Once all the oil is extracted from a well, it needs to be closed to avoid any accidents on location in the future. Therefore, oil companies are looking for Oilwell plugging services. We are going to discuss what all processes are involved in the plugging of an oil well.
Site preparation for plugging
The site is prepared for commencing the abandonment, this is a risky task, and therefore, precautions are taken to ensure the safety of the staff on the oil well. A complete survey of the site is conducted, which includes the assessment of the soil condition, stability of the soil, safe access to the site and the egress, presence of the animals or plants is checked, and the contour of the terrain is also inspected. Some other important things which need to be considered include the atmosphere around the well, staging of the equipment, movement of traffic to the field etc.
Removing equipment from the site
The next step is the removal of the equipment from the site, salvaging or removing the tubular, bore casing, and other important equipment is performed. The process of freepoint is used for the removal of tubular from the site. Some companies even simply cut the tubular as well at a specific depth with the use of explosive, chemical cutting or hydraulic cutting. The tubular below the cut point are left in the bore; finishing tools are used for removing the stuck tubulars which are above the cut.
Cement plugs to cap the wells.
The next step is the placement of the cement plugs in the borehole, and then testing is performed to check whether fluids can move between these formations or not. The process of plugging is performed as per the state and the federal regulations as they vary in every state. After the cement plugging, the last step is capping of the well; as the regulations are different in every state, the well-plugging services need to check the regulations and then perform these tasks accordingly.
Why plugging is important.
Plugging of the oil well is important because when left open, it can lead to some disasters in the future. Companies are spending a lot to plug the oil wells after extracting oil from them to prevent any accident. When these wells are sealed, they don’t add anything to the environment; otherwise they are a serious threat to the climate as well.
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