By Sandro Maciel (Principal Partner Well Intervention)
With the Resolution of the National Petroleum Agency (ANP No. 817/2020), which deals mainly with the decommissioning of Exploration & Production and natural gas facilities and the procedure for returning the areas to the ANP, due emphasis was given to decommissioning and/ or abandonment of wells and facilities, however a potential market was established for the alternatives to decommissioning itself, provided they are properly justified both technically and economically in accordance with the guidelines of the ANP resolution.
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These alternatives would have as main objectives: “the possibility of increasing the area's recovery factor through (i) the extension of the useful life of equipment and production systems; (ii) the replacement of production facilities with more modern and efficient structures and (iii) the implementation of any other techniques to increase the recovery factor that could extend the useful life of the facility" (excerpt from ANP resolution No. 817/2020 ). In this context, several well intervention procedures and techniques already known in the O&G industry, whether to reestablish production, increase it or reduce production costs, will be evaluated and potentially adopted.
At the same time, the use of new technologies and consideration of other uses (energy generation, CO2 capture and storage) for the facilities should be considered in the preparation of the PDI's, duly grounded to prove economically that the final decommissioning of the facilities is the most suitable option, if that is the decision selected for the project.
Even considering that the alternatives to the decommissioning of wells and facilities will potentially apply to a small fraction of the inventory in question, certainly a variety of activities will take place involving techniques and procedures typical of the well intervention area within the scope of well abandonment. Based on the data mentioned above, consider a market where an inventory of approximately 1124 wells are waiting to be decommissioned in the next 5-10 years, within which a small portion will potentially receive investments to revitalize production with well intervention techniques through the implementation of new technologies.
According to the Dynamic Panel available on the ANP website, which deals exclusively with the Facility Decommissioning Program (PDI's), there are planned investments in the order of R$28 Bi, already committed for the next 4-5 years (2021-2025) and should be used in the Annual Work Program (PAT). Currently 79 O&G structures are in the queue for decommissioning, where 62 assets have already been approved by the ANP, 26 of which are offshore and 36 onshore.
With this challenge in place, it is necessary for the Brazilian O&G industry to respond quickly with solutions for each scenario, whether technical and/or economic, faced by operators. The A|F Consulting Partners Team was created in order to provide the necessary support in the search for these solutions.
Fig.#1:
Facility Decommissioning Program (PDI's) approved in August 2021.
Fig.#2: Expected investments and inventory of wells to be decommissioned.
How can AFCP help your company succeed in Well Intervention and Abandonment?
The well intervention practice offers services that meet specific customer needs with applications that require specialized engineering and project planning:
§ Programs and procedures
§ Technical evaluation of equipment
§ Well intervention planning
§ Well test planning
§ Workover planning
§ Well Stimulation and Fracking
Ensuring Safe and Responsible Well Abandonment as a Critical Part of Successful Decommissioning of Any Oil and Gas Asset:
§ Technological Qualification
§ PDI's
§ Technical Solutions
§ Abandonment Programs and Procedures
§ Cost Analysis & Estimates
§ Environmental Impact Assessment
§ Integrated Project Management