Energy companies are being urged to adopt new guidance to accelerate the rollout of advanced technologies for safely decommissioning oil and gas wells.
Developed by the Net Zero Technology Centre (NZTC) in partnership with engineering consultancy Astrimar, the new six-step framework provides an evidence-based process to assess whether new materials can permanently seal wells that are no longer in use.
Well abandonment is one of the most costly and complex parts of decommissioning, with around 2,000 wells in the North Sea alone expected to close over the next decade.
The framework supports operators in safely qualifying and deploying new technologies such as low melting point alloys, resins and polymers, which could replace traditional cement barriers.
It aims to reduce costs for both operators and taxpayers while cutting emissions linked to decommissioning work.
Lewis Harper, programme manager at NZTC, said: “Well decommissioning is an increasingly urgent global issue as maturing basins seek ways to cut costs, reduce emissions and improve efficiency. The only way to achieve that is through new technology, but the pace of developing and deploying new solutions remains incredibly slow.”
The framework builds on NZTC’s Wells Decommissioning Collaboration, which aims to cut decommissioning costs by 35% and halve emissions by 2035.
New guidance aims to cut oil and gas well decommissioning costs appeared first on Energy Live News.