Well Integrity Management is a process that serves to ensure that wells are maintained in a fit-for-purpose condition throughout their respective life cycles, that each may be operated safely and that they remain functionally operable; well integrity assessment is the cornerstone to the entire process.
1. What is Well Integrity Assessment?
Well integrity assessment is a structured and systematic process which involves the identification and assessment of all credible hazards, and the evaluation of the risks associated with wells operations.
2. Why is it Important?
Well integrity assessment is the key to well integrity management; each component in the process is essential in the context of the rigour and veracity of the assessment process. As a process it serves to identify all credible hazards to well integrity, assess the associated risks, and to facilitate the development of prudent and appropriate risk-based management and control schedules, thereby assuring the requisite focus on the most ‘at risk’ wells within the wider inventory.
3. What are the Outcomes if Well Integrity Assessment is Not Undertaken?
Well integrity assessment is central to the development of the strategy for managing wells integrity; it facilitates the identification of the primary hazards and risks, and in the development of the means, measures and controls the proactive management of those risks.
In the absence of well integrity assessment, the default condition would be the utilisation of a time-based means for measures and controls to manage wells integrity irrespective of the actual risk status of each given well; it may often be the case that those means, measures and controls are being applied more often than is actually required, as would be the case with wells that would be categorised as lower risk.
More significantly, where the well integrity assessment process identifies wells as high risk, the means, measures and controls may be being employed far too infrequently; or that the specific range of means, measures and controls may be suboptimal in the context of the hazards posed and the associated risks, and that additional risk management measures may actually be required, as would be clearly identified as part of the wells integrity assessment process.
The wells integrity assessment process therefore serves to ensure:
The optimised application of the means, measures and controls that are required to manage wells hazards and associated integrity risks;
The strategy for managing wells integrity is always focussed on the most ‘at risk’ wells; this ensures the best use of facilities and resources and for ensuring that risks are being maintained ‘as low as reasonably practicable’ at all times.
4. What do AIE Offer as a Solution?
AIE has a wealth of experience in this area; our overall approach is systematic, structured and pragmatic. It is centred on the primary object of maintaining the status of the primary and secondary well containment barriers in a robust and functionally operable condition at all times. The well integrity assessment process is therefore concerned with the establishment of the current condition of well barriers, how these may degrade going forward and the condition monitoring, testing and sampling requirements that may be required as part of well status monitoring going forward.
AIE make use of well barrier schematics in the presentation of well integrity assessment summary information; these provide a clear illustration of the risk status and the issues and challenges that are to be faced in the management of wells integrity; such a schematic also serves to present the key information in a way that is consistent, easily assimilated and is not open to misinterpretation (see the example illustration presented below).
We work proactively in support of our clients, tailoring our services to suit our clients’ needs and requirements. AIE is a highly skilled organisation that possesses the prerequisite knowledge and experience base in this specialised area of operations; we believe that engagement of our services will add value and deliver the following benefits:
- The application of rigorous and robust integrity assessment processes and protocols that are aimed at determining the condition status of well barriers;
- The definition of specific measures for the assurance of the functional operability of well barriers, thereby facilitating safe and reliable well operations.
- Provision of robust services that are specifically tailored to the needs of our clients.
- Execution of services by an organisation that is strongly focussed on quality, delivery and client satisfaction.
Veracity Wells Software
AIE is currently developing the Veracity Wells software with the aim of providing the necessary support and assistance for all aspects related to a well integrity assessment. The software will assist the user in establishing whether various wells in the O&G fields within a certain project are fit for operation and long-term containment.
Veracity Wells will offer a user-friendly interface that will aid in:
- Field Integrity Status evaluation
- Assessing well barrier system hazards
- Indicating agreed control and recovery measures
- Maintaining a documented demonstration of major well barrier system risks
- Planning the required activities to reduce anticipated risks to a level that is As Low As Reasonably Practicable (ALARP)