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API Bull E3 Wellbore Plugging and Abandonment Practices, Second Edition

standard by American Petroleum Institute, 04/01/2018

Full Description

This publication addresses the environmental concerns related to well abandonment and inactive well practices.

The primary environmental concerns are protection of usable aquifers from fluid migration; and isolation of hydrocarbon production and water injection intervals.

Additional issues in the document include protection of surface soils and surface waters, future and use, and permanent documentation of plugged and abandoned wellbore locations and conditions.

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Bulletin E3.fm


Wellbore Plugging and Abandonment Practices


API BULLETIN E3

SECOND EDITION, APRIL 2018




Special Notes


API publications necessarily address problems of a general nature. With respect to particular circumstances, local, state, and federal laws and regulations should be reviewed.


Neither API nor any of API’s employees, subcontractors, consultants, committees, or other assignees make any warranty or representation, either express or implied, with respect to the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of the information contained herein, or assume any liability or responsibility for any use, or the results of such use, of any information or process disclosed in this publication. Neither API nor any of API’s employees, subcontractors, consultants, or other assignees represent that use of this publication would not infringe upon privately owned rights.


API publications may be used by anyone desiring to do so. Every effort has been made by the Institute to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the data contained in them; however, the Institute makes no representation, warranty, or guarantee in connection with this publication and hereby expressly disclaims any liability or responsibility for loss or damage resulting from its use or for the violation of any authorities having jurisdiction with which this publication may conflict.


API publications are published to facilitate the broad availability of proven, sound engineering and operating practices. These publications are not intended to obviate the need for applying sound engineering judgment regarding when and where these publications should be utilized. The formulation and publication of API publications is not intended in any way to inhibit anyone from using any other practices.


Any manufacturer marking equipment or materials in conformance with the marking requirements of an API standard is solely responsible for complying with all the applicable requirements of that standard. API does not represent, warrant, or guarantee that such products do in fact conform to the applicable API standard.


All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced, translated, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission from the publisher. Contact the Publisher, API Publishing Services, 1220 L Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005.


Copyright © 2018 American Petroleum Institute


Foreword


This document, prepared by the API Subcommittee on Well Cements (SC10) provides guidance on environmentally sound practices for wellbores drilled for oil and gas exploration and production (E&P) operations. Guidance is provided to accomplish the following:


  • permanently abandon wells;


  • place wells on inactive status (temporary abandonment).


Permanent abandonment is performed when there is no further utility for a wellbore by sealing the wellbore against fluid migration.


Inactive well practices may be performed when a wellbore has future utility, such as for enhanced oil recovery projects or conversion to a disposal or storage well. This permits the operator to hold the well in a condition that facilitates restoring its utility.


The purpose of this document is to address wellbore plugging and abandonment practices. The primary goals are protection of usable quality ground water, and isolation of hydrocarbon bearing, or water injection intervals. Topics discussed include, cementing practices, cement plug placement and the use of mechanical barriers. This document does not address regulatory requirements.


Nothing contained in any API publication is to be construed as granting any right, by implication or otherwise, for the manufacture, sale, or use of any method, apparatus, or product covered by letters patent. Neither should anything contained in the publication be construed as insuring anyone against liability for infringement of letters patent.


This document was produced under API standardization procedures that ensure appropriate notification and participation in the developmental process and is designated as an API Recommended Practice. Questions concerning the interpretation of the content of this publication or comments and questions concerning the procedures under which this publication was developed should be directed in writing to the Director of Standards, American Petroleum Institute, 1220 L Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005. Requests for permission to reproduce or translate all or any part of the material published herein should also be addressed to the director.


Suggested revisions are invited and should be submitted to the Standards Department, API, 1220 L Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005, standards@api.org.


iii


Contents


Page

  1. Considerations for Plugged and Abandoned Wells 1

    1. General 1

    2. Well Construction and Abandonment Practices 1

  2. Normative References 1

  3. Terms, Definitions and Abbreviations 3

    1. Terms and Definitions 3

    2. Abbreviations 3

  4. Wellbore Plugging and Abandonment Guidance 4

    1. General 4

    2. Static Equilibrium 4

    3. Abandonment/Plugging Planning 4

    4. Wellbore Plugging and Abandonment Methods 5

  5. Plug Placement Guidance 6

    1. Open Hole Completion 6

    2. Cased Hole Abandonment 7

    3. Casing Shoe 8

    4. Casing Stub or Liner Top 10

    5. Usable Quality Water 12

    6. Surface Plug 12

  6. Plug Placement Verification 13

    1. General 13

    2. Weight Testing 13

Bibliography 15

Figures

  1. Example Schematic of a Permanent Well Abandonment 2

  2. Open Hole Abandonment by Open Hole Balanced Plugs 6

4 Cased Hole Abandonment with a Perforation Squeeze and a Balanced Plug 7

3 Open Hole Abandonment with a Cement Retainer Set at Casing Shoe 7

  1. Cased Hole Abandonment with a Cement Retainer 8

  2. Casing Shoe Balanced Cement Plug 9

  3. Casing Shoe Squeeze Cement Plug with Cement Retainer 9

  4. Casing Stub Abandonment 10

  5. Liner Top Abandonment 11

  6. Balanced Cement Plug Inside Casing in Front of a Usable Water Zone 12

  7. Well Abandonment with Surface Plug 13


v


Wellbore Plugging and Abandonment Practices


  1. Considerations for Plugged and Abandoned Wells

    1. General


      This document provides guidance for the design, placement, and verification of cement plugs in wells that are to be temporarily or permanently abandoned. Wells that are temporarily abandoned have intent to re-enter in the future. The placement of barriers vary depending on whether the well is to be temporarily or permanently abandoned.


      The information in this document is general in nature. Wellbore plugging and abandonment practices will vary with regulation, well type, and purpose. Sound engineering and operational practices should be applied to each plugging operation. Plug lengths are not considered in this document. Local regulations must be considered in the design as they may dictate the length of cement to be placed below or above specific intervals, or both.


    2. Well Construction and Abandonment Practices


      This document assumes that generally accepted well construction practices were followed during the installation of the cemented casings.


      As specified in API 65-2, properly designed casing strings cemented in place provide multiple barriers during well operations. An example abandoned wellbore can be seen in Figure 1.


      Abandonment barriers installed during wellbore plugging and abandonment operations may include:


      • plug set across any exposed casing/liner shoe;


      • plugs set in open hole;


      • cement or mechanical plugs, or both, set above perforated intervals in cased hole;


      • plugs set at points where casing has been removed;


      • plugs set across liner tops;


      • plugs set above and below usable quality water;


      • plugs set above or below hydrocarbon bearing zones or other potential flow zones;


      • plugs set at the surface or mudline.


  2. Normative References

The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.


API Standard 65-2, Isolating Potential Flow Zones During Well Construction


1

2 API BULLETIN E3




Aquifer



Plug #5


Casing



Plug #4



Disposal Zone



Plug #3


Mud

Casing Stub



Plug #2


Cement


Plug #1


Hydrocarbon Zone

Hydrocarbon Zone



NOTE 1 Plug #1 may cover all open hole length in several cases. NOTE 2 Plug #3 is commonly called a casing stub plug.

NOTE 3 Plug #5 is commonly called surface plug.


Figure 1—Example Schematic of a Permanent Well Abandonment