(a) Upon permanent discontinued use or abandonment of a shallow closed-loop geothermal injection well, the owner shall plug the well according to the following standards:
- (1) All removable casing shall be removed and the entire well shall be pressure filled with cement from bottom to the land surface using a pipe correctly sized to ensure all cement is properly located, distributed, and cured; and
- (2) The well may be filled with fine sand, clay, or heavy mud followed by a cement plug extending from land surface to a depth of not less than ten feet below the land surface.
- (b) Any fluids injected into the closed loop system shall not endanger fresh water.
- (c) Not later than the 30th day after the date the well is plugged, a driller or well owner who plugs an abandoned well shall submit to the Commission a completed copy of the well plugging report filed with the TDLR electronically through the Texas Well Report Submission and Retrieval System (TWRSRS).
Source Note:The provisions of this §6.111 adopted to be effective January 6, 2025, 50 TexReg 103.