055-3 Wyo. Code R. §§ 3-45 - Well Stimulation
(a) An approved
Application for Permit to Drill (APD, Form 1) or an approved Sundry Notice
(Form 4) is required prior to the initiation of any well stimulation activity.
Additional stimulation fluid information shall be provided to the Commission as
an addendum to the APD (Form 1), or as part of a comprehensive
drilling/completion/recompletion plan, or on a Sundry Notice (Form 4). A
federal fieldwide development document or similar document may be accepted by
the Supervisor. The Supervisor may require, prior to the well stimulation, the
Owner or Operator to perform a suitable mechanical integrity test of the casing
or of the casing-tubing annulus or other mechanical integrity test methods
using procedures set forth in Chapter 2, Section 6 and Chapter 4, Section
7(e)(i).
(b) Where multiple
stimulation activities will be undertaken for several wells proposed to be
drilled to the same zone(s) within an area of geologic similarity, approval may
be sought from the Supervisor to accept a comprehensive master
drilling/completion/recompletion plan containing the information required. The
approved master drilling/completion/recompletion plan will then be referenced
on each individual well's Application for Permit to Drill (Form 1).
(c) The Owner or Operator shall provide
geological names, geological description and depth of the formation into which
well stimulation fluids are to be injected.
(d) The Owner or Operator shall provide
detailed information to the Supervisor as to the base stimulation fluid source.
The Owner or Operator or service company shall provide to the Supervisor, for
each stage of the well stimulation program, the chemical additives, compounds
and concentrations or rates proposed to be mixed and
injected, including:
(i) Stimulation fluid
identified by additive type (such as but not limited to acid, biocide, breaker,
brine, corrosion inhibitor, crosslinker, demulsifier, friction reducer, gel,
iron control, oxygen scavenger, pH adjusting agent, proppant, scale inhibitor,
surfactant);
(ii) The chemical
compound name and Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) number shall be identified
(such as the additive biocide is glutaraldehyde, or the additive breaker is
aluminum persulfate, or the proppant is silica or quartz sand, and so on for
each additive used);
(iii) The
proposed rate or concentration for each additive shall be provided (such as gel
as pounds per thousand gallons, or biocide at gallons per thousand gallons, or
proppant at pounds per gallon, or expressed as percent by weight or percent by
volume, or parts per million, or parts per billion);
(iv) The Owner or Operator or service company
may also provide a copy of the contractor's proposed well stimulation program
design including the above detail;
(v) The Supervisor may request additional
information under this subsection prior to the approval of the Application for
Permit to Drill (Form 1) or of the Sundry Notice (Form 4);
(vi) The Supervisor retains discretion to
request from the Owner or Operator and/or the service company, the formulary
disclosure for the chemical compounds used in the well
stimulation(s).
(e) The
Owner or Operator shall provide a detailed description of the proposed well
stimulation design, which shall include:
(i)
The anticipated surface treating pressure range;
(ii) The maximum injection treating
pressure;
(iii) The estimated or
calculated fracture length and fracture height.
(f) Upon prior request via Application for
Permit to Drill (Form 1), and/or a comprehensive
drilling/completion/recompletion plan, or by Well Completion Report (Form 3),
or by Sundry Notice (Form 4), and/or by written letter to the Supervisor
justifying and documenting the nature and extent of the proprietary
information, confidentiality protection shall be provided consistent with Wyo.
Stat. Ann. §
16-4-203(d)(v) of the
Wyoming Public Records Act for the following records: "trade secrets,
privileged information and confidential commercial, financial, geological or
geophysical data furnished by or obtained from any person."
(g) The injection of volatile organic
compounds, such as benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene, also known as
BTEX compounds or any petroleum distillates, into groundwater is prohibited.
The proposed use of volatile organic compounds, such as benzene, toluene,
ethylbenzene and xylene, also known as BTEX compounds or any petroleum
distillates for well stimulation into hydrocarbon bearing zones is authorized
with prior approval of the Supervisor. It is accepted practice to use produced
water that may contain small amounts of naturally occurring petroleum
distillates as well stimulation fluid in hydrocarbon bearing zones.
(h) The Owner or Operator or service company
shall provide the Supervisor, on a Well Completion or Recompletion Log (Form
3), or on a Sundry Notice (Form 4) for an existing well, the following
post well stimulation detail:
(i) The actual total well stimulation
treatment volume pumped;
(ii)
Detail as to each fluid stage pumped, including actual volume by fluid stage,
proppant rate or concentration, actual chemical additive name, type,
concentration or rate, and amounts;
(iii) The actual surface pressure and rate at
the end of each fluid stage and the actual flush volume, rate and final pump
pressure;
(iv) The instantaneous
shut-in pressure, and the actual 15-minute and 30-minute shut-in pressures when
these pressure measurements are available;
(v) In lieu of (i) through (iv) above, Owner
or Operator shall submit the actual well stimulation service contractor's job
log, without any cost/pricing data from the field ticket, or an Owner or
Operator representative's well treatment job log or any report providing the
above required information. If information on the actual field ticket describes
the Owner's or Operator's proprietary completion design and/or well stimulation
design, confidentiality may be afforded per subsection (f) above.
(i) During the well stimulation
operation, the Owner or Operator shall monitor and record the annulus pressure
at the bradenhead. If intermediate casing has been set on the well being
stimulated, the pressure in the annulus between the intermediate casing and the
production casing shall also be monitored and recorded. A continuous record of
the annulus pressure during the well stimulation shall be submitted on Well
Completion or Recompletion Log (Form 3) or on a Sundry Notice (Form
4).
(i) If during the stimulation,
the annulus pressure increases by more than five hundred (500) pounds per
square inch gauge (psig) as compared to the pressure immediately preceding the
stimulation, the Owner or Operator shall verbally notify the Supervisor as soon
as practicable but no later than twenty-four (24) hours following the incident.
The Owner or Operator shall include a report containing all details pertaining
to the incident, including corrective actions taken, as an attachment to the
Well Completion Report (Form 3).
(j) The Owner or Operator shall provide
information to the Supervisor on Well Completion Report (Form 3) or on Sundry
Notice (Form 4) as to the amounts, handling, and if necessary, disposal at an
identified appropriate disposal facility, or reuse of the well stimulation
fluid load recovered during flow back, swabbing, and/or recovery from
production facility vessels. Storage of such fluid shall be protective of
groundwater as demonstrated by the use of either tanks or lined pits. If lined
pits are utilized to store fluid for use in well stimulation, or for
reconditioning, for reuse, or to hold for appropriate disposal, then the
requirements of Chapter 4, Section 1 of these rules shall be met to protect
wildlife and migratory birds.
Notes
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No prior version found.