ColoradoOilandGas

Colorado
Oil and Gas
ConservationCommission
DOWN-HOLE AQUIFER PROTECTION &
WELLBORE INTEGRITY

COGCC RULES
COGCCRULES

Rule 207b: Bradenhead monitoring

Rule 317: Well casing and cementing; Cement bond logs, Pressure
Controls

Rule 326: Mechanical Integrity testing

Rule 341: Monitor pressures during stimulation

Rule 603: Drilling and well servicing operations and high density
area rules

Rule 606B: Air and gas drilling

Rule 608e: Bradenhead testing

CURRENTCOGCCPOLICIES:
1
1.

COGCCPolicyforBradenheadMonitoringDuringHydraulicFracturingTreatmentsintheGreaterWattenberg
COGCC
Policy for Bradenhead Monitoring During Hydraulic Fracturing Treatments in the Greater Wattenberg
Area,datedMay29,2012

2.

PracticesandProcedures,UICMechanicalIntegrityTests,datedMarch17,2011

3.

NoticetoOperatorsDrillingWilliamsForkFormationWellsinGarfieldCounty,SurfaceCasingDepthand
M difi ti
ModificationofLeakoffTestRequirements,
f L k ff T t R
i
t revisedJune23,2006
i d
23 2006

4.

NoticetoOperatorsDrillingMesaverdeGrouporDeeperWellsintheMammCreekFieldAreainGarfield
County,WellCementingProcedureandReportingRequirements,revisedFebruary9,2007

5.

NoticetoOperatorsDrillingWellsintheBuzzard,MammCreek,andRulisonFields,GarfieldCountyandMesa
County,ProceduresandSubmittalRequirementsforCompliancewithCOGCCOrderNos.1107,13956,19122,
and3692,datedJuly10,2010

6.

NoticetoAllOilandGasOperatorsActiveintheDenverBasin,ColoradoOilandGasConservationCommission
ApprovedWattenbergBradenheadTestingandStaffPolicy,datedDecember16,2009

7.

DrillingCompletionReport CementDocumentationPolicy,February17,2009

8.

ClarificationonProceduresforFilingChangestoApplicationsforPermittoDrill,revisedJanuary18,2011

9.

ConductorPipeSettingPolicy,April6,2006

10 ApprovalofCasingRepairsPolicy
10.
Approval of Casing Repairs Policy
11. NorthwestColoradoNotificationPolicy,EffectiveforNoticesReceivedOnorAfterJanuary1,2010,RevisionNo.
3,May10,2012

317: GENERALDRILLINGRULES

a.Blowoutpreventionequipment(BOPE).

b.Bottomholelocation.

c.Requirementtopostpermitattherigandprovidespudnotice.

d Casing program to protect hydrocarbon horizons and ground water

d.Casingprogramtoprotecthydrocarbonhorizonsandgroundwater.

e.Surfacecasingwheresubsurfaceconditionsareunknown.

f.Surfacecasingwheresubsurfaceconditionsareknown.

g.Alternateaquiferprotectionbystagecementing.

h.Surfaceandintermediatecasingcementing.

i.Productioncasingcementing.

j.Productioncasingpressuretesting.

k.Protectionofaquifersandproductionstratumandsuspensionofdrilling

operationsbeforerunningproductioncasing.

l.Flaringofgasduringdrillingandnoticetolocalemergencydispatch.

p
g
p
g p
m.Protectionofproductivestrataduringdeepeningoperations.

n.Requirementtoevaluatedisposalzonesforhydrocarbonpotential.

o.Requirementtologwell.

p.Remedialcementingduringrecompletion.

COGCCPOLICIESTOPREVENTGAS/OIL
MIGRATION
(FORNEWWELLS)

1. ENSURESURFACECASINGINALLWELLSISSETAT
LEAST 50 FEET BELOW THE DEPTH OF THE DEEPEST
LEAST50FEETBELOWTHEDEPTHOFTHEDEEPEST
WATERWELLORAQUIFERS
2. ENSUREPRODUCTIONCASINGISCEMENTED
ABOVEALLPRODUCTIONZONES

DRILLINGPROCESS

WELL BORE DIAGRAM

DRILL OUT FOR SURFACE CASING

With fresh water to p
protect the aquifers
q

Surface Casing Hole

driller below the aquifer
GROUND SURFACE
CEMENTED CONDUCTOR
AQUIFER(S)
AQUIFER(S
QU
(S)
(S)

SURFACE CASING HOLE

DRILLING FLUID (FRESH WATER)

HYDROCARBON FORMATIONS
Figure 1

WELL BORE DIAGRAM

PLACE & CEMENT SURFACE CASING

To Protect Aquifers
q
Per COGCC Rules 317.e, f, g, & h

GROUND SURFACE
CEMENTED CONDUCTOR
AQUIFER(S)
AQUIFER(S
QU
(S)
(S)
CEMENT
SURFACE CASING

HYDROCARBON FORMATIONS
Figure 2

Surface Casing
Hole with a
cemented steel casing
below the aquifer

WELL BORE DIAGRAM

PLACE & CEMENT PRODUCTION

CASING
Fluid inflow prevented by cement
Per COGCC Rules 317.i, j, & k and
WELLHEAD
verified per Rule 308A
GROUND SURFACE
CEMENTED CONDUCTOR
AQUIFER(S)
AQUIFER(S
QU
(S)
(S)
CEMENT
SURFACE CASING

CEMENT
PRODUCTION CASING

HYDROCARBON FORMATIONS
Figure 4

Production Casing:
Hole with cemented steel

CEMENT BOND LOG

317.o. Requirement
q
to log
g well. For all new drilling
g operations,
p
, the operator
p
shall be
required to run a minimum of a resistivity log with gamma-ray or other petrophysical
log(s) approved by the Director that adequately describe the stratigraphy of the

A cement bond log shall be run on all

production casing or, in the case of a production
liner, the intermediate casing, when these casing
strings
ti
are run. These logs and all other logs run shall be submitted with
wellbore.

the Well Completion or Recompletion Report and Log, Form 5. Open hole logs shall
be run at depths that adequately verify the setting depth of surface casing and any
aquifer coverage
coverage. These requirements shall not apply to the unlogged open hole
completion intervals, or to wells in which no open hole logs are run.

Cement Bond Logs to

verify placement of
cement
Per COGCC Rule 317.o requires
cement bond logs for all wells.

Top of Cement

Figure 5

341.BRADENHEADMONITORINGDURINGWELL
STIMULATION OPERATIONS
STIMULATIONOPERATIONS

Theplacementofallstimulationfluidsshallbeconfinedtotheobjectiveformations during
treatmenttotheextentpracticable.

Duringstimulationoperations,bradenheadannuluspressureshallbecontinuouslymonitored
andrecordedonallwellsbeingstimulated.

Ifatanytimeduringstimulationoperationsthe
If
at any time during stimulation operations the bradenheadannuluspressureincreases
bradenhead annulus pressure increases more
more
than200psigtheoperatorshallverballynotifytheDirectorassoonaspracticable,butnolaterthan
twentyfour(24)hoursfollowingtheincident.Withinfifteen(15)daysaftertheoccurrence,the
operatorshallsubmitaSundryNotice,Form4,givingalldetails,includingcorrectiveactionstaken.

Ifintermediatecasinghasbeensetonthewellbeingstimulated,thepressureintheannulusbetween
theintermediatecasingandtheproductioncasingshallalsobemonitoredandrecorded.

p
keepallwellstimulationrecordsandpressurechartsonf
p
p
fileandavailable
Theoperatorshall
forinspectionbytheCommissionforaperiodofatleastfive(5)years.UnderRule502.b.(1),an
operatormayseekavariancefromthesebradenheadmonitoring,recording,andreporting
requirementsunderappropriatecircumstances.

WELL BORE DIAGRAM

STIMULATION Hydraulic Fracture

Per COGCC Rule 341

WELLHEAD

Bradenhead valve monitoring

during
g stimulation treatment
per Rule 341
GROUND SURFACE
CEMENTED CONDUCTOR
AQUIFER(S)
QU
(S)
CEMENT
SURFACE CASING

CEMENT
PRODUCTION CASING
PERFORATIONS

HYDROCARBON FORMATIONS
Figure 7