1.

ABANDONMENT PROCEDURES FOR PIEZOMETERS

 Check static water levels and the depth the well is clear to.
 Run in hole the 1 inch tremie pipe to a depth of 2m above the measured depth of the well.
 Mix a cement/ bentonite slurry with the following composition:

For each 100 Kg of cement

Add 76.17 litres of water.

 Add bentonite powder of between 4%-18%(Typically 2.5- 3 sacks of bentonite for each 8 sacks
of cement).
 For the AK 201 cementing system ,use 45cm of water in each tinna with 8 sacks of cement and
2.5 -3 sacks of bentonite powder..
 Inject cement/bentonite slurry through the tremie pipe, after the injection of each tinna of
slurry pull back tremie pipe to a position so that the tremie pipe remains below the level of the
cement slurry in the well.
 After the injection of 2-3 mixes,dip the level of cement in the well to ensure the well is being
filled and no major losses of slurry are occuring
 Repeat the mixing/injection procedures until the well is full of slurry to surface.Wait for the
cement level to stabilize at surface level and top up the cement slurry as required.
 IF THE PIEZOMETER IS WITHIN 20 METERES OF AN ACTIVE PUMPING WELL THEN THE PUMPING
WELL SHOULD BE SHUT DOWN FOR A PERIOD OF 24 HOURS WHILE THE ABANDONMENT
PROCEDURES ARE COMPLETED.

2. ABANDONMENT PROCEDURE FOR PRODUCTION WELLS

 Stop submersible pump in the well and allow the well to recover.
 If the well is Artesian then measure the shut in pressure,so that the density of fluid required to
balance the artesian pressure can be calculated.Make sure that the gate valve to the discharge
line is closed so that the artesian shut in pressure in rising main is measured not the back
pressure in the discharge line.
 Check that the proposed cement/bentonite slurry density is sufficient to balance the artesian
pressure measured at the well head.
 If the dip tube is open and undamaged then artesian flow from the dip tube will be observed.If
this is the situation then the dip tube will have to be plugged off so that the artesian pressure
may be measured at the well head.

3. WELL ABANDONMENT UNDER NON ARTESIAN CONDITIONS

 Remove well head equipment and discharge line

  Remove the submersible pump ,rising main ,dip tube from the well.gv
 Check the static water level in the well.
 Tag the depth at which the well is open to.
 Run in hole a tremie pipe of a minimum inside diameter of two inches to a depth five metres above
the bottom of the open well. Alternatively it is possible to use open ended drill pipe,in place of the
tremie pipe.
 Mix and inject into the hole, through the tremie pipes /drill pipes, a cement/ bentonite slurry of
1.63 Kg/litre density with between 4%-18% bentonite added to mix water.
 For AK201 mixing system,each tinna requires 45cm of water,8 sacks of cement and 2.5-3 sacks of
bentonite powder

• The cement/bentonite slurry may be batch mixed and injected in stages.

• The level of the cement/bentonite slurry should be checked after the injection of each 3 batches
to ensure the hole is being filled with slurry and no major losses are occurring.

• Should the level of slurry in the well not rise, it may be necessary to increase the viscosity of the
slurry by increasing the amount of bentonite added to the mix water.

• If the pressure during the injection of the slurry rises substantially,then the tremie pipe may be
raised up the hole.The tremie pipe should remain below the level of the slurry in the hole.

• It is preferable to cement the complete hole so that the slurry level is at surface,at a minmum it
is recommended to cement the well to above the top screen or static water level.

 N.B. If it is not possible to fill the well with a cement/bentonite slurry because of major losses then it
may be necessary to fill the problem interval with 3/8 inch bentonite chips then return to a
cement/bentonite slurry.
 If it is not possible to move the rig over the borehole,then the mixing equipment/rig may be located
in a safe position some distance from the borehole.A lay flat hose of 2-3 inch diameter (preferably
one piece)can be lowered down the well and connected to the injection /mixing equipment and the
well back filled in this way.

4. WELL ABANDONMENT UNDER ARTESIAN CONDITIONS

 Shut in the well and measure the artesian pressure at surface.

 Calculate the required fluid density to balance the artesian pressure

 Remove well head assembly,discharge line,submersible pump,dip tube from well.

  Install a well head to control artesian pressure for the sealing operation on the casing at
surface.This should consist of a stuffing box assembly through which the tremie pipe/drill pipe will
be installed.A 3 inch bleed off line should be installed on the side of the stuffing box together with
a 3 inch gate valve for controlling the artesian flow from the well.

 Install the tremie pipe/drill pipe string through the well head assembly to a depth 5 metres above
the measured depth of the well.
 Mix and inject into the hole,through the tremie pipes/drill pipes,a cement /bentonite slurry of
1.63Kg/litre density with between 4%-18% bentonite powder added to the mix water.
 The rate of injectionof the cement/bentonite slurry should be equal to the flow allowed to be
discharged from the gate valve assembly, on the bleed off line

The cement/bentonite slurry may be batch mixed and injected in stages.However if the well is
still flowing then the gate valve on the bleed off line should be closed while a new batch of
slurry is mixed.The gate valve may then be opened when injection of the slurry is re -started .

 It will not be possible to check the level of slurry in the well while the well is still flowing.However
as the level of slurry rises above the tremie pipe/drill pipe, the injection pressure will increase.It is
therefore important that a pressure gauge is placed on injection line to monitor the increase in
pressure and thus the rising level of the cement slurry.

 To check if the artesian pressure in the well has been balanced,injection of the cement/bentonite
slurry can be stopped and any flow from the bleed off line can be monitored.Should no flow from
the well be noted then it is likely the well artesian pressure has been balanced.
 The well should then be filled to ground level with cement bentonite slurry and the tremie pipe/drill
pipe removed from the well.
 It is very important to top up the well with slurry while the tremie pipe is removed,the level of slurry
should be maintained at ground level at all times.
 Remove the well head from the well,maintain the level of slurry in the well at ground level until the
slurry is set.