La. Admin. Code tit. 43 § XVII-3329

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 9, September 20, 2024

Section XVII-3329 - Cavern Configuration and Capacity Measurements

A. Sonar caliper surveys shall be performed on all caverns. With prior approval of the Office of Conservation, the operator may use another similar proven technology designed to determine cavern configuration and measure cavern capacity as a substitute for a sonar survey.

B. Frequency of Surveys. A sonar caliper survey of the entire cavern shall be performed at least once every five years and must include horizontal shots beginning just below the deepest cemented casing shoe. At least once every 10 years a sonar caliper survey, or other approved survey, shall be performed that logs the roof of the cavern using uptilted survey measurements. Additional surveys as specified by the Office of Conservation shall be performed for any of the following reasons regardless of frequency:

1. before commencing cavern closure operations;

2. whenever leakage into or out of the cavern system is suspected is suspected;

3. after performing any remedial work to reestablish solution-mining well or cavern integrity or raise the deepest casing seat;

4. before returning the cavern to storage service after a period of salt solution-mining or washing to purposely increase the storage cavern size or capacity;

5. after completion of any additional solution-mining or washing for caverns engaged in simultaneous storage and salt solution-mining; or

6. whenever the Office of Conservation believes a survey is warranted.

C. Submission of Survey Results. A complete electronic version of each survey shall be submitted to the Office of Conservation within 60 days of survey completion.

1. Survey readings shall be taken a minimum of every 10 feet of vertical depth. Sonar reports shall contain the following minimum information and presentations:

a. tabulation of incremental and total cavern volume for every survey reading;

b. tabulation of the cavern radii at various azimuths for every survey reading;

c. tabulation of the maximum cavern radii at various azimuths;

d. graphical plot of cavern depth versus volume;

e. graphical plot of the maximum cavern radii;

f. vertical cross-sections of the cavern at various azimuths drawn to an appropriate horizontal and vertical scale;

g. vertical cross-section overlays comparing results of current survey and up to 3 previous surveys;

h. isometric or 3-D shade profile of the cavern at various azimuths and rotations.

i. Any data collected from prior surveys shall be clearly identified if included in the submitted report.

2. The information submitted resulting from use of an approved alternative survey method to determine cavern configuration and measure cavern capacity shall be determined based on the method or type of survey.

La. Admin. Code tit. 43, § XVII-3329

Promulgated by the Department of Natural Resources, Office of Conservation, LR 40:339 (February 2014), Amended LR 42418 (3/1/2016), Amended LR 482314 (9/1/2022).

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 30:4 et seq.