020-24 Wyo. Code R. §§ 24-14 - Construction and Operation Standards for Class VI Wells

(a) The owner or operator shall design, construct, and complete all Class VI wells to meet the construction standards in this Section and to:

(i) Prevent the movement of fluids into or between USDWs or into any unauthorized zones;

(ii) Allow the use of appropriate testing devices and workover tools; and

(iii) Allow continuous monitoring of the annulus space between the injection tubing and long string casing.

(b) Casing and cement or other materials used in the construction of each Class VI well shall have sufficient structural strength and be designed for the life of the well.

(i) All well materials shall be compatible with fluids with which the materials may be expected to come into contact and shall meet or exceed the following standards:

(A) American Petroleum Institute Specification 5CT;

(B) American Petroleum Institute RP 5C1;

(C) American Petroleum Institute RP 10B-2;

(D) American Petroleum Institute Specification 10A;

(E) American Petroleum Institute RP 10D-2;

(F) American Petroleum Institute Specification 11D1;

(G) American Petroleum Institute RP 14B; and

(H) American Petroleum Institute RP 14C.

(ii) The casing and cementing program shall be designed to prevent the movement of fluids into or between USDWs.

(iii) To allow the Administrator to determine and specify casing and cementing requirements, the owner or operator shall provide the following information in a construction design plan:

(A) Depth to the injection zone;

(B) Injection pressure, external pressure, internal pressure, and axial loading;

(C) Hole size;

(D) Size and grade of all casing strings (wall thickness, external diameter, nominal weight, length, joint specification and construction material), including whether the casing is new or used;

(E) Corrosiveness of the carbon dioxide stream and formation fluids;

(F) Down-hole temperatures and pressures;

(G) Lithology of injection and confining zones;

(H) Type or grade of cement and additives; and

(I) Quantity, chemical composition, and temperature of the carbon dioxide stream.

(iv) Casing shall extend through the base of the lowermost USDW above the injection zone and be cemented to the surface through the use of a single or multiple strings of casing and cement.

(v) At least one (1) long string casing, using a sufficient number of centralizers, shall be set to create a cement bond through the overlying and underlying confining zones.

(A) The long string casing shall:

(I) Extend to the injection zone;

(II) Be cemented by circulating cement to the surface in one (1) or more stages; and

(III) Be isolated by placing cement or other isolation techniques as necessary to provide adequate isolation of the injection zone and provide for protection of USDWs, human health, safety, and the environment.

(B) Circulation of cement may be accomplished by staging. The Administrator may approve an alternative method of cementing in cases where the cement cannot be recirculated to the surface if the owner or operator demonstrates by using logs that the cement does not allow fluid movement behind the wellbore.

(vi) Cement and cement additives shall be suitable for use with the carbon dioxide stream and formation fluids, and be of sufficient quality and quantity to maintain integrity over the operating life of the well.

(vii) The integrity and location of the cement shall be verified using technology capable of evaluating cement quality radially with sufficient resolution to identify the location of channels, voids, or other areas of missing cement to ensure that USDWs are not endangered and that human health, safety, and the environment are protected. The owner or operator shall provide a cement bond log (CBL) to the Administrator with an evaluation, certified by a licensed professional engineer or a licensed professional geologist, of the following:

(A) Quantitative estimations of the cement compressive strength;

(B) A bond index; and

(C) Qualitative interpretation of the cement-to-formation bond.

(c) All owners and operators of Class VI wells shall inject fluids through tubing with a packer set at a depth opposite a cemented interval at the location approved by the Administrator.

(i) Tubing and packer materials used in the construction of each Class VI well shall be compatible with fluids with which the materials may be expected to come into contact and shall meet or exceed the following standards:

(A) American Petroleum Institute Specification 5CT;

(B) American Petroleum Institute RP 5C1;

(C) American Petroleum Institute RP 10B-2;

(D) American Petroleum Institute Specification 10A;

(E) American Petroleum Institute RP 10D-2;

(F) American Petroleum Institute Specification 11D1;

(G) American Petroleum Institute RP 14B; and

(H) American Petroleum Institute RP 14C.

(ii) The Administrator shall determine and specify requirements for tubing and packer based on the following information:

(A) Depth of setting;

(B) Characteristics of the carbon dioxide stream (e.g., chemical content, corrosiveness, temperature, and density) and formation fluids;

(C) Maximum proposed injection pressure;

(D) Maximum proposed annular pressure;

(E) Maximum proposed injection rate (intermittent or continuous) and volume of the carbon dioxide stream;

(F) Size of tubing and casing; and

(G) Tubing tensile, burst, and collapse strengths.

Notes

020-24 Wyo. Code R. §§ 24-14

Amended, Eff. 7/25/2016. Amended, Eff. 1/7/2020. Amended, Eff. 10/5/2021.