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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Development of technologies and techniques to enhance underground natural gas storage operations: Well-casing leak repair. Topical report, December 1990

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:5916799

Maurer Engineering Inc. (MEI), under a contract with the Gas Research Institute (GRI), studied the leakage of gas from storage wells by performing an industry survey of operators. Over seventy-four percent (74%) of the injection/production wells in the U.S. and Canada were covered by the survey. It was found that only forty-one (41) leaks occur per year, the average size is 21 MCFD, and that the leaks are easily found and adequately repaired with existing technology. A majority of the leaks occur in threaded couplings, most of which are API 8 RD. A cost-benefit analysis of repair techniques was performed and shows that replacement, squeezing, and wireline patching rank highest. The leakage of small quantity of gas from a coupling with no lubricant was quantified and found to be less than 500 SCFD. Small leaks are more difficult to locate and repair.

Research Organization:
Maurer Engineering, Inc., Houston, TX (USA)
OSTI ID:
5916799
Report Number(s):
PB-91-161331/XAB; TR--91-1; CNN: GRI-5089-275-1853
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English