Offshore staff
TANANGER, Norway – HydraWell and Exedra will jointly offer their technologies to provide a new solution for well abandonment and side tracking.
Their initial focus will be one the Norwegian continental shelf, assisting operators to use novel abandonment methods to reduce costs while also lessening the risk of leaks from abandoned wells.
HydraWell will be the contractor delivering this service alongside its existing downhole capabilities.
Exedra will provide a method for testing barrier integrity that involves releasing a dose of pressurized tracer gas (helium) beneath a barrier once it is installed and cured, then monitoring for traces of this element above the barrier.
The company claims its technique is flexible and fast and delivers an unambiguous result. Piloting and testing will be conducted at the NORCE-owned Ullrigg test facility at Stavanger, supported by Equinor and another unnamed major.
Bernt Pedersen, CEO of Exedra, said: “Verification of permanent isolation barriers is an integral part of well abandonment. Pressure testing is often constrained by the strength and characteristics of exposed formations, particularly when multiple annuli are incorporated into the barrier.
“Alternatives often rely on indicative measurements such as cement bond and cement quality logs, or evaluations of possible creeping shale, which are open to interpretation. This new approach takes away that margin for doubt and gives solid results which can be used to form future decisions.”
Tormod Fossdal, discipline lead for P&A at Equinor, said: “This technology has the potential for us, and other operators, to select more cost-effective plugging solutions, while at the same time reducing the risk of leaks from permanently plugged wells.’’
07/07/2020
