(a) As used in this article, “gas storage well” means an active or idle well used primarily to inject natural gas into or withdraw natural gas from an underground natural gas storage facility.

(b) On or before January 1, 2018, the operators of all gas storage wells shall have commenced a mechanical integrity testing regime specified by the division. The testing regime shall include all of the following:

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(1) Regular leak testing.

(2) Casing wall thickness inspection.

(3) Pressure test of the production casing.

(4) Any additional testing deemed necessary by the division to demonstrate the integrity of the well.

(c) All anomalies identified in the testing shall be immediately reported to the appropriate district office and explained to the supervisor’s satisfaction.

(d) (1) The division shall promulgate regulations that establish standards for the design, construction, and maintenance of all gas storage wells to ensure that integrity concerns with a gas storage well are identified and addressed before they can become a threat to life, health, property, the climate, or natural resources.

(2) The regulations shall require that gas storage wells be designed, constructed, and maintained to ensure that a single point of failure does not pose an immediate threat of loss of control of fluids, as determined by the supervisor.

(3) In developing the regulations, the division shall consider enhanced design, construction, and maintenance measures that could meet the standard in paragraph (2), including any of the following:

(A) Primary and secondary mechanical well barriers to isolate the storage gas within the storage reservoir and transfer storage gas from the surface into and out of the storage reservoir.

(B) Production casing to the surface with the required integrity to contain reservoir pressure.

(C) Tubing and packer and production tree with the required integrity to contain reservoir pressure.

(D) Surface controlled subsurface safety valves or Christmas tree valves with the required integrity to contain reservoir pressure that halt flow through the well.

(E) Secondary barrier with overlapping cement casing between two concentric casings with good quality cement bond.

(F) Wellhead with annular valves and seals and the required integrity to contain reservoir pressure.

(G) Casing with a hanger and seal assembly.

(H) Any other well construction requirements the supervisor determines would improve the protection of public health, safety, the environment, and natural resources.

(4) In developing the regulations, the division shall develop a schedule for ongoing mechanical integrity testing.

(e) In order to facilitate consistency, standardization, and training for site inspection and maintenance, to the extent that the regulations promulgated by the division pursuant to subdivision (d) address surface equipment associated with an underground gas storage facility, the division shall ensure that those regulations are consistent with comparable requirements in Parts 190 to 199, inclusive, of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

(Added by Stats. 2016, Ch. 673, Sec. 3. (SB 887) Effective January 1, 2017.)