§ 78.93. Wells in coal areas—surface or coal protective casing anchored with a packer or cement.

 (a)  In a well where the surface casing or coal protective casing and production casing are anchored with a packer or cement, the owner or operator shall plug the well as follows:

   (1)  The retrievable production casing shall be removed and the well shall be filled with nonporous material from the total depth or attainable bottom of the well, to a point 20 feet above the top of the lowest stratum bearing or having borne oil, gas or water. At this point there shall be placed a plug of cement, which shall extend for at least 50 feet above that point. Between this sealing plug and a point 20 feet above the next higher stratum bearing or having borne oil, gas or water, the hole shall be filled with nonporous material and at that point there shall be placed another 50-foot plug of cement which will completely seal the hole. In this manner, the hole shall be filled and plugged, with reference to each of the strata bearing or having borne oil, gas or water. The operator may treat multiple strata as one stratum and plug as described in this subsection with a single column of cement or other material as approved by the Department. When the production casing is not retrievable, the operator shall plug this portion of the well under §  78.91(d) (relating to general provisions).

   (2)  The well shall then be filled with nonporous material to a point approximately 200 feet below the lowest workable coal seam, or surface or coal protective casing seat, whichever is deeper. Beginning at this point a 100-foot plug of cement shall be installed.

   (3)  After it has been established that the surface casing or coal protective casing is free and can be retrieved, the surface or coal protective casing shall be retrieved and a string of casing with an outside diameter of not less than 4 1/2 inches for gas wells, or not less than 2 inches for oil wells, shall be run to the top of the 100-foot plug described in paragraph (2) and cemented to the surface.

   (4)  If the surface or coal protective string is not free and cannot be retrieved, it shall be perforated or cut below the lowest workable coal to allow the cement used to cement the 4 1/2-inch or 2-inch casing to communicate between the surface casing or coal protective casing, or both, and the well bore. A string of casing of not less than 4 1/2 inches for gas wells or not less than 2 inches for oil wells shall be run to the top of the 100-foot plug described in paragraph (2) and cemented to the surface.

   (5)  The inner casing shall then be emptied of liquid and cement from the base of the casing to the surface and a vent or other device approved by the Department shall be installed on the top of the casing to prevent liquids and solids from entering the well, but permit ready access to the full internal diameter of the inner casing. The inner string of casing and the vent or other device approved by the Department shall extend, when finally in place, a distance of no less than 72 inches above ground level and the permit or registration number shall be permanently affixed to the vent.

 (b)  The owner or operator shall plug a well, where the surface casing and coal protective casing is anchored with a packer or cement and the production casing is cemented, as follows:

   (1)  If the total depth or attainable bottom is deeper than the cemented production casing seat, the operator shall plug that portion of the well under subsection (a)(1).

   (2)  A cement plug shall be set in the cemented portion of the production casing so that the plugs extend from at least 50 feet below each stratum bearing or having borne oil, gas or water, to a point at least 100 feet above each stratum bearing or having borne, oil, gas or water. A Department approved mechanical plug may be set 20 feet above the stratum bearing or having borne oil, gas or water as a substitute for the plug of cement. Nonporous material shall separate each cement plug or mechanical plug. The operator may treat multiple strata as one stratum and plug as described in this subsection with a single column of cement or other materials as approved by the Department.

   (3)  Following the plugging of the cemented portion of the production casing, the uncemented portion of the production casing shall be separated from the cemented portion and retrieved. The maximum distance the stub of the uncemented portion of the production casing may extend is 100 feet below the surface or coal protective casing whichever is lower. In no case may the uncemented portion of the casing left in the well extend through a formation bearing or having borne oil, gas or water. Other stratum above the cemented portion of the production casing bearing or having borne oil, gas or water shall be plugged by filling the hole with nonporous material to 20 feet above the stratum and setting a 50-foot plug of cement. The operator may treat multiple strata as one stratum and plug as described in this paragraph with a single column of cement or other material approved by the Department. When the uncemented portion of the production casing is not retrievable, the operator shall plug that portion of the well under §  78.91(d).

   (4)  The well shall be filled with nonporous material to a point approximately 300 feet below the bottom of the surface casing or coal protective casing, whichever is deeper. In this case, a 100-foot plug of cement shall then be placed in the well beginning at that point and extending to a point approximately 200 feet below the bottom of the casing seat.

   (5)  After it has been established that the surface casing or coal protective casing is free and can be retrieved, the surface or coal protective casing shall be retrieved and a string of casing with an outside diameter of not less than 4 1/2 inches for gas wells, or not less than 2 inches for oil wells, shall be run to the top of the 100-foot plug described in paragraph (4) and cemented to the surface.

   (6)  If the surface or coal protective string is not free and cannot be retrieved, it shall be perforated or cut below the lowest workable coal seam to allow the cement used to cement the 4 1/2-inch or 2-inch casing to communicate between the surface casing or coal protective casing, or both, and the well bore. A string of casing of not less than 4 1/2 inches for gas wells or not less than 2 inches for oil wells shall be run to the top of the 100-foot plug described in paragraph (4) and cemented to the surface.

   (7)  The inner casing shall then be emptied of liquid and cement from the base of the casing to the surface and a vent or other device approved by the Department shall be installed on the top of the casing to prevent liquids and solids from entering the well, but permit ready access to the full internal diameter of the inner casing. The inner string of casing and the vent or other device approved by the Department shall extend, when finally in place, a distance of not less than 72 inches above ground level and the permit or registration number shall be permanently affixed to the vent.

 (c)  A person authorized by the Department under the act or section 13 of the Coal and Gas Resource Coordination Act (58 P. S. §  513) to plug a gas well that penetrates a workable coal seam which was drilled prior to November 30, 1955, or which was permitted after that date but not plugged in accordance with the act shall plug the well to mine through it in the following manner:

   (1)  The gas well shall be cleaned out to a depth of at least 200 feet below the coal seam which is proposed to be mined and, unless impracticable, to a point 200 feet below the deepest minable coal seam which the well penetrates.

   (2)  The well shall be plugged in accordance with section 13(a)(2) or (4) of the Coal and Gas Resource Coordination Act.

   The provisions of this §  78.93 adopted July 28, 1989, effective July 29, 1989, 19 Pa.B. 3229; amended December 16, 1994, effective December 17, 1994, 24 Pa.B. 6284; amended March 30, 2001, effective March 31, 2001, 31 Pa.B. 1736. Immediately preceding text appears at serial pages (241926) to (241928).

   This section cited in 25 Pa. Code §  78.86 (relating to defective casing or cementing); 25 Pa. Code §  78.91 (relating to general provisions); 25 Pa. Code §  78.97 (relating to plugging a well stimulated with explosives); and 25 Pa. Code §  78.407 (relating to plugging gas storage wells).