The global oil and gas industry is now facing the reality that many of its on and offshore wells are being used beyond the original lifespan. This presents significant uncertainty around the integrity, safety and productivity of the remaining service life, DNV GL says.
DNV GL has established a Joint Industry Project (JIP) to develop guidelines for a decision support framework for corrosion assessment and integrity management of ageing wells.
DNV GL says that many wells are reaching an age of upwards of 30 or 40 years, and operators are facing a growing challenge to predict output, mitigate against risk and ultimately decide whether to retire or rejuvenate ageing wells. Life extension of ageing wells is moving up the agenda for oil and gas operators in many regions. Factors driving this include, high oil prices, technology advances and regulatory requirements, DNV GL explains.