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SFI-Sentre for forskningsdrevet innovasjon

SWIPA - Centre for Subsurface Well Integrity, Plugging and Abandonment

Alternative title: SWIPA - Senter for undergrunns brønnintegritet, brønnplugging og -forlating

Awarded: NOK 96.0 mill.

The primary objective of the center SWIPA, Centre for Research-based Innovations Subsurface Well Integrity, Plugging and Abandonment, is to develop new innovative cost-saving solutions for P&A (Plugging & Abandonment) of wells. Successful innovations in this field will save Norway considerable amounts in the coming years. More than 3000 wells on the Norwegian continental shelf must be plugged when petroleum production is completed. The cost of this can amount to up to NOK 800 billion. The tax rules on the continental shelf imply that most of the expenditure, 78 %, is accrued to the Norwegian state. One of SFI SWIPA's goals is to halve the well plugging costs. The methodology for reaching the ambitious goals is to increase the scientific understanding of the subsurface. This particularly relates to the behaviour and performance of well barrier materials for preventing leakages from the subsurface. This is needed in order to open for revised standards and regulations, new operations and well barrier materials. Recently, there is established a collaboration the Petroleum Safety Authority of Norway (PSA) for safeguarding that regulations can be developed as based on new know-how and technology. Together with PSA a dialogue will be established with national authorities in other countries where plugging of wells could result in considerable costs the coming years. Examples here are USA, Brazil, Australia, Great Britain and other North Sea countries. For the realization of innovations and results from SWIPA, the involvement of vendors and service companies is of key importance. Accordingly SWIPA has established partnership with 27 industry companies in this category, and in addition 3 operating companies are partners. The strong interaction within the Centre will generate spin-off projects and technology transfer possibilities for several industries where well integrity, the well`s durability and sealing capability, is important. The results can also be used for conversion of petroleum wells to CO2- and hydrogen storage, well integrity for geothermal wells and landfill nuclear waste. The market for new innovations for well completion and -plugging is therefore considerable also outside the oil- and gas sector. Innovations and new technology within this discipline therefore represent a unique possibility for Norwegian industry globally. The center SWIPA will elevate the competence on well integrity by engaging a total of 9 doctorates, 4 post-doctorates and 25 master's degrees that will bring industry new expertise. The international academic collaboration includes 12 well-recognized universities world-wide. Highlights in 2023: SWIPA has made important contributions to an investigation under the auspices of the Petroleum Safety Authority for the use of bismuth alloys as a new barrier material in wells. The work in SWIPA and the role SWIPA has as an independent 3rd party actor are recognized as important for technology qualification of new products and methods. It is pointed out that this scientific work is central to making changes in regulations and standards to open for new barrier materials and associated well operations. An effective method for qualifying barrier material for simulating long-term exposure in a well with an acidic and corrosive well environment has been developed. Several new alternative barrier materials have been tested and further developed by partners in SWIPA. This applies to various polymers and materials that have a low climate footprint. A measurement system that can directly measure properties of barrier material that is circulated for placement in the correct position in the well has been verified. The tests have been carried out at a larger scale for a number of alternative barrier materials in addition to standard well cement. A new mathematical model to describe expansion of minerals affected by chemical reactions with CO2 has been developed. This makes it possible to estimate elastic deformation of cement under the influence of stresses, and thus also the risk of leakage. The SFI SWIPA Annual Conference 2023 was held in Trondheim in March with over 80 participants, also this time with an introductory lecture by Oil and Energy Minister Terje Aasland. The podcast "The clean-up job after the oil adventure becomes expensive – this is how we can cut the bill sharply", produced in SINTEF's podcast series SMART Forklart, has now been downloaded more than 5,600 times.

The subsurface well integrity is a key for utilization and abandonment of subsurface petroleum resources and reservoirs, utilization of deep geothermal energy, subsurface hydrogen storage and safe disposal of CO2 and nuclear waste. In particular for the Norwegian Continental Shelf, there is a considerable number of wells subject to P&A (plugging and abandonment) with a considerable potential for future cost reductions. The primary objective for the centre is to obtain a scientific understanding of permanent well barriers and allocate for improved well barrier design methodologies. Secondary objectives of SWIPA are to: • Develop experimentally verified solutions which lead to new innovative operations and qualification of new barrier materials. • Develop a scientific-based new approach for more cost-efficient industry standards and regulations for P&A of wells. • Perform case studies and technology audits relevant to demonstrate the potential of new well barrier solutions, and initiate spin-off projects. • Educate a considerable number of experts and candidates in well barrier technologies • Disseminate and communicate project results with safety authorities and in relevant fora, The critical R&D challenges is associate with the establish realistic process conditions for the well barriers and at the same time be able to characterize the well barrier performance at several scales. This is needed in order to have an acceptable extrapolation capability for the design procedures and models. Potential for use of the project findings is associated with; • Facilitate rapid deployment of well barrier establishment and P&A technologies • Implement new P&A- solutions for increase value creation in the Norwegian O&G industry • Create new solutions and products for well integrity issues for CO2 and hydrogen storage, reconversion of petroleum wells and nuclear waste storage.

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SFI-Sentre for forskningsdrevet innovasjon

Thematic Areas and Topics

PetroleumStorulykker og arbeidsmiljøDigitalisering og bruk av IKTPrivat sektorMiljøvennlig energiInternasjonaliseringMobilitetLTP3 Rettede internasjonaliseringstiltakDigitalisering og bruk av IKTMiljøvennlig energiFornybar energi, geotermiskLTP3 IKT og digital transformasjonPortefølje Muliggjørende teknologierKutt i utslipp av klimagasserPetroleumUndergrunnsforståelseLTP3 Muliggjørende og industrielle teknologierLTP3 Miljøvennlig energi og lavutslippsløsningerCO2-håndteringInternasjonaliseringInternasjonalt prosjektsamarbeidCO2-håndteringCCS - lagringPortefølje Banebrytende forskningKlimarelevant forskningDelportefølje KvalitetMaterialteknologiBransjer og næringerNordområdeneBransjer og næringerBygg, anlegg og eiendomMiljøteknologiPolitikk- og forvaltningsområderEnergi - Politikk og forvaltningDelportefølje InternasjonaliseringBransjer og næringerEnergi - NæringsområdeAnvendt forskningInternasjonaliseringBransjer og næringerOlje, gassLTP3 Klima, miljø og energiLTP3 Fagmiljøer og talenterPetroleumGrunnforskningPetroleumBoring, komplettering og intervensjonPortefølje ForskningssystemetLTP3 Høy kvalitet og tilgjengelighetDelportefølje Et velfungerende forskningssystemPortefølje InnovasjonLTP3 Et kunnskapsintensivt næringsliv i hele landetPolitikk- og forvaltningsområderOlje og gass - Politikk og forvaltningLTP3 Hav og kystPortefølje Energi og transportLTP3 Petroleum og mineralerLTP3 Styrket konkurransekraft og innovasjonsevnePolitikk- og forvaltningsområderNordområdeneEnergi, petroleum og mineralressurser