Enhancing Well and Subsurface Data Management for Decommissioning

The oil and gas sector is increasingly focusing on responsible asset retirement, making efficient well decommissioning a top priority. A major hurdle in this process is the availability and accuracy of historical well and subsurface data. Many operators struggle with incomplete, unstructured, or hard-to-access records, which can lead to higher costs, delays, and regulatory challenges.

Effective data management in well decommissioning goes beyond just keeping records; it is essential for safe, compliant, and cost-efficient operations. By ensuring that records are accurate and easily accessible, operators can facilitate a smoother decommissioning process, reduce risks, and meet environmental and regulatory requirements while finding more economical solutions for well abandonment.

Decommissioning wells is a complex process that requires a deep understanding of well and subsurface data. This expertise is crucial for ensuring safe, efficient operations that meet regulatory requirements. In large companies - especially those that have undergone significant employee turnover - data fragmentation can become a serious issue. When institutional knowledge is lost, and data management is not fully integrated with business operations, retrieving historical information becomes difficult. This can have major implications, particularly for regulatory compliance, auditing, and strategic decision-making. E&P Consulting offers experienced domain consultants to help operators navigate these challenges with confidence, ensuring the right data is identified and accessible to execute the decommissioning process effectively.

To address these challenges, this document covers the key aspects of effective data management in well decommissioning:

Challenges in Managing Data for Decommissioning

• Incomplete Historical Records: Many wells have missing or fragmented data. Techniques and tools for managing this data are constantly evolving, resulting in varying forms of data captured over time.
• Data Quality Issues: Variations in formats, unverified logs, and outdated wellbore diagrams complicate decommissioning planning.
  
• Integration Difficulties: Subsurface data is often stored in separate systems, making it challenging to combine information for decision-making.
• Regulatory Scrutiny: Stricter environmental and safety laws require detailed documentation of well conditions and abandonment processes.
• Uncertainty in Bidding and Cost Estimates: Inadequate well data leads to cautious or inflated bids, increasing the risk of budget overruns and project delays.

By following a structured approach to data management, operators can build a reliable foundation for decommissioning projects, ensuring safer, more efficient, and cost-effective well abandonment. E&P Consulting provides strong domain expertise to help operators navigate these complexities with confidence.

Benefits of Gathering and Structuring Well and Subsurface Data

• Risk Mitigation & Cost Reduction: Reliable data helps prevent costly surprises, such as unidentified well integrity issues or unexpected subsurface conditions.
  
• Regulatory Compliance & Assurance: Proper data management ensures adherence to environmental and safety standards, minimising regulatory penalties.
• Efficient Well Plugging & Abandonment (P&A): Understanding well histories and subsurface conditions supports effective barrier placement and reduces rework.
• Optimised Resource Allocation: Data-driven planning helps prioritise decommissioning activities and optimise budgets.
• Enhanced Tendering & Contracting: Accurate well and subsurface data lead to more reliable time, cost, and risk estimates, ensuring well-informed decommissioning tenders and contractor bids. A structured approach ensures that well and subsurface data is effectively gathered, validated, and utilised to support decommissioning activities, including tendering exercises.

Data Acquisition & Consolidation

• Identify and retrieve historical well data (well schematics, logs, casing/tubing details, cement records, pressure data, etc.).
• Digitise and structure legacy paper records where necessary.
• Integrate data from various sources into a centralised and accessible system.

Data Validation & Quality Control

• Cross-check well records for inconsistencies, gaps, and inaccuracies.
• Perform integrity assessments of well and geological data to identify risks.
• Standardise datasets for use in engineering and regulatory reporting.

By implementing our methodology, clients can expect:

• A comprehensive and structured well data repository to support decommissioning decisions.
• Reduced risks and cost overruns by proactively identifying subsurface and well integrity challenges.
• Regulatory compliance assurance, minimising approval delays and legal liabilities.
• Optimised well abandonment plans, leading to safer, more efficient, and cost-effective decommissioning.
• More precise decommissioning tendering, enabling realistic cost and time estimates and reducing commercial uncertainty in contractor selection.

Conclusion

Efficient data management in well decommissioning is essential for regulatory compliance, environmental safety, cost control, and long-term risk management. We welcome the opportunity to discuss how our services can support your decommissioning objectives.

Author

Tina Roberts, Data Services Lead

Tina develops and promotes E&P services to clients, meeting their needs with customized solutions. She uses her geology and subsurface data expertise to improve exploration and production activities. She ensures data services align with the company's goals, enhancing business outcomes and client satisfaction.