OGA seeks P&A pilot wells

The UK's Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) has launched a search for operators to voluntarily participate in a multi-operator, well plug and abandonment (P&A) optimization program. 

The objective of the pilot program is to demonstrate the cost savings which can be achieved through collaborative working, stimulate work-sharing campaigns and adopt improved execution and contracting models.

Those selected will work alongside the OGA and appointed project manager for the selection phase, Lloyd’s Register (LR), to examine the opportunity for a collaborative well P&A program to be executed in 2018/19. 

Jim Christie, OGA head of decommissioning, said: “Targeted cost efficiency programs, extensive knowledge sharing and best practice adoption is a priority of our decommissioning strategy. We expect that this program will encourage further collaborative working practices across well P&A scope and into other areas of decommissioning.

“While estimates of cost, scale and scope vary, there is no doubt that the decommissioning effort facing our basin is significant. We must act now to capitalize on the opportunity it presents for innovation, cost reduction and further development of our skilled supply chain.” 

Prerequisites for participants include:

• Identified well(s) which fall within the execution window
• A desire to work collaboratively with the OGA and other operators to minimize costs in an appropriate manner
• A desire to engage in multi-operator collaboration to test other factors which may reduce costs further than is possible through economies of scale and repeatability alone.  Factors may include; technology application, different contracting and business model adoption, regulatory simplification and long term liability management
• Transparency in the sharing of data and lessons learnt from the project with the wider decommissioning community. 

Those interested in applying to be involved in the pilot program should contact [email protected] by 10 March 2017.