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Proactive well integrity management
Pulsed eddy current (PEC) technology helps to improve well integrity.
The North Sea is a mature basin with a well-established infrastructure. Consequently, significant investment is necessary to maximise the economic recovery of oil and gas. The hundreds of wells across the North Sea are among the extensive assets and facilities that require a focus on asset integrity and that must be maintained for safety, protection of the environment and continuing production.
For example, wellhead support casings can deteriorate over long periods of time through corrosion, and, in a worst-case scenario, this may lead to structural failure unless integrity management programmes are followed.
Shell Global Solutions has worked closely with Shell U.K. Exploration and Production Limited’s upstream business (Shell UK E&P) over the last few years on an inspection campaign to assess the integrity of its wells. This was a major technical challenge, as corrosion in
offshore wells occurs predominantly at sea level in the space (the D annulus) between two concentric, vertical tubular conduits: the surface casing and the outer conductor. A method was needed to overcome the difficulties of access and of working on producing wells.