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New solutions which could break the plugging and abandonment mold are making their presence felt on the Norwegian continental shelf.

BY ELAINE MASLIN t some point in the future, plugging and abandon- in 4,500-5,000 degree Fahrenheit temperatures. The process ment operations (P&A) will be a regular and rela- has been used in a controlled way for decades to weld rail- tively unexciting activity for the offshore oil and way lines. Interwell’s thermite plug has been placed in on-

A gas industry; part of the decommissioning process. shore wells in Canada in 2017 and onshore in Italy and in

But, that’s in the future. Today, this activity is still some- the U.K. in 2018, but not being able to view the impact it has thing of a new challenge and there’s still plenty to play for. had downhole is something of a limiting factor, said Martin

At the annual Plugging and Abandonment Forum (PAF) Straume, P&A Engineering Manager at Aker BP, which is part

Seminar, supported by Norsk olje & gass, held in Stavanger, of a joint industry project (JIP) testing this technology. So, in some of the latest advances and the challenges were laid out. August 2018, the