Equinor – Gullfaks – well integrity in slot recovery

The Norwegian Ocean Industry Authority (Havtil) has carried out an audit of Equinor and their follow-up of well integrity in connection with slot recovery on the Gullfaks field. The audit was conducted on 7 and 8 December 2023.

Background
The proper securing of wells in connection with permanent plugging has been a priority for Havtil (formerly the PSA) for a number of years.

There is extensive activity within slot recovery on mature fields, often from old wells that were drilled and completed under different framework conditions than those we have today.

If hydrocarbon-bearing zones with pressures exceeding formation strength in the caprock are not properly plugged back in connection with slot recovery, this will result in a weakened barrier even after the main trajectory has been permanently plugged and abandoned.

It is therefore important that the activity is planned and implemented in such a way that the requirements for securing wells indefinitely are met.

Objective
The objective of the audit was to verify whether Equinor ensures that the original well trajectory that is abandoned prior to a slot recovery operation meets regulatory requirements.

Result
No non-conformities and improvement points were identified during the audit.