¾ Decommissioning Guidelines Project

Well Plugging & Abandonment

Guideline

Pipat Jirapongpipat

14 September 2007

Contents

¾ Background
¾ General Scope
¾ References
¾ Objectives
¾ Well Plugging & Abandonment
Guideline
¾ Q&A
14 September 2007 Decommissioning Guidelines Project 2

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 Petroleum Well (Onshore)

1. วางแผนการขุดเจาะ
2. ฝงทอนํากันผิวดินถลม
3. ขุดเจาะชวงบน
~ 300 m
4. วางทอกรุชวงบนและอัดซีเมนตรอบทอ
5. ขุดเจาะชวงกลาง
6. วางทอกรุชวงกลางและอัดซีเมนต
7. ขุดเจาะชวงผานแหลงกักเก็บปโตรเลียม
8. วางทอกรุผลิตและอัดซีเมนต
~ 1,800 m 9. ติดตั้งทอผลิตและแพคเกอร
10. ติดตั้งชุดวาลวหัวบอ (Christmas Tree)
11. เจาะผนังทอกรุ, ซีเมนตและชัน้ หิน
12. ปโตรเลียมไหลเขาสูห ลุมขึ้นตามทอผลิต

Diameter ~ 7 inch
14 September~2007
3,000 m Decommissioning Guidelines Project 3

Petroleum Well (Offshore)

ชุดวาลวหัวบอ
(Christmas Tree)

ผิวทะเล

Sea
Mud Line

Formations แทนหลุมผลิต (Wellhead Platform)

Petroleum
Well

Petroleum Zone
14 September 2007 Decommissioning Guidelines Project 4

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 Well P&A Guideline
General

Developed as part of the Thailand’s E&P Facilities Decommissioning

Project, by summarizing the best practices worldwide of the Well P&A
ensuring all wells are plugged and abandoned properly and safely

Minimum requirements of Thailand for the well plugging and

abandonment

Involves setting cement plugs at critical intervals to prevent the wellbore

from becoming a conduit for fluid migration

The primary objectives of a well abandonment operation are protecting

fresh water aquifers and confining hydrocarbon resources.

14 September 2007 Decommissioning Guidelines Project 5

Well P&A Guideline

References
• API Environmental Guidance Document: Well Abandonment and
Inactive Well Practices for U.S. Exploration and Production
Operations
• MMS’s Well Plugging & Abandonment
• Handbook on Well Plugging and Abandonment by Dwight K.Smith
• Alaska Oil & Gas Conservation Commission
• California Abandonment Regulations May 2006
• Colorado 300Series Well Abandonment
• Illinois well-plugging-procedures
• New York State Well Plugging and Related Work
• Petroleum & Natural Gas Act; Drilling and Production Regulation
• Texas Well Plugging; Railroad Commission of Texas
14 September 2007 Decommissioning Guidelines Project 6

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 Well P&A Guideline
Objectives
• Protect fresh water aquifers from contamination by
formation fluid migration
• Isolate productive or non-completed producible
hydrocarbon intervals
• Protect surface soils and surface waters from
contamination by formation fluid migration to the surface
• Protect the offshore environment from contamination by
formation fluid migration to the surface
• Isolate injection and disposal intervals
• Minimize conflict with surface land use
14 September 2007 Decommissioning Guidelines Project 7

Well P&A Guideline

General Requirements
• Follow sound technical principles and good petroleum
engineering practices to prevent any damages to the
environment and natural resources
• Written application and written approval from DMF before
commencing Well P&A operations
• Plug and abandon all wells in accordance with the
minimum requirements in this guideline
• Plugging material in accordance with recognized
international standards, for example API Spec10,
Specifications for Materials and Testing for Well Cements”
Cements”
• DMF has discretion to approve a variance.
14 September 2007 Decommissioning Guidelines Project 8

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 Well P&A Guideline
Minimum Requirements
Fill well with appropriate kill weight fluid
Fresh water
Maintain well control throughout the Casing Shoe
operation
Surface Primary Cement

Plug all sections Casing Stub

Casing Shoe
with appropriate materials
Cased Hole Section
Production Strata
Open Hole to Cased Hole Transition Perforated Interval
Casing Shoe

Production Strata
Open Hole
Section Production Strata

TD
14 September 2007 Decommissioning Guidelines Project 9

Well P&A Guideline

Open Hole Sections
Cement plugs Cement Plug Cement plugs across
across all zones from TD all freshwater zones
Cased hole
section

Casing Primary
Cement Primary
Cement
Casing Shoe

Cement Plug
≥ 100 ft
Hydrocarbon ≥ 100 ft ≥ 100 ft
Formation Fresh Water
≥ 100 ft Stratum
Cement Hydrocarbon ≥ 100 ft
Plug Formation
≥ 100 ft
Hydrocarbon TD
Formation
≥ 100 ft Open hole
section

14 September 2007 Decommissioning Guidelines Project 10

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 Well P&A Guideline
Open Hole to Cased Hole Transitions (Casing Shoes)

Cement Mechanical & Retainer &

across shoe Cement Plug Cement Plug
Cased hole
Casing section Primary
Primary
Cement Cement
Primary
Cement
≥ 50 feet
≥ 100 ft Cement Plug
Cement Plug
50 - 100 ft ≥ 50 ft
≥ 100 ft

Mechanical 50 ft - 100 ft
Casing Bridge Plug Casing
Shoe Cement plug Shoe
Retainer ≥ 100 ft

Open hole TD
section

14 September 2007 Decommissioning Guidelines Project 11

Well P&A Guideline

Cased Hole Perforated Sections
Squeeze cement Cement plugs
into perforated holes inside casing

Mechanical Cement Plug Primary

Bridge Plug ≥ 50 ft Cement
50 – 100 ft. ≥ 100 feet

Perforated Squeezed Perforated

Interval Cement Interval
≥ 100 feet
Mechanical
Cement Plug Cement Plug
Bridge Plug
≥ 50 ft
50 – 100 ft. ≥ 100 feet
Perforated Perforated
Squeezed
Interval Interval
Cement
≥ 100 feet
Mechanical Cement Plug Cement Plug
Bridge Plug ≥ 50 ft
50 – 100 ft. ≥ 100 feet

Perforated Squeezed Perforated

Interval Cement Interval
≥ 100 feet

14 September 2007 Decommissioning Guidelines Project 12

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 Well P&A Guideline
Cased Hole Perforated Sections (continued)
Cement from TD & across Cement above
perforated interval perforated interval
Primary
Cement

≥ 100 feet
Perforated
Interval ≥ 200 ft
Cement Plug

≤ 100 ft
Perforated
Interval
Perforated
Interval

TD

14 September 2007 Decommissioning Guidelines Project 13

Well P&A Guideline

Casing Stub (After Cutting and Recovering)
Cement plugs across casing Retainer & cement plugs
stubs across casing stubs

50 ft
Retainer
≥ 100 ft 50 ft

Casing
≥ 100 ft Stub 150 ft
300 m Casing
Stub Casing
Shoe
≥ 100 ft
Primary
≥ 100 ft Cement
1,800 m Primary
Cement
Casing
Shoe

3,000 m

14 September 2007 Decommissioning Guidelines Project 14

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 Well P&A Guideline
Casing Stub (After Cutting and Recovering) continued
Mechanical plug & cement Cement above casing stubs
above casing stubs

Primary
Cement

≥ 50 ft
Cement Plug
≥ 200 ft
Mechanical Cement Plug
50 - 100 ft Casing
Bridge Plug
Stub end
Casing ≤ 100 ft
Stub

Primary
Cement Primary
Cement

14 September 2007 Decommissioning Guidelines Project 15

Well P&A Guideline

Other Requirements

Squeezed cement
≥ 200 ft
s

Annuli open to mud line

ation

or surface and open to

hole below are to be
Form

plugged with 200 ft

Squeezed cement
cement. ≥ 200 ft

14 September 2007 Decommissioning Guidelines Project 16

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 Well P&A Guideline
Other Requirements (continued)
Onshore Offshore
Surface Mud Line
10 ft from surface level 15 ft from mud line
≤ 150 ft

≥ 200 ft Well abandonment marker

Cement Plug
(Top Plug) welded to outer casing
≥ 200 ft
Cement Plug
(Top Plug)

Completely details on the marker Completely

Plugged Well Plugged Well

(1) Concessionaire
name
(2) Well Name
(3) Abandon date
(4) Well’s surface
coordinate

14 September 2007 Decommissioning Guidelines Project 17

Well P&A Guideline

Other Requirements (continued)

• Intervals between plugs to have fluid of density sufficient to

provide greater hydrostatic pressure than the formations

• Testing of plugs to 2,500 psi for 15 minutes <10% pressure drop

• Verify the location is clear of all obstructions

• Submit Final Well Plugging and Abandonment Report

• Temporary Abandonment with 2 tested mechanical barriers or a

single 100 ft long cement plug 500-1000 ft from surface

14 September 2007 Decommissioning Guidelines Project 18

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 Onshore Final Well P&A Offshore
Surface Mud line
10 ft from surface level 15 ft from mud line
≤ 150 ft
200 ft
Well abandonment
marker 200 ft

Primary Cement Primary Cement

Fresh water Fresh water

100 ft 100 ft
Casing Shoe Casing Shoe
100 ft 100 ft
Drilling Fluid Drilling Fluid
100 ft 100 ft
Primary Cement Primary Cement
100 ft 100 ft

100 ft Casing Stub 100 ft Casing Stub

100 ft 100 ft
Casing Shoe Casing Shoe
100 ft 100 ft

Perforated Interval Perforated Interval

100 ft 100 ft

100 ft 100 ft
100 ft 100 ft
Casing Shoe Casing Shoe
100 ft 100 ft
Production Strata Production Strata
100 ft 100 ft
100 ft 100 ft
Production Strata Production Strata
TD TD
14 September 2007 Decommissioning Guidelines Project 19

API Well Plugging & Abandonment

API’s Schematic of Properly Plugged Well

14 September 2007 Decommissioning Guidelines Project 20

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¾ Decommissioning Guidelines Project

Questions & Answers

¾ Decommissioning Guidelines Project

Thank You
for
Your Kind Attention

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