Part 5. Works

The following section applies to all well heads, battery sites, tank facilities, gathering lines, piping systems and processing or treatment facilities. For solution mining and the hydrocarbon storage facilities, this section applies to the point from the well head to the automatic emergency shutdown valves for hydrocarbon storage caverns and to the first isolation valves for the salt solution mining operations.

Where other publications are referenced within this Part, the reference shall be read as a reference to the most current edition of the publication in effect, including all published amendments.

5.01 Exceptions

The requirements of sections 5.14, 5.14.1, 5.15.6 do not apply to operators of private wells.

5.1. General requirements

The operator shall:

  1. maintain all work sites in an orderly manner;
  2. ensure all chemicals, fuel and other substances used are safely stored; and
  3. ensure that all waste, unused equipment is removed and disposed of properly.

5.1.1 Waste handling

The operator of a work shall ensure that:

  1. oil field fluid produced from a well is disposed of:
    1. in a disposal well licensed by the Ministry of Natural Resources,
    2. re-injected into a permitted secondary recovery project; or
    3. placed in a Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks approved waste disposal facility, or otherwise handled and disposed of in accordance with the Environmental Protection Act;
  2. the handling, storage or disposal of oil field fluid, oil, gas, refuse or any chemical or flammable products or other products or wastes used or produced in conjunction with a well or work shall be conducted in a manner that will not:
    1. interfere with the rights of any person,
    2. create or constitute a hazard to public health or safety,
    3. run into or contaminate any fresh water horizon or body of water or remain in a place from which it might contaminate any fresh water or body of water; or
    4. run over or damage any land, road, building or structure;
  3. all rubbish, debris and refuse from a well or work or resulting from any operation at a well or work is removed immediately from buildings, tanks, wells, pump stations or other sources of ignitable vapours and disposed of in such a manner that no fire hazard is created and in accordance with the Environmental Protection Act; and
  4. stimulation fluids recovered from a well are kept separate from oil field fluid and are disposed in accordance with the Environmental Protection Act.

5.2 Well identification – onshore

The operator of a well shall mark the well with a prominent sign located in a conspicuous place showing the licence number of the well.

5.3 Battery and production facilities identification – onshore

The operator of a battery or production facility or work located onshore shall mark it with a prominent sign located in a conspicuous place showing the:

  1. name of the operator; and
  2. the phone number to call in case of an emergency at the site (emergency phone number).

5.4 Oil and gas waste

The operator of a well shall:

  1. use every possible precaution to prevent the waste of oil and gas in daily operations and shall not use oil or gas wastefully or allow it to leak or escape from natural reservoirs, wells, tanks, pipes, or other work;
  2. not vent gas to the atmosphere if the volume of gas can support a flare; and
  3. produce solution gas in accordance with Part 6.

5.5 Setback requirements

The operator shall ensure that all works meet or exceed the setback requirements set out in this Standard.

5.5.1 Flares

Flare pits and ends of flare lines shall not be located closer than:

  1. 75 metres from a residential, agricultural, commercial or industrial building, school, church or place of public assembly;
  2. 50 meters from a major pipeline, high voltage electrical transmission lines, railway, aircraft runway;
  3. 30 metres from a wellhead, oil and brine storage tanks, pressurized storage tank, municipal road allowance, service buildings and offices; and
  4. 15 metres from compressors, aerial coolers, other flare stacks, fired heaters, oil and brine loading docks, process towers or vessels, pumps, electrical substations or switch gear.

5.5.2 Oil and brine tanks

Oil and brine storage tanks shall not be located closer than:

  1. 75 metres from any residential, agricultural, commercial or industrial building, school, church, or place of public assembly, aircraft runway;
  2. 30 metres from a major pipeline, electrical transmission line, flare stack, flare/burn pit, office, electrical substation or switch gear;
  3. 20 meters from any wellhead, municipal road allowance or railway;
  4. 15 metres from compressors, service buildings, aerial coolers, furnaces, fired heaters, process vessels, treaters, pressurized storage vessels; and
  5. 1 metre from other oil and brine tanks.

5.5.3 Process vessels

Process vessels shall not be located closer than:

  1. 60 metres from any residential, agricultural, commercial or industrial building, school, church or place of public assembly, aircraft runway;
  2. 20 metres from municipal road allowance or railway;
  3. 15 metres from an oil or brine storage tank, flare or burn pit, wellhead, office, service building and flare stack;
  4. 10 metres from any other flame arrested, fired process vessel; and
  5. 7 metres from an oil or brine tank where the process vessel is unfired.

5.5.4 Diesel engines

Diesel engines shall be equipped with:

  1. adequate air intake shut-off valves;
  2. a system for injecting an inert gas into the engine’s cylinders;
  3. a suitable duct so that air for the engine is obtained at least 5 metres from the well; or
  4. another approved device.
5.5.4.1 Other engines

Internal combustion engines without air intake shut-off valves must obtain air at least 15 metres from the well.

5.5.4.2 Engine exhaust pipes

Engine exhaust pipes located within 15 metres of any well process vessel, oil storage tank or other source of ignitable vapour shall be so constructed that:

  1. any emergence of flame along its length or at its end is prevented, and
  2. the end is not closer than 2 metres to the vertical centerline of the well projected upward and is directed away from the well.

5.6 Fluid storage

Oil and oil field fluid produced during production operations shall:

  1. be stored in containers that are designed, constructed and operated in a safe and environmentally acceptable manner; and
  2. shall not be stored in earthen pits or ponds or underground tanks.

5.6.1 Dikes

Oil and oil field fluid storage tanks containing oil or any fluid other than fresh water shall:

  1. be surrounded by a dike or firewall of a capacity equal to or greater than 110 percent of the total tank capacity located within the dike;
  2. have floors and walls constructed and maintained to have a permeability of not greater than 1 x 10-6 cm/sec measured over 72 hours with respect to the fluid being stored; and
  3. the dike or firewall shall be maintained in good condition and the dike and the area encompassed by the dike shall be kept free from grass, weeds or other combustible materials.

5.6.2 Atmospheric storage tanks

Above ground storage tanks shall be used to store oil and brine and shall be designed, constructed, installed and maintained in accordance with following standards and specifications:

  1. API Std 650, Welded Tanks for Oil Storage
  2. API Spec 12B, Specification for Bolted Tanks for Storage of Production Liquids
  3. API Spec 12D, Specification for Field Welded Tanks for Storage of Production Liquids
  4. API Spec 12F, Specification for Shop Welded Tanks for Storage of Production Liquids
  5. API Spec 12P, Specification for Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic Tanks
  6. API Std 12R1, Installation, Operation, Maintenance, Inspection, and Repair of Tanks in Production Service
  7. API Std 653, Tank Inspection, Repair, Alteration, and Reconstruction, for tanks fabricated to API Std 650, Welded Tanks for Oil Storage.

5.6.3 Non spec API tanks

Despite section 5.6.2, above ground storage tanks that are not part of a group or battery of tanks and that are less than 14m3 (90 barrels) in nominal capacity, may be non-API specification tanks, provided that these are designed, installed and maintained for the fluids being stored.

5.6.4 Electrical grounding

The operator shall ensure that:

  1. above ground storage tanks are electrically grounded; and
  2. tanker trucks and storage tanks are grounded to a common ground during loading or unloading of the tanks.

5.6.5 Cathodic protection

Where above ground storage tanks are cathodically protected the operator shall follow the requirements of API RP 651, Cathodic Protection of Aboveground Petroleum Storage Tanks.

5.6.6 Storage tank identification

Storage tanks shall have a nameplate attached that indicates the:

  1. applicable construction standard;
  2. the year built;
  3. nominal capacity;
  4. fabricator; and
  5. nominal diameter and height.

5.7 Piping systems

Pipeline gathering lines shall be in accordance with CSA Z662, Oil and Gas Pipeline Systems. Process lines shall be in accordance with CSA B51, Boiler, Pressure Vessel and Pressure Piping Code.

5.7.1 Pipeline Materials

Material used in the fabrication and installation of oil and gas pipeline systems shall meet the requirements CSA Z662, Oil and Gas Pipeline Systems.

5.7.2 Pipeline construction supervision

Where a pipeline to be used by an operator is installed, tested or replaced, the operator shall ensure that an Examiner who holds a certificate as a gas pipeline inspector or is a professional engineer licensed in the Province of Ontario certifies that the installation, testing or replacement of the pipeline has been made in accordance with this Part.

5.7.3 Burial depth

Onshore gathering lines located outside well and battery sites shall be buried in accordance with CSA Z662, Oil and Gas Pipeline Systems.

5.8 Pressure vessels

Pressure vessels used in oil and gas facilities shall be designed, constructed, installed, inspected and repaired in accordance with CSA B51, Boiler, Pressure Vessel, and Pressure Piping Code.

5.9 Well flare stacks

Individual well flare stacks and systems shall be:

  1. 7.6 metres in height and have a nominal diameter of 60 mm for wells producing up to 1.5 103m3 per day gas to the flare;
  2. 10 metres in height and have a nominal diameter of 60 mm for wells producing between 1.5 103m3 and 70 103m3 per day gas to the flare; and
  3. designed, installed and operated in accordance with API Std 521, Pressure-relieving and Depressuring Systems for wells producing in excess of 70 103m3 per day gas to the flare.

5.10 Compressor/processing facilities

Flare stacks and systems located at compressor stations or gas processing facilities shall be designed, installed and operated in accordance with API Std 521,  Pressure-relieving and Depressuring Systems.

5.10.1 Gas compressors

Where natural gas compressors are installed for use in gathering natural gas from wells or moving gas into a pipeline network for sale or consumption, the operator shall:

  1. comply with CSA Z662, Oil and Gas Pipeline Systems, ASME B31.1 Power Piping and the Ontario Electrical Safety Code when designing, constructing, operating and maintaining the facility;
  2. ensure that automatic shutdown controls are installed and operating correctly; and
  3. shut down controls shall be triggered on low and high pressure.

5.11 Electrical and area classification

Electrical materials shall meet the requirements of:

  1. Ontario Electrical Safety Code;
  2. Canadian Standards Association;
  3. API RP 500, Recommended Practice for Classification of Locations for Electrical Installations at Petroleum Facilities Classified as Class I, Division 1 and Division 2; and
  4. For offshore facilities, Transport Canada TP 127 E, Ships Electrical Standards.

5.11.1 Electrical installation

The installation of electrical equipment shall be completed by a qualified electrician licensed by the provincial authority.

5.12 Control, limiting and relieving of pressure

Pressure control, limiting and relieving equipment requirements shall be in accordance with CSA Z662, Oil and Gas Pipeline Systems and CSA B51, Boiler, Pressure Vessel, and Pressure Piping Code.

5.13 Fires, explosives

The operator of a well or work shall ensure:

  1. that fires used for any purpose are safeguarded by sufficient mechanical or other means so as not to create a hazard to surrounding property; and
  2. explosives or explosive materials are stored 150 metres from any production related work.

5.14 Periodic examinations

The operator shall provide for an Examiner to visually examine all works located on land weekly, excepting wells suspended in accordance with section 5.15, for:

  1. leaks or spills;
  2. damage; and
  3. any unsafe condition.

5.14.1 Annual examination

The operator shall provide for an Examiner to examine all surface works located on land once every 12 months and to certify these works meet the Provincial Standards.

5.15 Suspended wells

Prior to suspending a well located onshore, the operator shall:

  1. isolate all porous and permeable zones from one another, and
  2. ensure that all fresh water bearing zones are isolated and protected by cemented casing.

5.15.1 Isolation method

Isolation of porous and permeable fluid bearing (including oil and gas) zones shall be accomplished by:

  1. a bridge plug capped with cement or hydromite;
  2. a bridge capped with stone and cement; or
  3. other technique that positively separates the porous zones from each other in the main hole; and
  4. if the well is to be suspended with production casing set and cemented, cementing procedures and design annular cement heights shall meet the requirements of Part 3.

5.15.2 Surface equipment

A suspended well located onshore shall have:

  1. two bull-plugged valves in parallel left as access to each potential source of pressure or flow of water;
  2. if production casing has been set and cemented and if sufficient cement was not pumped during the primary cement job to isolate all main hole porous zones from the surface, a casing head or spool with at least two-valved and bull plugged side outlets to pack off the production casing/intermediate casing annulus shall be installed;
  3. if flows of water are possible from outside the intermediate casing(s), a means of isolating the intermediate casing annulus must be installed or the flow of water must be isolated prior to suspending the well;
  4. if potential water flow is to be isolated with a wellhead at surface, a two-valved and bull plugged access, to the annulus shall be available; and
  5. the wellhead shall be protected with steel posts, fencing or equivalent devices.

5.15.3 Security

The operator of a suspended well located onshore and that is capable of flow shall:

  1. remove valve handles or install a lock and chain on the main valve handles; or
  2. enclose the well site with a locked building or 1.5 meter chain-link fence with a locked gate.

5.15.4 Valve function test

The operator of a suspended well shall inspect the wellhead and valves for leaks each year.
Note: Two valves in series on the main hole or production casing are a safety precaution in case the stem, ball, or gate seizes on the outside valve. Bull plugs on the downstream side of valves minimize the likelihood of seizing of valves by corrosion plus serves as a deterrent to gaining access to the well.

5.15.5 Valve maintenance

The operator shall lubricate and service wellhead valves annually or more frequently if specified by the manufacturer.

5.15.6 Examination

The operator of a suspended well located on land shall:

  1. provide for an Examiner to certify that the well has been suspended in accordance with this Standard; and
  2. on an annual basis examine all other outlets from the well for pressures and flowing fluid, other leaks, general appearance and security of the well and to certify the continuing safety and integrity of the suspended well.

5.16 Site rehabilitation and works decommissioning

Site rehabilitation shall be conducted in a manner that returns the site to near its original condition or as near to its original condition as practical no later than one year after the operations have been terminated. Rehabilitation shall include:

  1. disposing of all liquid and solid waste in environmentally acceptable and safe manner;
  2. clearing the area of all debris;
  3. draining and filling the excavations;
  4. removing all surface works, unused concrete bases, machinery, and materials;
  5. leveling and restoring original grade of the site; and
  6. provide for an Examiner to visit the site and certify that rehabilitation of the site was completed in accordance with this Standard.

5.17 Water covered areas

The operator of a producing well shall ensure that:

  1. the wellhead is encased below the bed of the body of water; or
  2. the over-all height of the wellhead assembly above the bed of the body of water does not exceed 1.5 meters.

5.17.1 Designated fishing areas

Where the area in which the well is located is designated by the Minister:

  1. as a primary trawling area, the wellhead shall be placed in a caisson below the bed of the lake or fitted with a trawl deflector of a design approved by the Ministry, or;
  2. for other types of commercial fishing, the wellhead shall be fitted with a protective device of a design approved by the Ministry.

5.17.2 Equipment removal

At the end of every drilling or plugging operation, the operator of the well shall ensure that any platform, piling, anchor-post or other obstruction is removed as soon as is reasonably possible, and in any case within thirty days.

5.17.3 Permanent platforms

Temporary or permanent production platforms shall not be used unless written approval of the platform’s design and operations is granted by the Ministry.

5.17.4 Well and pipeline junction identification

The operator of well or pipeline producing from a water covered area shall:

  1. mark each well and pipeline junction with a prominent marker of a design approved by the Ministry;
  2. identify each marker with the operator name, the well or pipeline junction designation; and
  3. maintain such markers.

5.17.5 Offshore pipelines

Offshore pipeline gathering systems shall be designed, constructed and maintained in accordance CSA Z662, Oil and Gas Pipeline Systems.