La. Admin. Code tit. 43 § XVII-3101
Application- the filing on the appropriate Office of Conservation form(s), including any additions, revisions, modifications, or required attachments to the form(s), for a permit to operate a salt cavern waste disposal facility or parts thereof.
Aquifer- a geologic formation, groups of formations, or part of a formation that is capable of yielding a significant amount of water to a well or spring.
Blanket Material- sometimes referred to as a "pad." The blanket material is a fluid placed within a salt cavern that is lighter than the water in the cavern and will not dissolve the salt or any mineral impurities that may be contained within the salt. The function of the blanket is to prevent unwanted leaching of the salt cavern roof, prevent leaching of salt from around the cemented casing, and to protect the cemented casing from internal corrosion. Blanket material typically consists of crude oil, diesel, mineral oil, or some fluid possessing similar noncorrosive, nonsoluble, low density properties. The blanket material is placed between the salt cavern's outermost hanging string and innermost cemented casing.
Brine- water within a salt cavern that is completely or partially saturated with salt.
Cap Rock- the porous and permeable strata immediately overlying all or part of the salt stock of some salt structures typically composed of anhydrite, gypsum, limestone, and occasionally sulfur.
Casing- metallic pipe placed and cemented in the wellbore for the purpose of supporting the sides of the wellbore and to act as a barrier preventing subsurface migration of fluids out of or into the wellbore.
Catastrophic Collapse- the sudden or utter failure of the overlying strata caused by the removal or otherwise weakening of underlying sediments.
Cementing- the operation (either primary, secondary, or squeeze) whereby a cement slurry is pumped into a drilled hole and/or forced behind the casing.
Circulate to the Surface-the observing of actual cement returns to the surface during the primary cementing operation.
Commercial Salt Cavern Facility- a legally permitted salt cavern waste disposal facility that disposes of exploration and production waste off the site where produced by others for a fee or other consideration.
Commissioner- the Commissioner of Conservation for the State of Louisiana.
Contamination- the introduction of substances or contaminants into a groundwater aquifer, a USDW or soil in such quantities as to render them unusable of their intended purposes.
Discharge- the placing, releasing, spilling, percolating, draining, pumping, leaking, mixing, migrating, seeping, emitting, disposing, by-passing, or other escaping of pollutants on or into the air, ground, or waters of the state. A discharge shall not include that which is allowed through a federal or state permit.
E&P Waste- exploration and production waste.
Effective Date- the date of final promulgation of these rules and regulations.
Emergency Shutdown Valve- a valve that automatically closes to isolate a salt cavern well from surface piping in the event of a specified condition that, if uncontrolled, may cause an emergency.
Exempted Aquifer-an aquifer or its portion that meets the criteria of the definition of underground source of drinking water but which has been exempted according to the procedures set forth in §3103. E 2
Existing Salt Cavern- a salt cavern originally permitted by the Office of Conservation for use other than E&P waste disposal.
Existing Well- a wellbore originally permitted by the Office of Conservation for use other than to facilitate E&P waste disposal into a salt cavern.
Exploration and Production Waste (E&P Waste)- drilling wastes, salt water, and other wastes associated with the exploration, development, or production of crude oil or natural gas wells and which is not regulated by the provisions of, and, therefore, exempt from the Louisiana Hazardous Waste Regulations and the Federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, as amended. E& P Wastes include, but are not limited to, those wastes listed in the definition for E& P Waste located in LAC 43:XIX.501 (Definitions).
Fluid- any material or substance which flows or moves whether in a semisolid, liquid, sludge, gas or any other form or state.
Generator- a person or corporate entity who creates or causes to be created any E& P waste.
Ground Subsidence- the downward settling of the Earth's surface with little or no horizontal motion in response to natural or manmade subsurface actions.
Groundwater Aquifer- water in the saturated zone beneath the land surface that contains less than 10,000 mg/l total dissolved solids.
Groundwater Contamination- the degradation of naturally occurring groundwater quality either directly or indirectly as a result of human activities.
Hanging String- casing whose weight is supported at the wellhead and hangs vertically in a larger cemented casing or another larger hanging string.
Injection and Mining Division- the Injection and Mining Division of the Louisiana Office of Conservation within the Department of Natural Resources.
Leaching- the process whereby an undersaturated fluid is introduced into a salt cavern thereby dissolving additional salt and increasing the volume of the salt cavern.
Migrating- any movement of fluids by leaching, spilling, discharging, or any other uncontained or uncontrolled manner, except as allowed by law, regulation, or permit.
New Well- a wellbore permitted by the Office of Conservation after the effective date of these rules and regulations to be completed into an existing salt cavern to facilitate E& P waste disposal.
Non-Commercial Salt Cavern Facility- a legally permitted salt cavern waste disposal facility that disposes of only E& P waste generated by the owner of the facility during oil and gas exploration and production activities.
Office of Conservation- the Louisiana Office of Conservation within the Department of Natural Resources.
Oil-Based Drilling Muds-any oil-based drilling fluid composed of a water in oil emulsion, organophillic clays, drilled solids and additives for down-hole rheology and stability such as fluid loss control materials, thinners, weighting agents, etc.
Operator- the person recognized by the Office of Conservation as being responsible for the physical operation of the facility or activity subject to regulatory authority under these rules and regulations.
Owner- the person recognized by the Office of Conservation as owning the facility or activity subject to regulatory authority under these rules and regulations.
Person- an individual, association, partnership, public or private corporation, firm, municipality, state or federal agency and any agent or employee thereof, or any other juridical person.
Produced Water- liquids and suspended particulate matter that is obtained by processing fluids brought to the surface in conjunction with the recovery of oil and gas from underground geologic formations, with underground storage of hydrocarbons, or with solution mining for brine.
Public Water System- a system for the provision to the public of piped water for human consumption, if such system has at least 15 service connections or regularly serves at least 25 individuals. Such term includes:
1. any collection, treatment, storage, and distribution facilities under control of the operator of such system and used primarily in connection with such system; and
2. any collection or pretreatment storage facilities not under such control which are used primarily in connection with such system.
Release- the accidental or intentional spilling, pumping, leaking, pouring, emitting, leaching, escaping, or dumping of pollutants into or on any air, land, groundwater, or waters of the state. A release shall not include that which is allowed through a federal or state permit.
Salt Cavern- see solution-mined salt cavern
Salt Cavern Roof-the uppermost part of a salt cavern being just below the neck of the wellbore. The shape of the salt cavern roof may be flat or domed.
Salt Cavern Waste Disposal Facility- any public, private, or commercial property, including surface and subsurface lands and appurtenances thereto, used for receiving, storing, and/or processing E& P waste for disposal into a solution-mined salt cavern.
Salt Cavern Well- a well extending into the salt stock to facilitate the disposal of waste or other fluids into a salt cavern.
Salt Dome- a diapiric, typically circular structure that penetrates, uplifts, and deforms overlying sediments as a result of the upward movement of a salt stock in the subsurface. Collectively, the salt dome includes the salt stock and any overlying uplifted sediments.
Salt Stock- a typically cylindrical formation composed chiefly of an evaporite mineral that forms the core of a salt dome. The most common form of the evaporite mineral is halite known chemically as sodium chloride (NaCl). Cap rock shall not be considered a part of the salt stock.
Solution-Mined Salt Cavern- a cavity created within the salt stock by dissolution with water.
State- the state of Louisiana.
Subsidence- see ground subsidence.
Surface Casing- the first string of casing installed in a well, excluding conductor casing.
Transport Vehicle- a motor vehicle, rail freight car, freight container, cargo tank, portable tank, or vessel used for the transportation of E& P wastes or other materials for use or disposal at a salt cavern waste disposal facility.
Transportation- the movement of wastes or other materials from the point of generation or storage to the salt cavern waste disposal facility by means of commercial or private transport vehicle.
Unauthorized Discharge- a continuous, intermittent, or one-time discharge, whether intentional or unintentional, anticipated or unanticipated, from any permitted or unpermitted source which is in contravention of any provision of the Louisiana Environmental Quality Act (R.S. 30:2001 et seq.) or of any permit or license terms and conditions, or of any applicable regulation, compliance schedule, variance, or exception of the Commissioner of Conservation.
Underground Source of Drinking Water- an aquifer or its portion:
1. which supplies any public water system; or
2. which contains a sufficient quantity of groundwater to supply a public water system; and
a. currently supplies drinking water for human consumption; or
b. contains fewer than 10,000 mg/1 total dissolved solids; and which is not an exempted aquifer.
Waters of the State- both surface and underground waters within the state of Louisiana including all rivers, streams, lakes, groundwaters, and all other water courses and waters within the confines of the state, and all bordering waters, and the Gulf of Mexico.
La. Admin. Code tit. 43, § XVII-3101