1、Designation: D 6285 99 (Reapproved 2005)Standard Guide forLocating Abandoned Wells1This standard is issued under the fixed designation D 6285; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year oforiginal adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in p
2、arentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. Asuperscript epsilon (e) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.INTRODUCTIONThis guide for locating abandoned wells, provides general procedures and suggestions foridentifying the locations of wells that are installed for
3、 the purposes of oil and gas exploration orproduction, or for ground water exploration, supply, monitoring, remediation, or injection, andsubsequently have been abandoned. Not all states require documentation of such abandonment; thus,this guide has been prepared to provide direction for determining
4、 the locations of those abandonedwells.1. Scope1.1 This guide provides an approach to selecting and imple-menting a program to identify the locations of abandonedwells. This guide provides descriptions of methods to be usedas starting points in the search for these locations. It is notintended to be
5、 a step-by-step procedure to conduct the searchprogram. This guide also provides listings of governmentagencies that may have well location information. It is under-stood that addresses and phone numbers change and that theincluded information may not be accurate in the future.1.2 The described meth
6、ods are approaches that have beenused at many sites across the United States. Other methodsmay be appropriate. Typically, several approaches are used toobtain acceptable confirmation of well locations. This guide isnot limited to specific wells. The method chosen should beappropriate for the size of
7、 the area being searched and the typeof well being located. Some well types and constructionmaterials may preclude their detection by any of the methodsdescribed.1.3 This guide offers an organized collection of informationor series of options and does not recommend a specific courseof action. This g
8、uide cannot replace education and experienceand should be used in conjunction with professional judge-ment.2. Referenced Documents2.1 ASTM Standards:2D 5092 Practice for Design and Installation of GroundWater Monitoring Wells in AquifersD 5299 Guide for Decommissioning of Ground WaterWells, Vadose Z
9、one Monitoring Devices, Boreholes, andOther Devices for Environmental Activities3. Significance and Use3.1 Millions of oil and gas wells, water supply wells, andwells installed for environmental monitoring and remediationpurposes, have been abandoned. The need to determine thelocations of these aban
10、doned wells is based on safety andthreats to the environment. Improperly constructed or aban-doned wells may pose a safety threat to humans and animals,may be sources of brines and other undesirable fluids comingto the surface, may be conduits for transport of contaminationfrom the surface to the su
11、bstrate, or may cross-contaminatewater-bearing zones in the subsurface. All states do not requiredocumentation of the abandonment of wells and may not havespecific requirements for abandonment procedures.4. Methods for Locating Abandoned Wells WhoseLocations Have Been Recorded, Observed, or Markedat
12、 the Surface4.1 Records SearchInformation regarding the potentiallocation, type, age, method of abandonment, and other perti-nent information about wells often can be determined by athorough review of local, state, or federal records. Many states1This guide is under the jurisdiction ofASTM Committee
13、 D18 on Soil and Rockand is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee D18.21 on Ground Water andVadose Zone Investigations.Current edition approved Jan. 1, 2005. Published February 2005. Originallyapproved in 1998. Last previous edition approved in 1999 as D 6285 99.2For referenced ASTM standards, v
14、isit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, orcontact ASTM Customer Service at serviceastm.org. For Annual Book of ASTMStandards volume information, refer to the standards Document Summary page onthe ASTM website.1Copyright ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428
15、-2959, United States.and other governmental agencies have reporting requirementsfor both the installation and abandonment of all types of wells.Typically, oil and gas wells are controlled by separate agenciesfrom water and environmental wells. With the recent prolifera-tion of environmental studies,
16、 the number of agencies that maymaintain these records has increased.4.2 Local AgenciesLocal (city and county) agencies typi-cally retain records of oil and gas leasing agreements, taxrecords, plat maps, property ownership maps, and other relatedinformation. Information on municipal wells often is r
17、etainedin local courthouses.4.3 State AgenciesMost states have several agencies thatmaintain records of drilled wells. Some states maintain sophis-ticated computer databases, others maintain paper records.Location information also varies by state and can be bytownship, range and section, state plane
18、 coordinate system,UTM coordinates, or latitude and longitude. Drilling logs,installation diagrams, production records, mechanical integritytesting reports, and other information often are available.Injection wells information typically also is available.4.3.1 A starting place for well record inform
19、ation is theState Geological Survey. If they do not maintain well records,they typically can provide direction to the proper agency. A listof state geological surveys is provided in Appendix X1.4.3.2 Water well records are required in most states. Thesophistication of record keeping and location det
20、ail is variable.State health agencies often maintain records for public watersupply wells.Alist of state agencies known to maintain recordsof abandoned water wells and resource protection wells, forexample, monitoring wells, is provided in Appendix X2.4.3.3 Within the states that produce oil and gas
21、, a specificagency usually has been given the responsibility for maintain-ing well information. A list of state agencies that maintain oiland gas well records is provided in Appendix X3.4.4 Environmental monitoring wells have become moreprolific within the last decade. Both federal and state agencie
22、stypically require documentation of the installation of thesewells. The administrative records for specific ComprehensiveEnvironmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of1980 (CERCLA) as amended in 1986 by the SuperfundAmendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) sites and Re-source Conservati
23、on and Recovery Act (RCRA) sites are thebest sources of monitoring well location information that maynot be available at specific public agencies. Other federalagencies, for example, the Department of Defense (DoD), theDepartment of Energy (DoE), and the U.S. Geological Survey,may have records of we
24、lls that have been installed at specificgovernment sites.4.4.1 Refer to Practice D 5092 as it lists the minimumamount of information required for documentation of eachinstallation. Guide D 5299 lists information required to docu-ment the abandonment of wells.4.5 InterviewsConversations or interviews
25、 with localproperty owners, longtime residents, and drilling contractorsoften provide information about the locations of abandonedwells. Property owners often can identify specific well loca-tions. Drilling contractors often maintain internal records ofwell locations. A careful explanation of the ne
26、ed for locatingcertain wells is necessary sometimes to obtain access to theseproprietary data. The initial purpose for conducting the inter-view should dictate the type and format of interview documen-tation.4.6 ReconnaissanceActual site visits may identify thelocations of abandoned wells whose surf
27、ace locations havebeen marked or whose installation or abandonment have leftsoil disturbances that are identifiable as well-related.5. Airborne and Space-Based Photographic and OtherMethods for Locating Abandoned Wells WhoseLocations Are Unknown5.1 Aerial PhotographsAerial photographs may be usedto
28、detect the surface disturbance associated with well drillingactivities or the actual surface equipment. Historical photo-graphs may document the actual drilling of now-abandonedwells. Aerial photographs may be available at many differentscales and from many different sources.5.1.1 The larger the sca
29、le of the aerial photograph, the easierit is to identify features. Photographs usually are available at alow cost. Photographs, however, may not be available for agiven area or may not be at an appropriate scale. Interpretationof the photographs should be performed by trained personnel.5.1.2 Sources
30、 of Aerial and Satellite PhotographsManylocal and state governmental agencies have archives of aerialphotographs of their area of jurisdiction. In addition, a reviewof the local telephone directory listing of companies thatprovide aerial photographic services may provide sources ofaerial and satelli
31、te photographs. See Appendix X4 for a list ofagencies to contact.5.2 Other Remotely Sensed DataSurface disturbances,associated either with the original well installation or withleaking fluids from an improperly abandoned well, may bedetectable using various remotely sensed data. These datainclude, b
32、ut are not limited to spectral, radar, and color infrareddata acquired by satellite or aircraft. Spectral imagery may beused to detect vegetative stress resulting from either drillingactivities or from the presence of saline or contaminated waterleaking from an abandoned well. Thermal infrared image
33、rymay be used to detect temperature anomalies resulting from thepresence of metal casing. Spectral, color infrared, and radarimagery also may be used in textural analysis to deduce surfacedisturbances that may have resulted from drilling and wellinstallation activities.5.2.1 Most of these data are a
34、vailable only in digital format.Appropriate computer hardware and software, as well aspersonnel trained in image processing, may be necessary to usethese data. Relative costs per unit aerial coverage for dataacquisition and processing may be high for small search areasbut low for large search areas.
35、 Ground verification of wells isnecessary.5.2.2 Sources of ImagerySee Appendix X5 for a list ofagencies to contact.6. Geophysical Methods for Locating Abandoned WellsWhose Locations Are Unknown6.1 In general, metal detectors and magnetometers can beused to detect metallic wells casing at various dep
36、ths. Electro-magnetic and resistivity methods can be used to detect bothD 6285 99 (2005)2metallic well casings and fluids leaking from abandoned wells.Ground penetrating radar may be used to locate uncased wellsor wells with nonmetallic casings.6.2 Metal DetectorsMetallic well casings (ferrous ornon
37、ferrous) can be detected using portable metal detectors. Theresponse of a metal detector us proportional to the area of ametal target. The larger of diameter of the buried casing, theeasier it is to detect. Response also is inversely proportional tothe depth of the target. The coil of the metal dete
38、ctor must passdirectly over the buried casing in order for the casing to bedetected, therefore, a closely spaced survey grid is necessary.Depth of detection for these metal detectors is usually 1 to 3 ft.Equipment usually is inexpensive and little training is requiredto operate it.6.2.1 A special ty
39、pe of time domain electromagnetic sensorthat uses relatively small loop transmitters functions as a metaldetector with a greater depth of investigation and the ability todetect larger objects than convectional metal detectors.6.3 MagnetometersFerrous metal well casings can bedetected by a magnetomet
40、er survey. The response of a magne-tometer is proportional to the mass of the target and is inverselyproportional to the targets depth. A magnetometer may detecta buried casing that is off the side of a survey line and maydetect a casing that has been cut off below the surface.NOTE 1The magnometer d
41、ose not have to pass directly over the targetas in the case of a metal detector.Depth of detection using a magnetometer is much greaterthan for any other method described. Large diameter deep wellcasings, such as those used in the oil and gas industry,commonly are detected by airborne magnetometer s
42、urveys.Equipment is easy to use.6.3.1 Surface magnetometer surveys can be used to detectwells that contain ferrous metal casing at or near the surface.6.3.2 A downhole (borehole) magnetometer may be usedwhen the upper portion of the casing in an abandoned well isat a depth greater than the resolutio
43、n of a surface survey, andthere is an opening in which to lower the probe.6.3.3 Airborne magnetometer surveys are used for generalreconnaissance of an area. This method works best to locatelarge diameter wells, These surveys require ground verificationof detected anomalies. They usually are more exp
44、ensive thanground-based surveys.6.3.4 Sources of Airborne Magnetic SurveySee AppendixX6 for recommended source.6.4 Electromagnetic MethodsMagnetic anomalies causedby the presence of conductive materials at the surface and inthe shallow subsurface may be detected at the surface, fromboreholes in the
45、subsurface, or sometimes from the air. Thesemethods may be used to detect either metallic casing or salinewater associated with a leaking abandoned well. Measuredanomalies may be small, and there may be interference fromcultural sources of electromagnetic energy. Also, surveys mayrequire close line
46、spacings. Electromagnetic methods includeboth frequency and time domain methods, which requireinterpretation by trained personnel.6.4.1 Frequency domain electromagnetic methods (conduc-tivity surveys), measure the connectivity of subsurface mate-rials by using a transmitter coil to generate an elect
47、romagneticfield that induces an electrical current in the earth. The inducedcurrent generates a secondary electromagnetic field that can bedetected by a receiver coil. The magnitude of the inducedcurrent is a function of the composition and porosity of the soiland the conductivity of pore fluids. Si
48、nce metallic well casingusually is more conductive than the surrounding soil, itspresence may be detected by this method. Saline fluids leakingfrom abandoned wells often are more conductive than sur-rounding materials and may be detectable. Direct contact withthe soil is not required for this method
49、, and as a result, surveytimes may be rapid. Conductivity surveys should be conductedand interpreted by trained personnel.6.4.2 Time domain electromagnetic methods are based onthe principle that currents induced in the ground decay rapidly,producing a secondary magnetic field proportional to theconductivity of the subsurface material. By measuring the timedecay of the secondary magnetic field as the induced currentdiffuses downward, a vertical electrical profile of the subsur-face can be obtained. Depth of measurement depends on theprimary (induced) field strength and
