ASTM D6285-99(2005)
(Guide)Standard Guide for Locating Abandoned Wells
Standard Guide for Locating Abandoned Wells
SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
Millions of oil and gas wells, water supply wells, and wells installed for environmental monitoring and remediation purposes, have been abandoned. The need to determine the locations of these abandoned wells is based on safety and threats to the environment. Improperly constructed or abandoned wells may pose a safety threat to humans and animals, may be sources of brines and other undesirable fluids coming to the surface, may be conduits for transport of contamination from the surface to the substrate, or may cross-contaminate water-bearing zones in the subsurface. All states do not require documentation of the abandonment of wells and may not have specific requirements for abandonment procedures.
SCOPE
1.1 This guide provides an approach to selecting and implementing a program to identify the locations of abandoned wells. This guide provides descriptions of methods to be used as starting points in the search for these locations. It is not intended to be a step-by-step procedure to conduct the search program. This guide also provides listings of government agencies that may have well location information. It is understood that addresses and phone numbers change and that the included information may not be accurate in the future.
1.2 The described methods are approaches that have been used at many sites across the United States. Other methods may be appropriate. Typically, several approaches are used to obtain acceptable confirmation of well locations. This guide is not limited to specific wells. The method chosen should be appropriate for the size of the area being searched and the type of well being located. Some well types and construction materials may preclude their detection by any of the methods described.
1.3 This guide offers an organized collection of information or series of options and does not recommend a specific course of action. This guide cannot replace education and experience and should be used in conjunction with professional judgement.
General Information
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Standards Content (Sample)
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Designation: D6285 − 99(Reapproved 2005)
Standard Guide for
Locating Abandoned Wells
This standard is issued under the fixed designation D6285; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
INTRODUCTION
This guide for locating abandoned wells, provides general procedures and suggestions for
identifying the locations of wells that are installed for the purposes of oil and gas exploration or
production, or for groundwater exploration, supply, monitoring, remediation, or injection, and
subsequently have been abandoned. Not all states require documentation of such abandonment; thus,
this guide has been prepared to provide direction for determining the locations of those abandoned
wells.
1. Scope 2. Referenced Documents
2.1 ASTM Standards:
1.1 This guide provides an approach to selecting and imple-
menting a program to identify the locations of abandoned D5092 Practice for Design and Installation of Ground Water
Monitoring Wells
wells. This guide provides descriptions of methods to be used
as starting points in the search for these locations. It is not D5299 Guide for Decommissioning of Groundwater Wells,
Vadose Zone Monitoring Devices, Boreholes, and Other
intended to be a step-by-step procedure to conduct the search
program. This guide also provides listings of government Devices for Environmental Activities
agencies that may have well location information. It is under-
3. Significance and Use
stood that addresses and phone numbers change and that the
3.1 Millions of oil and gas wells, water supply wells, and
included information may not be accurate in the future.
wells installed for environmental monitoring and remediation
1.2 The described methods are approaches that have been
purposes, have been abandoned. The need to determine the
used at many sites across the United States. Other methods
locations of these abandoned wells is based on safety and
may be appropriate. Typically, several approaches are used to
threats to the environment. Improperly constructed or aban-
obtain acceptable confirmation of well locations. This guide is
doned wells may pose a safety threat to humans and animals,
not limited to specific wells. The method chosen should be
may be sources of brines and other undesirable fluids coming
appropriate for the size of the area being searched and the type
to the surface, may be conduits for transport of contamination
of well being located. Some well types and construction
from the surface to the substrate, or may cross-contaminate
materials may preclude their detection by any of the methods
water-bearing zones in the subsurface.All states do not require
described.
documentation of the abandonment of wells and may not have
1.3 This guide offers an organized collection of information specific requirements for abandonment procedures.
or series of options and does not recommend a specific course
4. Methods for Locating Abandoned Wells Whose
of action. This guide cannot replace education and experience
Locations Have Been Recorded, Observed, or Marked
and should be used in conjunction with professional judge-
at the Surface
ment.
4.1 Records Search—Information regarding the potential
location, type, age, method of abandonment, and other perti-
nent information about wells often can be determined by a
This guide is under the jurisdiction ofASTM Committee D18 on Soil and Rock
and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee D18.21 on Groundwater and
Vadose Zone Investigations. For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or
Current edition approved Jan. 1, 2005. Published February 2005. Originally contact ASTM Customer Service at service@astm.org. For Annual Book of ASTM
approved in 1998. Last previous edition approved in 1999 as D6285 – 99. DOI: Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on
10.1520/D6285-99R05. the ASTM website.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United States
D6285 − 99 (2005)
thorough review of local, state, or federal records. Many states tions. Drilling contractors often maintain internal records of
and other governmental agencies have reporting requirements well locations. A careful explanation of the need for locating
for both the installation and abandonment of all types of wells.
certain wells is necessary sometimes to obtain access to these
Typically, oil and gas wells are controlled by separate agencies
proprietary data. The initial purpose for conducting the inter-
from water and environmental wells. With the recent prolifera-
view should dictate the type and format of interview documen-
tion of environmental studies, the number of agencies that may
tation.
maintain these records has increased.
4.6 Reconnaissance—Actual site visits may identify the
4.2 Local Agencies—Local (city and county) agencies typi-
locations of abandoned wells whose surface locations have
cally retain records of oil and gas leasing agreements, tax
been marked or whose installation or abandonment have left
records, plat maps, property ownership maps, and other related
soil disturbances that are identifiable as well-related.
information. Information on municipal wells often is retained
in local courthouses.
5. Airborne and Space-Based Photographic and Other
4.3 State Agencies—Most states have several agencies that
Methods for Locating Abandoned Wells Whose
maintain records of drilled wells. Some states maintain sophis-
Locations Are Unknown
ticated computer databases, others maintain paper records.
5.1 Aerial Photographs—Aerial photographs may be used
Location information also varies by state and can be by
to detect the surface disturbance associated with well drilling
township, range and section, state plane coordinate system,
activities or the actual surface equipment. Historical photo-
UTM coordinates, or latitude and longitude. Drilling logs,
graphs may document the actual drilling of now-abandoned
installation diagrams, production records, mechanical integrity
wells. Aerial photographs may be available at many different
testing reports, and other information often are available.
scales and from many different sources.
Injection wells information typically also is available.
4.3.1 A starting place for well record information is the
5.1.1 Thelargerthescaleoftheaerialphotograph,theeasier
State Geological Survey. If they do not maintain well records,
it is to identify features. Photographs usually are available at a
they typically can provide direction to the proper agency.Alist
low cost. Photographs, however, may not be available for a
Appendix X1.
of state geological surveys is provided in
given area or may not be at an appropriate scale. Interpretation
4.3.2 Water well records are required in most states. The
of the photographs should be performed by trained personnel.
sophistication of record keeping and location detail is variable.
5.1.2 Sources of Aerial and Satellite Photographs—Many
State health agencies often maintain records for public water
local and state governmental agencies have archives of aerial
supplywells.Alistofstateagenciesknowntomaintainrecords
photographs of their area of jurisdiction. In addition, a review
of abandoned water wells and resource protection wells, for
of the local telephone directory listing of companies that
example, monitoring wells, is provided in Appendix X2.
provide aerial photographic services may provide sources of
4.3.3 Within the states that produce oil and gas, a specific
aerial and satellite photographs. See Appendix X4 for a list of
agency usually has been given the responsibility for maintain-
agencies to contact.
ing well information. A list of state agencies that maintain oil
5.2 Other Remotely Sensed Data—Surface disturbances,
and gas well records is provided in Appendix X3.
associated either with the original well installation or with
4.4 Environmental monitoring wells have become more
leaking fluids from an improperly abandoned well, may be
prolific within the last decade. Both federal and state agencies
detectable using various remotely sensed data. These data
typically require documentation of the installation of these
include,butarenotlimitedtospectral,radar,andcolorinfrared
wells. The administrative records for specific Comprehensive
data acquired by satellite or aircraft. Spectral imagery may be
Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of
used to detect vegetative stress resulting from either drilling
1980 (CERCLA) as amended in 1986 by the Superfund
activities or from the presence of saline or contaminated water
Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) sites and Re-
leaking from an abandoned well. Thermal infrared imagery
source Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) sites are the
maybeusedtodetecttemperatureanomaliesresultingfromthe
best sources of monitoring well location information that may
presence of metal casing. Spectral, color infrared, and radar
not be available at specific public agencies. Other federal
imageryalsomaybeusedintexturalanalysistodeducesurface
agencies, for example, the Department of Defense (DoD), the
disturbances that may have resulted from drilling and well
Department of Energy (DoE), and the U.S. Geological Survey,
installation activities.
may have records of wells that have been installed at specific
government sites.
5.2.1 Most of these data are available only in digital format.
4.4.1 Refer to Practice D5092 as it lists the minimum
Appropriate computer hardware and software, as well as
amount of information required for documentation of each personneltrainedinimageprocessing,maybenecessarytouse
installation. Guide D5299 lists information required to docu-
these data. Relative costs per unit aerial coverage for data
ment the abandonment of wells.
acquisition and processing may be high for small search areas
but low for large search areas. Ground verification of wells is
4.5 Interviews—Conversations or interviews with local
necessary.
property owners, longtime residents, and drilling contractors
5.2.2 Sources of Imagery—See Appendix X5 for a list of
often provide information about the locations of abandoned
wells. Property owners often can identify specific well loca- agencies to contact.
D6285 − 99 (2005)
6. Geophysical Methods for Locating Abandoned Wells require close line spacings. Electromagnetic methods include
Whose Locations Are Unknown both frequency and time domain methods, which require
interpretation by trained personnel.
6.1 In general, metal detectors and magnetometers can be
6.4.1 Frequency domain electromagnetic methods (conduc-
used to detect metallic wells casing at various depths. Electro-
tivity surveys), measure the connectivity of subsurface mate-
magnetic and resistivity methods can be used to detect both
rials by using a transmitter coil to generate an electromagnetic
metallic well casings and fluids leaking from abandoned wells.
Ground penetrating radar may be used to locate uncased wells field that induces an electrical current in the earth.The induced
or wells with nonmetallic casings. current generates a secondary electromagnetic field that can be
detected by a receiver coil. The magnitude of the induced
6.2 MetalDetectors—Metallic well casings (ferrous or non-
current is a function of the composition and porosity of the soil
ferrous) can be detected using portable metal detectors. The
and the conductivity of pore fluids. Since metallic well casing
response of a metal detector us proportional to the area of a
usually is more conductive than the surrounding soil, its
metal target. The larger of diameter of the buried casing, the
presence may be detected by this method. Saline fluids leaking
easier it is to detect. Response also is inversely proportional to
from abandoned wells often are more conductive than sur-
the depth of the target.The coil of the metal detector must pass
rounding materials and may be detectable. Direct contact with
directly over the buried casing in order for the casing to be
the soil is not required for this method, and as a result, survey
detected, therefore, a closely spaced survey grid is necessary.
times may be rapid. Conductivity surveys should be conducted
Depth of detection for these metal detectors is usually 1 to 3 ft.
and interpreted by trained personnel.
Equipment usually is inexpensive and little training is required
to operate it.
6.4.2 Time domain electromagnetic methods are based on
6.2.1 Aspecial type of time domain electromagnetic sensor
the principle that currents induced in the ground decay rapidly,
that uses relatively small loop transmitters functions as a metal
producing a secondary magnetic field proportional to the
detector with a greater depth of investigation and the ability to
conductivity of the subsurface material. By measuring the time
detect larger objects than convectional metal detectors.
decay of the secondary magnetic field as the induced current
diffuses downward, a vertical electrical profile of the subsur-
6.3 Magnetometers—Ferrous metal well casings can be
face can be obtained. Depth of measurement depends on the
detected by a magnetometer survey. The response of a magne-
primary (induced) field strength and range from a few meters
tometerisproportionaltothemassofthetargetandisinversely
to more than a kilometer. This method is useful especially for
proportional to the target’s depth. A magnetometer may detect
detecting conductive fluids, such as saline fluids leaking from
a buried casing that is off the side of a survey line and may
an abandoned wellbore. These surveys must be conducted and
detect a casing that has been cut off below the surface.
interpreted by trained personnel.
NOTE 1—The magnometer dose not have to pass directly over the target
as in the case of a metal detector.
6.5 DC Resistivity—This method may be used to detect
Depth of detection using a magnetometer is much greater
saline water associated with a leaking abandoned well. The
than for any other method described. Large diameter deep well
resistivity method is used to measure the resistance of subsur-
casings, such as those used in the oil and gas industry,
face materials to the flow of electricity. Since saline fluids are
commonly are detected by airborne magnetometer surveys.
less resistance to electrical current flow than the surrounding
Equipment is easy to use.
soil, their presence can be inferred by this method, which
6.3.1 Surface magnetometer surveys can be used to detect
requires interpretation by trained
...
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