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Revised annular injection regulations proposed by AOGCC
Kristen Nelson Petroleum News
The Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission is proposing to revise its regulations for annular disposal of drilling waste. The agency said May 21 that the regulations will be fully revised to clarify the requirements and its authority to regulate annular disposal of drilling waste; to modify the information that must be submitted with an application for authorization; to modify the limitations on and conditions of authorization; and add to a provision for requesting variances and waivers.
The proposed regulation changes are available on the commission’s Web site at www.aogcc.alaska.gov. Written comments, including potential costs of compliance, are due by June 30.
Written and oral comments may be submitted at a hearing scheduled for July 23 at 9 a.m. at the commission’s Anchorage offices at 333 West 7th Ave., Suite 100.
More specific info required Commissioner Cathy Foerster told Petroleum News in a May 22 e-mail that the commission is reorganizing the regulations for clarity and to be “more specific in the information that we require in the application.”
Foerster said that under the new regulations the commission is limiting disposals to 90 days within the permit year.
The new regulations specify that “wastes may not migrate out of the disposal zone” compared to a requirement in the present regulations that wastes can’t migrate to the surface.
“We’re asking for plats showing nearby wells,” she said. “We used to just ask for a list of nearby wells.”
The new regulations also ask for a list of all operators and surface owners within a quarter mile and for an assessment of shallow seismic information within a quarter mile.
Under the new regulations the applicant would have to provide an estimated density of the disposal slurry; provide casing and cementing records; and provide the salinity of all water penetrated by the well, she said.
The new regulations require continuous monitoring of the disposal operation and include new incident and quarterly reporting requirements.
Forester also said the new regulations provide for approval of variances and waivers of the requirements administratively.
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