Salt producing well BAS-2 abandonment
Start execution: May 2017
End execution: November 2017
Result: Successful Plug&Abandonment
Depth (TVD): > 2500m
Project Summary
| Client: | ESCO - Frisia Zout B.V. |
| Location: | Pietersbierum |
| Wells: | BAS-2 |
| Start Execution: | May 2017 |
| End Execution: | November 2017 |
| Target: | Plug and abandon the well and salt production cavern |
| Result: | Successful Plug&Abandonment: primary abandonment by a plug above the cavern, secondary abandonment by remedial annular cementation and final abandonment by a cement plug below surface and removal of wellhead and cellar. |
| Depths (TVD): | > 2500m |
| Role of WEP: | Well Engineering Partners provided project planning, tendering engineering, coordination, management and supervision for the project while other companies provided materials and services. |
| Challenges: | High pressure resulted in some challenges, as the inner completion provided an ID restriction to mechanical bridge plugs and snubbing out of the inner completion was not possible due to tubing corrosion. |
Project Description
After an extensive period of monitoring the well was scheduled for abandonment in 2017. Over time the cavern pressure has stabilized to (near) lithostatic pressures (up to 265 bar wellhead pressure). This high pressure resulted in some challenges regarding the well operations; as the inner completion provided an ID restriction to mechanical bridge plugs and snubbing out of the inner completion was not possible due to tubing corrosion.
To overcome these challenges, the operations were separated into different phases:
- Wireline preparations (casing & cement logging)
- Placement of a temporary cement barrier to installing HWU with coiled tubing
- Final abandonment with Hydraulic workover unit (HWU).
In preparation for the operations, a wireline investigation was performed to assess the general well condition. The cement log indicated a good success chance for a remedial annular cementation as part of the abandonment.
In order to install the HWU on the well was made pressure less with a cement plug, placed in the well with coiled tubing. The cement plug was placed on top of an inflatable bridge plug run through 7” casing and installed into a 10 ¾” casing.
During the final abandonment, the Hydrawell HydraHemera tool string was utilized to establish the primary abandonment plug above the cavern. This was performed as an alternative to section milling, which would be a challenging and time-consuming operation, especially with the HWU.
For the secondary abandonment, a remedial annular cementation (between 10 ¾” and 13 3/8” casing) was successfully performed, which was confirmed by logging. Subsequently, a 100m internal cement plug (inside 10 ¾”) was set on top of a CST (cement support tool).
For final abandonment, an environmental (cement) plug was placed below the surface and the wellhead and cellar removed.
For this project, Well Engineering Partners provided project planning, tendering engineering, coordination, management, and supervision for the project while other companies provided materials and services.
