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New database sheds light on subsea well and tree infrastructure
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Four operators provide data on more than 400 wells as part of collaborative pilot project
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Legacy data collated and ready for the next generation
A groundbreaking online database which will provide vital well insights to make subsea well decommissioning more cost-efficient and provide supply chain opportunities has been launched.
The Tree and Wellhead Information for Subsea Tooling (TWIST) database provides access to sought-after data on the makeup of well infrastructure, helping companies plan their decommissioning projects better and quickly locate potentially hard-to-find tools.
The North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) has developed the pilot version using data on 423 wells provided by operators bp, CNR International, Harbour Energy and TAQA, with input from the Well Decommissioning Steering Group (WDSG), part of the Wells Task Force.
Wellhead and “Christmas tree” systems come in different shapes, sizes and ratings depending on when and why they were made, and by whom. Specific tools are needed to decommission this equipment – there is no one-size-fits-all solution.
Operators are legally required to fully decommission and seal their wells after ceasing production from them. In some cases, progress has been slowed as companies struggle with a lack of technical information about well architecture and the availability and accessibility of tools.
Delaying well decommissioning activity weakens the industry’s reputation for responsible and environmentally-sound practice. It also deprives suppliers of the revenues needed to invest in skills and resources with confidence.
TWIST, launched today (19 November) at the Offshore Decommissioning Conference in St Andrews, looks to address this by displaying verified subsea data, including the location, ownership, age and status of wells, and the type of wellhead and/or “Christmas tree” installed. A “Christmas tree” is a system which controls the flow of fluids from the well.
To make tooling easier to find, it also lists the equipment maker and manufacturer lineage, which can otherwise be extremely challenging to obtain or determine due to past mergers and acquisitions.
Operators can use this information to find the tools they need and identify other operators with wells built using the same type of kit. They can then consider teaming up to plug and abandon multiple wells as part of a single campaign, an efficient approach which saves time and money.
TWIST also helps operators and suppliers work out whether tools they already own can be used for future decommissioning projects, which could prevent valuable pieces of kit being scrapped. They can potentially save time and money by retaining and maintaining these tools, instead of making new ones. Equally, suppliers can develop new technologies – with more confidence – if the data shows there is a gap in the market.
In addition, TWIST preserves invaluable, legacy data for the next generation of decommissioning specialists. This information could otherwise be lost as those who undertook the installation work leave the industry.
The NSTA intends to add more operators’ subsea well, Christmas tree and tooling data to TWIST over the next year and publish a detailed inventory of available tools as part of a second development phase, aiming to deliver further efficiencies.
Pauline Innes, NSTA Director of Supply Chain and Decommissioning, said: “Operators have told us a lack of visibility of subsea infrastructure and tooling data is holding up their efforts to decommission wells in a timely and cost-efficient manner – an unacceptable situation.
“Industry asked us to help them tackle this issue and we’ve responded quickly with TWIST, which uses the power of data to shed light on the infrastructure installed on the seabed, and the tools needed to bring it back to land for potential reuse or recycling.
“TWIST, which we believe is a world first, has got the potential to transform well decommissioning and we are excited to see industry put it to good use and support its expansion.”
A Well Decommissioning Steering Group spokesman said: "TWIST is a great example of operators and the NSTA working together to compile and share accurate well information, to benefit to the wider North Sea and particularly the safe and efficient well plug and abandonment of the subsea wells.
"This information is available through a number of sources however the initiative to gather and verify this information in one place, through an accessible platform, demonstrates how simple steps can drive a revolution in our collaborative approach to well decommissioning.
"Thank you to all that have been involved to date and congratulations to the team that have made this information accessible."
Notes to editors:
Access the TWIST database here.
TWIST complements several NSTA initiatives to provide a clearer picture of upcoming decommissioning work, helping suppliers target the market more effectively and invest in technology and skills.
For example, operators are advertising near-term contracting opportunities on the NSTA’s Energy Pathfinder site, and 16 companies have published their decommissioning schedules via our Decommissioning Data Visibility dashboard.
For further information please contact:
Tel: 07776 548196