Utvikle en brønnbarriere for bruk i forbindelse med permanent nedstengning av brønner (P&A) som kan realiseres uten en boreinnretning.

The project has aimed to demonstrate an innovative technology tested in real well conditions that enables one to establish a permanent well barrier in an oil- and gas wells. This by means of an exothermic reaction utilizing the heat that arises from the chemical reaction between metals. This heat will melt the surrounding well elements and create a barrier against the formation. Operationally, it has been a requirement that this can be carried out without the need for a rig or coil tubing, which contributes to a significant cost reduction. After the operation, the barrier will have sufficient quality and robustness at a very advantageous cost to the customer. During the project, several P&A operations have been carried out in land-based wells in Canada, and it has been demonstrated that the concept can be run safely without HSE risk. Adaptations along the way have streamlined the operation, and a land-based well can currently be performed in one day. This includes raising and lowering equipment, as well as carrying out the actual process. Most of the wells that are run are still under surveillance, and will be concluded during Q2 2019, but we can already determine that at the earliest well operations, it has been proven that the concept under given conditions has the potential to seal against the reservoir. In addition to well operations, test facilities have been established and full-scale tests have been carried out on land where it has been possible to assess barrier quality afterwards.These results will help to qualify the concept, as well as being used in future iterative development to increase the robustness of the solution. The project has shown that the concept has the potential to be able to establish a permanent well barrier, and that this enables large cost reductions for the customers and the Norwegian state.

I det videre arbeidet mot et produkt så vil vi si at arbeidet som er gjennomført med støtte fra NFR har lagt grunnlaget for at dette kan bli et banebrytende produkt, en "gamechanger". Konseptet i seg selv innehar en kombinasjon av fagområder som tidligere er meget lite forsket på, om i det hele tatt. Det er ekstreme temperaturer under høye trykk i et fuktig miljø, en kombinasjon som krever god kompetanse. Forskningsarbeidet rundt teori, simuleringsarbeid og praktisk gjennomføring av felt- fullskala tester, legger et grunnlag for forståelse av hvordan ulike fagfelt fungerer sammen. Termodynamikk, kjemi, geologi og mekanikk må samarbeide for at dette skal være et funksjonelt produkt, og arbeidet som er nedlagt har god nytteverdi for all fremtidig forskning. Om kommersialiseringen fremover lykkes så vil det ha en stor nytteverdi for næringsliv og samfunn. Hele bransjen ønsker billige P&A operasjoner fordi per i dag så koster det oss alle dyrt å stenge ned olje og gass brønner.