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Water and other non-hazardous waste fluids produced in association with oil-and-gas or non-oil-and-gas activities in Saskatchewan can be disposed into a subsurface pool through a disposal well in accordance with subsection 17(1)(k) of The Oil and Gas Conservation Act and The Oil and Gas Conservation Regulations, 2012.
A well licensee must apply to and receive authorization from the Ministry of Energy and Resources (the ministry) through the Integrated Resource Information System (IRIS) for a disposal well licence or reclassifying/recompleting an existing well to a disposal well.
Disposal wells are classified based on their disposal fluid type. Well completions related to disposal operations are:
Directive PNG008: Disposal and Injection Well Requirements sets out the requirements for the licensing and operation of disposal wells. The proposed disposal operations must be no impact to public safety and no adverse effects on the environment or hydrocarbon recovery in the surrounding area, including:
Read the following Directives and Guidelines for additional regulatory requirements for a disposal well authorization application:
To apply to dispose fluids into subsurface pools:
Disposal wells can be applied in IRIS through:
The following are processes for each application above.
Note: An application for a disposal well licence is either a routine or non-routine application in IRIS depending on the type of well and the declarations made by the applicant. A non-routine application is triggered when:
Reclassification and/or recompletion to a disposal well after the initial completion of the well must be applied for in IRIS, using the appropriate application process. Refer to Guideline PNG024: Reclassification and Recompletion and Apply to Reclassify and Complete a Well.
Note: A well licence application instead of reclassification/recompletion application must be made in IRIS, if:
If the disposal well is not part of a project and is used for commingled disposal, a commingling application must be made and authorized by the ministry before licensing or reclassifying/recompleting the well. To apply:
An acid gas disposal project means a development that groups one or more wells for approval of the disposal of acid gas into a deep saline aquifer or depleted hydrocarbon pool in non-EOR operations. An acid gas disposal project application must be made and authorized by the ministry before licensing or reclassifying/recompleting an acid gas disposal well. A separate Reclassification/Recompletion application or Commingling application is not required that can be authorized as part of an acid gas project application. To apply for an acid gas disposal project:
If applicable, a separate well licence application must be submitted after receiving the project authorization.
A geothermal project means a development that geothermal fluids are produced from a water source well, the geothermal energy is recovered at surface as part of an industrial process for any purpose, and the cooling fluids are disposed into subsurface through a waste disposal well.
A geothermal project application must be made and authorized by the ministry before licensing or reclassifying/recompleting a waste disposal well as part of geothermal project. A separate Reclassification/Recompletion application or Commingling application is not required that can be authorized as part of a geothermal project application.
Please refer to Apply for a Geothermal Project for information on requirements and application process for a geothermal project.
If applicable, a separate well licence application must be submitted after receiving the project authorization.
If disposing fluids in undisposed Crown Lands, a Lease of Space Agreement must be executed with Crown on application in IRIS after the disposal well authorization. Refer to Non-Advertised Dispositions and Non-Advertised Dispositions Application for more information.
Disposal wells as part of a Project Authorization may be subject to additional reporting requirements, which are typically set as obligations on a project. Refer to the Project Obligations Training Module for more information how to fulfill project obligation process in IRIS.
If applicable, an obligation may be set for all potash waste disposal wells in the same site on a project, other than on each well, to submit documentation. Refer to the Project Obligations Training Module for more information how to fulfill project obligation process in IRIS.
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