- International showcase highlights technologies designed to lower costs and speed up well P&A work
- Leading operators urged to offer more field trials in UK North Sea every year
- Expected surge in near-term activity is ideal opportunity to put devices through their paces
New technologies to improve and speed up well plugging and abandonment (P&A) are crucial to cementing the UK’s position as world-leader in cost-effective decommissioning.
UK and international operators and supply chain companies heard today how smart decommissioning technologies have been piloted and rolled out in the UKCS in recent years, helping the sector build its reputation for innovation and cost-efficiency. However, despite progress, many more are waiting for all-important field trials.
More than 20 technology providers were on display at the showcase event in Aberdeen, which was attended by around 20 international operators, and organised by the North Sea Transition Authority and the Net Zero Technology Centre.
The event aimed to raise awareness of the technologies and encourage operators to facilitate more field trials every year. Technologies included alternative materials with the potential to create barriers in the well, such as resins, polymers and bismuth, and logging and perforating tools designed to make the P&A process more efficient.
Around 1,500 wells will be due for decommissioning in the UKCS between 2026 and 2030, a golden opportunity to test innovative well P&A technologies, demonstrating how they can save operators time and money.
Well P&A is the most expensive stage of the decommissioning process, and there is significant scope for further cost reductions. Delivering savings also benefits the UK by lowering the cost of tax reliefs to the Exchequer.
Technologies with a record of successful utilisation in the UK are also likely to be in demand overseas as other oil and gas basins, such as Australia, Brazil and the Gulf of Mexico, mature in the coming decades.
Furthermore, innovative technologies have an important role to play in ensuring operators comply with their regulatory obligation to fully decommission wells which have permanently ceased production within set timeframes.
In addition to highlighting useful solutions through events and its Technology Insights Reports, the NSTA is using data, guidance and regulatory levers, including disputes and sanctions powers, to improve compliance with well abandonment deadlines.
The event was held in Union Kirk in Aberdeen.
Carlo Procaccini, Chief Technical Officer at the NSTA, said: “In the UK, we’re fortunate to have a supply chain which consistently produces ground-breaking technologies for offshore operations, including well decommissioning. However, the full potential of this innovation can only be unleashed if suppliers are given a chance to show what they can do in the field. With the current high volumes of well P&A activity, I encourage operators to offer field trials to progress innovation and make the most of the savings on offer.”
Suzie Coull, Senior Wells Decommissioning Engineer at the NSTA, said: “The NSTA is completely open to any technologies or techniques that have the potential to deliver efficient and effective well decommissioning. It’s imperative that operators and the supply chain understand the opportunities presented by the well stock on the UKCS and the NSTA provides a variety of data tools to support this. It’s also important that we share our challenges, ideas and successes so that, as a community, we can learn and improve together.”
Suzie Coull
Lewis Harper, Programme Manager at the NZTC, said: "Our Wells Decommissioning Collaboration has grown into a global presence for the deployment of new technologies for P&A, enabling shared learning and costs to accelerate deployment in the field.
“Today’s event marked a fantastic opportunity to showcase the progress achieved, highlighting disruptive solutions with significant potential. To realise these opportunities, we remain focused on driving and enabling field trials, turning ambitious ideas into practical outcomes that can reshape future well P&A activities.
“However, we need to ensure the UK leads in this space. So far, we have had substantial interest and uptake from regions around the world and urge every UK operator to come forward to provide in-kind access to assets for pilot opportunities."
Lewis Harper
For further information please contact:
Tel: 07776 548196
Email: pressoffice@nstauthority.co.uk