Premium
Importance of Air Absorption During Mechanical Integrity Testing
Author(s) -
Arnold Fredric C.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
water resources research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.863
H-Index - 217
eISSN - 1944-7973
pISSN - 0043-1397
DOI - 10.1029/wr026i011p02817
Subject(s) - annulus (botany) , casing , dissolution , absorption (acoustics) , materials science , environmental science , petroleum engineering , diffusion , aquifer , water pressure , geotechnical engineering , composite material , geology , environmental engineering , groundwater , engineering , thermodynamics , physics , chemical engineering
Wells used for injection of liquid industrial waste into deep saline aquifers are required to be periodically tested for mechanical integrity. A generally accepted method to demonstrate mechanical integrity is to pressurize the casing‐tubing annulus and monitor any decline in pressure. If air is used to pressurize the annulus, uncertainty may exist in differentiating between absorption of air into water in the annulus and loss of pressure due to the absence of mechanical integrity. An analytical model of air absorbance has been derived and used to quantify the pressure decline due to dissolving and diffusion of the air in annular water. A parameteric study was made to determine when annular pressure decline due to absorption of air is significant.