Latest Well P&a Decommissioning Technologies and Strategies - LinkedIn

19/09/2017 Latest Well P&A Decommissioning Technologies and Strategies | LinkedIn
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Mark Plummer MSc BEng 8 0 3
Credit: www.stuartwright.com.sg
Latest Well P&A Decommissioning

Technologies and Strategies
Published on September 19, 2017
In the previous article, we looked at 6 Key Well Abandonment and Decommissioning

Challenges and I promised to share with you some of the latest decommissioning
technologies and strategies which are in use or being developed and tested today in the
Oil & Gas sector.
But first, I think it is important to explain the importance of the need for innovation to
tackle the enormous challenges we face with decommissioning in the coming years.
Let's do that by looking at a case study of the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS)..
Case Study - UKCS Decommissioning Challenge
The UKCS Decommissioning 2017 Cost Estimate Report provided a cost estimate for
offshore oil and gas decommissioning in the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS) of £59.7
billion in 2016 prices. The Oil & Gas Authority (OGA) has set an ambitious target to
reduce these costs by at least 35%.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/latest-well-pa-decommissioning-technologies-mark-plummer-msc-beng/?trackingId=IBUaZd%2BBSigFYw322TOm… 1/8
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Source: https://www.ogauthority.co.uk/news-publications/publications/2017/ukcs-
decommissioning-2017-cost-estimate-report/
“The two biggest things that will get the North

Sea through the next five years are genuine
collaboration and the development and
application of technology ... that strategy can
halve the cost of well plugging and
abandonment” Sir Ian Wood
In a recent interview with Energy Voice, Sir Ian Wood summarised the way forward for
decommissioning very well, highlighting a need for improvements in technology and
also improved collaborations to reduce costs. In this article I will discuss both the latest
decommissioning technologies and decommissioning strategies..
LATEST DECOMMISSIONING TECHNOLOGIES
1. Melting the Cap Rock
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Melting the cap rock is a method of decommissioning which uses a thermite plug to seal
off the well by melting both the well components and the rock formation around them to
recreate the cap rock, i.e. Caprock barrier
The low-cost method of rigless well P&A was trialed onshore by Centrica in Canada in
2016, the trial results demonstrated that this technology could potentially reduce well
P&A costs by more than 50%.
2. Resin Plugs
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Resin has the ability to formulate completely free of solids, allowing it to penetrate
microchannels and effectively seal leaks which may not be possible to seal with
cement due to it’s particle size.
Resin Application in P&A includes squeezing for annular fluid flow; shut-off gas source
and squeezing a previously leaking plug.
Oceaneering recently conducted the Gulf of Mexico’s first permitted lower

abandonment using resin. Because there was a downhole obstruction, the operator of
this particular field determined that it could not reliably carry out a lower temporary
abandonment with cement.
3. Underwater Drones to Monitor Abandoned (P&A) Wells for Potential

Hydrocarbon Leaks
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Praxis Energy Partners have proposed an innovative cost-saving solution for

postoperative surveillance to ensure a leak-free subsea well abandonment over time.
The project proposes to build an underwater drone, using passive acoustics (to "listen"
for leaks), and/or sonar (to "ping" for leaks), and/or a camera (take pictures
of “bubbles”).
4. Well Barrier Monitoring System
The Stuart Wright Right Time Barrier Condition (RTBC) proprietary wellbore
monitoring software can be used in both the well P&A planning and execution phases to
accurately capture the condition of the well prior to and during the well abandonment.
During the planning phase, RTBC can be used to create accurate as built wellbore
diagrams with critical barrier integrity validation information captured through the
generation of Daily Integrity Reports (DIR) performed retrospectively. The DIRs will
incorporate key information from the drilling, completions, production and intervention
phases to accurately capture the condition of the well and any potential barrier risks that
require consideration prior to commencing the well P&A.
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During the well execution phase, RTBC will create accurate as built wellbore diagrams Reactivate
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with critical barrier integrity validation information captured through the generation of
Mark Plummer
Daily Integrity MScduring
Reports BEng the actual wells abandonment. The Daily
8 Integrity
0 3
Reports will be captured in a secured cloud database that tracks the progression of the
abandonment from the perspective of ensuring the abandonment of well barriers are
conducted in accordance to corporate or good abandonment practices.
(Disclaimer: I am a consultant employed by Stuart Wright)
5. Suspended Well Abandonment Tool (SWAT)
The Claxton SWAT™ - Suspended Well Abandonment Tool operational (Paragon - B391)
Claxton have developed a Suspended Well Abandonment Tool (SWAT) which is

deployed through the moonpool, landed on the wellhead and then used to conduct
casing perforation and placement of the required cement barriers in the well. It can be
deployed from a vessel, removing the need for a drilling rig.
6. Gator Perforator
GATOR PERFORATOR
Follow Write an
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Lee Energy Systems have created this "REPEATABLE HYDRO MECHANICAL Reactivate
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MULTI-USE PERFORATING SYSTEM" which can be used to perforate casing
withoutMark
the Plummer
need for MSc BEng
explosives. The video above demonstrates really well
8 how0the tool 3
operates, please watch it at your convenience to find out more about this technology.
LATEST DECOMMISSIONING STRATEGIES
Historically, the oil and gas industry has not been particularly strong in collaborating
and cross-sharing information. In today's low oil price environment, especially in the
area of decommissioning where cost saving is paramount, there is now an increased
impetus towards collaboration. Below are some examples of collaborations focused
around decommissioning and well abandonment.
1. OGA Well Plug and Abandonment (P&A) Optimisation Programme
In February 2017, the Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) launched a search for operators to
voluntarily participate in a multi-operator, well P&A optimisation programme.
The objective of the pilot programme is to demonstrate the cost savings which can be
achieved through collaborative working, stimulate work-sharing campaigns and adopt
improved execution and contracting models.
It will be interesting to see how successful this initiative is and how many Operators opt
to sign up for the programme.
2. Integrated Consortiums
Messaging
In answer to Operator's desire to have a single point solution for decommissioning, a

number of consortiums have formed to provide such an offering. One such example is
the Bureau Veritas - Stuart Wright consortium which was recently formed to support
clients in the North Sea, Asia-Pacific and beyond.
CONCLUSIONS
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Tackling the enormous challenge of decommissioning will require not only advances in Reactivate
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technology but also smarter strategies on how to collaborate to improve efficiency,
Mark sharing
knowledge Plummerand
MScreduce
BEng costs. 8 0 3
I have highlighted a few examples of the latest decommissioning technologies and

strategies in this article as a starting point for discussion, it would be great to use this
platform to hear from you on other technologies and strategies which you have
knowledge of or experience with - PLEASE COMMENT BELOW..
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Mark Plummer MSc BEng

Passionate Drilling Engineer - Oil & Gas | Geothermal | HPHT | Well Abandonment (P&A) | Well Examiner
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