Well decommissioning

Well abandonment is the inevitable conclusion to the productive life of a well and, ironically, marks the beginning of the longest period in a well's life. The below surface infrastructure of a well will remain in place for decades after it has produced its last drop. It is therefore imperative that each well is abandoned securely and safely. It could be argued that well integrity assurance is even more important following abandonment than before, since decommissioned wells may not be afforded the same continuous monitoring as active wells. For this reason, operators and regulators need to ensure that wells are decommissioned in such a way to ensure that there is zero risk of post-abandonment integrity failures.

In addition, a decommissioned well will not generate any returns for the operator, so plug and abandonment operations need to be conducted in the most cost-effective manner, whilst at the same time ensuring a safe and long-lasting solution.

Seawell has developed a range of technologies and services that can play a vital role in delivering the decommissioning requirements described above.

With respect to efficient and cost effective execution, Seawell has pioneered ?Modular Rig? technology for performing well operations on a fixed installation. Modular Rig technology combines state-of-the-art drilling and workover capability in a compact modular package, which can be mobilised to fixed installations to conduct a varied range of operations, including well decommissioning. This approach alleviates the need for the operator to invest in infrastructure upgrades and brings all the advantages of latest generation drilling and workover equipment.

Another relevant product for efficient and secure decommissioning is the VMB gas-tight plug. The VMB plug is easy to deploy and V0 rated, providing a gas-tight secure seal for temporary or permanent well suspension.

When it comes to evaluating the integrity status of a well prior to permanent abandonment, Seawell?s Point diagnostic system offers the industry?s most effective means of locating integrity failures. Specifically, LeakPoint and FlowPoint surveys can reveal the presence and exact location of leaks or annular flow within a well thereby enabling targeted remedial action prior to final abandonment.