
(d) A decision to approve or deny an
application submitted under subsection (a) is subject to IC 4-21.5.
Notes
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