Project Overview

An operator facing regulatory obligations to abandon a portfolio of onshore wells engaged SPD to develop a comprehensive Plug and Abandonment study covering every well in scope. The operator needed technically sound, well-specific P&A designs that would satisfy the regulator, cost estimates accurate enough to support a business case, and an assessment of rigless options to reduce the overall programme cost. The study was required to be complete within four months to meet a regulatory commitment deadline.

Key Challenges

• Well stock was highly heterogeneous — wells of different ages, casing configurations, completion types and current status required individual assessment
• Several wells had incomplete or unreliable cementing records, creating uncertainty over the existing barrier situation
• Operator under pressure to minimise programme cost, making rigless options critical to evaluate
• Regulatory requirements in the jurisdiction required specific cement plug placement criteria and verification standards
• Cost estimates needed to be defensible to both the operator’s board and the regulator

SPD’s Approach

SPD developed individual P&A well designs for every well in scope, each based on a documented review of the well’s construction history, cement bond evaluation, current downhole status and applicable regulatory requirements. Where cementing records were incomplete, SPD applied conservative assumptions and incorporated contingency operations into the cost estimate.

Rigless abandonment options were assessed systematically for every applicable well, with comparative cost and risk assessments prepared for rig-assisted versus rigless approaches. A phasing and sequencing plan was developed to group wells by location, type and access requirement, reducing programme mobilisation cost.

Results & Value Delivered

• Programme approved — board approved on the basis of SPD’s technical designs and cost estimates, meeting the regulatory commitment deadline
• Rigless savings identified — confirmed as applicable for a significant proportion of the well stock, materially reducing projected programme cost
• Regulatory submission accepted — all well designs accepted without material requirement for redesign
• Cost certainty achieved — well-specific estimates with documented contingency bases
• Programme sequence optimised — phasing plan reduced logistics and mobilisation cost by grouping wells by location