MICHIGAN ABANDONED WATER WELL PLUGGING MANUAL

MICHIGANABANDONED WATER WELLPLUGGING n Department of Environmental QualityResource Management DivisionDrinking Water and Environmental Health SectionEnvironmental Health Programs UnitAPRIL 2012

MICHIGANABANDONED WATER WELL PLUGGING MANUALApril 2012prepared under Authority of Part 127, 1978 PA 368, as amended, and rulesand published byMichigan Department of Environmental QualityDrinking Water and Municipal Assistance Division525 West Allegan, Constitution HallP.O. Box 30817Lansing, Michigan 48909-8311Additional information on water well construction and the abandoned water well management programmay be obtained from the department’s website atwww.michigan.gov/deq.or you may call 517-284-6530or fax 517-241-1328RMD 1001 4/2012

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSThe author wishes to express sincere thanks to the staff from the Michigan Departmentof Environmental Quality (DEQ), Resource Management Division, Drinking Water andEnvironmental Health Section, Mr. Michael S. Gaber, formerly Chief of the DEQ WellConstruction Unit and Mr. Brant O. Fisher, DEQ, Environmental Engineer, who providedtechnical review and guidance during development of the manual. Special thanks toMs. Anita Ladouceur, Mr. Joseph Crigier, and Ms. Ronda Page, for their editorialcritique of the manual; and Ms. Constance Pettis for her clerical review and assistancewith formatting.The author wishes to express sincere gratitude to the Michigan Ground WaterAssociation (MGWA) and all the individuals from the water well drilling and serviceindustry that provided photos for, and have contributed to, the development or technicalcomponents of this manual. Special thanks to:A & B Webb Enterprises, Inc. - Bob WebbBig Foot Manufacturing - R. Lyle MattesonCentral Wells & Pumps, LLC - Bryan BrewerDyer Well Drilling and Service, Inc. - Mike DyerMike Katz Well Drilling - Mike KatzMike LaLone Well Drilling - Mike LaLoneMaurer & Parks Well Drilling, Inc. - Jack and Scott PeruMid State Oil Tools - Craig MachutaLee Rich Well Drilling - Lee RichTerry’s Well Service, Inc. - Terry Cords

TABLE OF CONTENTSAcknowledgements . iiTable of Contents .iiiIntroduction . . 1Level of Hazard . . 2Expected Performance . . 3Abandoned Water Well Contamination Examples and Plugging Incidents . 4Cooperation Between Water Well Drilling Contractors, Local HealthDepartments, Communities, and State Agencies . 8Preparing an Abandoned Water Well for Proper Plugging . 10Plugging an Open Annulus . 10Perforating Water Well Casings . . 10Mechanical Perforators . 10Casing Perforation Using Directed Explosive Charges . 11Addressing Water Well Casing Damage . 12Fishing Tool String Alignment . 12Abandoned Water Well Depth. . 13Procedures for Plugging Water Wells Under Normal Conditions . 14Plugging Material Volume Calculations . 14Procedures for Plugging Water Wells Terminated in Fractured Rock . 15Plugging Procedures Near Active Water Wells. 16Plugging Procedures for Flowing Water Wells and Break-outs . 18Pumping Cement at High Pressure . 18Equalizing the Head Pressure . 18Packers and Plugs. 19Plugging Inaccessible Abandoned Water Wells . 21Reverse Flow Sealing . 21Plugging Small Diameter Abandoned Water Wells . 23Plugging Large Diameter Abandoned Water Wells . 24Water Line Extension Sites . 26The Importance of Removing Obstructions . 27Water Wells Terminated in Bedrock . 27Screened Water Wells . 28i

Selecting an Obstruction Removal Method . 29Obstruction Identification Aids. . 30Down Hole Video Camera . 30Impression Blocks. . 31Equipment Used for Obstruction Removal . 32Rotary Rigs . 32Hollow-Stem Auger Rigs . 32Cable Tool Rigs . 32Hoists . 33Dual-Tube Rotary Rigs . 33Backhoes and Excavators . 34Vacuum Trucks. 34Jetting Using Compressors and Air or Water . 35Removing Drop Pipes, Pumping Components, and Well Casing . 37Maintaining Control of Drop Pipes and Submersible Pumps . 37Drop Pipe Materials . 37Drawdown Seals. 38Hydraulic Jacks . 38Mobile Pipe Pulling Devices . 40Submersible Pumps . 402-Wire Submersible Pumps . 41Deep Well Packer-Jet Assemblies. 42Installations with Pump Rods. 43Two-Pipe Deep Well Jet Assemblies . 44Shallow Well Jet Pump Installations (with Foot Valves) . 44Rotary Rig Fishing Tool String Components . 45Safety Joints . 45Bumper Sub Design and Use . 45Rotary Fishing Jars . 47Hoist Truck-Mounted Bumping Tools . 48Cable Tool Rig Fishing Tool Strings . 49Long Stroke Fishing Jars . 50Fishing Tools . 51Magnets . 51Taper Taps . 51Die Collars . 52Box Taps . 53Overshots . 53Releasing/Circulating Overshots . 54Pump Rod Extraction Tool . 55Modified/Recycled Drill Bits . 56Latch Jacks and Valve Grabs . 57Junk Mills . 58ii

Rotary Wash Over Shoes . 59Casing Cutters . 60Water Well Plugging Recordkeeping Requirements. 61References . 62Appendix A (Regulation of Abandoned Well Plugging Activities) . A-1Appendix B (Hole Volume Table) . B-1Appendix C (Example Calculations for Determining Grout VolumeNecessary to Plug Abandoned Water Wells and Dry Holes) . C-1Appendix D (Additions to the Manual Added After February 2012) . D-1Addendum to Appendix D - Water Well Casing Removal. D-2iii

INTRODUCTIONUnplugged abandoned water wells pose a direct and immediate hazard to Michigan’sfresh water aquifers. They can act as direct conduits for contaminant entry from thesurface into deeper drinking water aquifers. In addition, old abandoned unplugged steelwell casings can deteriorate over time, eventually corroding away due to waterchemistry or the presence of oxidizing conditions (Smith, 1994). Holes that developalong the length of old steel well casings provide an entry point for contaminantstransported in the upper ground water to drain down into the aquifer where the well isterminated. Bacteriologic and chemical contamination of drinking water aquifers can befacilitated by unplugged, partially plugged, or improperly plugged abandoned wells.The presence of an open annulus around an abandoned water well casing posesadditional deep aquifer contamination concerns. Wells installed using rotary drillingrigs, prior to the adoption of effective grouting standards, may have an open or partiallyopen annulus present along some sections of the well casing. This annulus provides aroute for contaminant movement and can facilitate the mixing of previously distinctaquifers.Gass, Lehr, and Heiss, (1977) report that in Michigan, due to past practices involvingineffective plugging of water wells, geotechnical wells, and oil and gas wells, water withhighly mineralized solutions has moved from deeper, historical depths into upperaquifers that were previously fresh, higher quality water resulting in ”widespreadproblems.” In Manistee, Michigan, a corrosive, near-surface groundwater contaminationplume of “black liquor” from paper pulp processing migrated off-site, encountered andcorroded metal well casings, passed through the upper naturally-protective clayformations (through the holes created by the corroded away well casings), andcontaminated the drinking water aquifer. A municipal water line had to be installed thatpassed under Manistee Lake to provide drinking water to the area (MI D980794747NPL Fact Sheet).To provide protection for Michigan’s fresh water aquifers and to help assure that theseaquifers are suitable for future drinking water source usability, unplugged abandonedwater well casings and any open annulus that is present around them must be properlyplugged. This is equally true for all types of abandoned wells, be they old drinking waterwells, mineral wells, monitoring wells, geotechnical wells, or oil and gas wells.Contractors and well owners are advised to properly plug any unused abandoned wellthat they encounter, after first contacting the state agency that administers theirinstallation, operation or maintenance. Where no plugging guidelines are in place, theDEQ recommends following the plugging procedures outlined in this manual or in ASTMStandard D-5299 -92.1

LEVEL OF HAZARDVarious factors influence the level of environmental hazard posed by abandoned wells.The location of an abandoned well, the condition of the well casing, the number ofaquifers penetrated, an abandoned well’s depth, and its proximity to contaminantsources, all contribute to the level of hazard.In Michigan, it is not uncommon for contractors to drill through a series of water bearingstrata or distinct aquifers when installing a drinking water well. The upper portion of adeep bed rock bore hole may be contributing to the well’s overall production, while anadjoining shallow bed rock well may obtain its entire production from this same upperaquifer. As the number of aquifers penetrated by an abandoned well casing or openbore hole increases, the level of environmental hazard posed by that abandoned wellalso increases.Shallow, small diameter abandoned wells typically have less potential to contaminatedrinking water aquifers. Small diameter, shallow, driven wells (like 1¼ inch “point”wells) pose a lesser threat to the environment and to drinking water aquifers incomparison to drilled wells that typically have larger diameter casings, involve multipleaquifers, and are terminated at greater depth.The proximity of an abandoned well to potential sources of contamination can affect thelevel of health or environmental hazard involved. While it is important to properly plugany identified abandoned well, it is critical to plug the ones that are located near majorsources of contamination like large capacity fuel, chemical, or waste storage facilities.Unplugged abandoned wells located near large capacity contaminant storage areas likethese have the potential to cause extensive groundwater contamination.Water wells, including abandoned water wells, located in low-lying areas can causeserious groundwater quality degradation and can be an immediate public health threat.For this reason, in Michigan, “Regulations for Certain Water Supplies,” 1919 PA 146,and 1964 mandated that water wells shall not be located in areas subject to flooding. Ifabandoned wellheads are submerged by springtime snow melt, intensive rainfall, or dueto alteration of the drainage area around the wellhead, they can provide a pathway forsurface contaminants to get directly into drinking water aquifers.Abandoned water wells (especially those with metal well casings) that are located inareas where brine or highly mineralized water is present, either at depth or near thesurface due to historical spills or pipeline leaks, pose a significant threat to Michigan’sdrinking water resources. When ungrouted or unplugged metal well casings areexposed to high concentrations of corrosive water, they can deteriorate at anaccelerated rate. Holes that develop in well casings provide an entry point for morecorrosive water to get into the well casing and corrode it along its entire length. As thecasing deteriorates, it becomes possible for corrosive waters to interchange freely withand degrade previously separate aquifers. The Manistee, Michigan case previouslydescribed is an example.2