Plug and abandon 'not effective' for oil leaks

The traditional plug and abandon procedures used in the oil industry are no longer effective, according to experts at BiSN Technologies, who used the oil leak at Total’s Elgin site as an example of its out-datedness.

The procedure has been in existence for many years in the oil industry, but hasn’t been updated since the 1950s. It refers to the practice of plugging an oil well when it has reached its economic limit, and abandoning the site. However, it has been rife with problems.

Gas leaks have been particularly common, but according to the technologies company, there is equipment available that can permanently seal even the most difficult wells efficiently and cost-effectively.

The BiSN Bridge PlugTM have created a new generation of bridge plugs which uses an alloy that is melted in situ, creating a solid metal to metal seal which expands as it solidifies. This is capable of holding back over 50,000 PSI of pressure.

Dr Anthony Robotham, executive director at the Virtual Engineering Centre commented: "The Virtual Engineering Centre has worked closely with BiSN Technologies Ltd to develop a numerical simulation of the installation process of the BiSN Bridge PlugTM.  This simulation shows how the alloy melts and solidifies in the well and demonstrates the integrity of the seal. The simulation has been validated with experimental data and is adaptable to both oil and gas applications."

Posted by Joseph Hutton