No two subsea well decommissioning projects are exactly alike – each provides its own distinct set of challenges. Yet there is a common thread running through most of them, and that is the requirement for strong project management and coordination. Nexen Petroleum U.K. in Aberdeen, UK, was well aware of this when it approached Acteon company OIS, which has recently taken over from WellCut Decommissioning Services, to help with a survey and four-well abandonment programme in the North Sea Scott field. One of Nexen’s main concerns was to establish a skilled and focused group of service providers capable of working together as an effective team.
OIS has considerable experience of conducting decommissioning projects, from site assessment through to final reporting, and was tasked with, first, planning the programme, which was to be based on a previously undertaken well categorisation study, and, second, directing the work. This included assembling all the necessary players, defining their roles and responsibilities, and performing a thorough risk assessment of the entire operation.