Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act, 2002 (Act No. 28 of 2002)RegulationsAmendment Regulations to the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Regulations, 2020Chapter 8 : Well Design and Construction99. Intermediate casing |
| (1) | Intermediate casing for exploration and production wells must be set to protect unexpected fresh water found below the surface casing shoe. |
| (2) | Intermediate casing used to isolate fresh water must not be used as the production string in the well in which it is installed and must not be perforated for purposes of conducting a hydraulic fracture treatment through it. |
| (3) | When intermediate casing is installed to protect fresh water, it must be set at least 30 meters below the base of the unexpected deepest fresh water and must be cemented to the surface. |
| (4) | In instances where intermediate casing is set solely to protect fresh water encountered below the surface casing shoe and cementing to the surface is technically infeasible and may result in lost circulation or both, cement must be brought to a minimum of 180 meters above the shallowest fresh water zone encountered below the surface casing shoe. |
| (5) | The location and depths of petroleum-bearing zones or fresh water zones that are open to the wellbore above the casing shoe, must be confirmed by coring, electric logs, testing or such data from an offset well on the same well pad and must be reported to the designated agency. |
[Regulation 99 inserted by section 2 of Notice No. R. 466 dated 3 June 2015]