Regulation · Abandonment
Groundwater Protection
The depth above which the groundwater is fresh enough to protect, known in Alberta as the base of groundwater protection.
What it does
Sets where plugs and cuts can go. All nonsaline groundwater must be covered with cement and isolated from the hydrocarbon zones below, and no inhibitor is left in the casing above it.
Basics
| Nonsaline water | Less than 4,000 mg/L total dissolved solids (Alberta) |
| Casing fill | Nonsaline water, no inhibitor above this depth |
| Casing cut | At or below this depth when casing is pulled |
Common failures
- Leaving a path between a gas zone and a freshwater aquifer
Troubleshooting
- Symptom
- Water well complaint near an old well
- Likely cause
- Poor isolation of the aquifer
- What to check
- Test for migration and re-abandon the well if needed