What to Do When Your Well Breaks Down

What to Do When Your Well Breaks Down The Workover Process from Loss of Mechanical Integrity to “Back in Service” May 15, 2019 Rich Heitzenrater UIC Inspection and Compliance Team TCEQ Region 14 Corpus Christi (361) 825 -3125

What Triggers a Workover • Loss of Mechanical Integrity • Failed Annual Testing • Loss of Injectivity

What Constitutes a Workover? • Any changes or repairs to the well that require removal of the wellhead and or deenergizing the annulus system. • Major repairs to the wellhead that prevent annulus differential pressure from being maintained. • Recompletion or Sidetracking of the wellbore.

Mechanical Integrity • 30 TAC § 331. 4 Mechanical Integrity Required – Must have mechanical integrity – Must demonstrate that the well has mechanical integrity • 30 TAC § 331. 43(a) Mechanical Integrity Standards – Casing, Tubing, and Packer – Wellbore

Loss of Mechanical Integrity • Discovered during annual testing – Failed Annulus Pressure Test – Failed Radioactive Tracer Survey • Discovered during operation – Inability to maintain annulus differential pressure • Notification to TCEQ required within 24 hours

Loss of Injectivity • Well cannot inject within permitted pressure limits • Well cannot inject at rates needed by the facility • Well may require recompletion – New perforations or screens – Sidetrack of well for new bottom hole completion

Workover Procedures • Submitted to Regional Offices – Region 1 (Amarillo) – Region 14 (Corpus Christi) • Must be approved in writing prior to the commencement of work (30 TAC § 331. 63(i)) • May require changes to the UIC permit depending upon work performed.

During the Workover • Any significant changes to the procedures must be approved in writing before being performed. • The TCEQ Regional Office (and TCEQ UIC Permits Section if involved) should be included on daily activity reports. • TCEQ should be given no less than 24 hours notice prior to the post workover mechanical integrity testing so that an investigator may be present.

Post Workover MIT • Procedures should be approved prior to testing. • What test will be required depends upon the work performed during the workover. • Mechanical integrity testing must be approved in writing before the well can resume injection (30 TAC § 331. 64(d)(4)(E)). – Preliminary Review – Final Review

Well Back In Service • Image of smiley face with two thumbs up

UIC Field Operations Staff Region 14 Rich Heitzenrater Richard. Heitzenrater@tceq. texas. gov (361) 825 -3125 Elizabeth Murphey Elizabeth. Murphey@tceq. texas. gov (361) 825 -3124

UIC Field Operations Staff Region 1 Timothy Dewbre Timothy. Dewbre@tceq. texas. gov (806) 468 -0512

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