A white paper from DecomWorld, authored by Terje Løkke-Sørensen (Add Energy), tells the story behind Norway’s Norsok D-010 well integrity standard. Since its first version, released in the 1990s, the standard has been extended to encompass the whole well lifecycle from drilling and completion through to abandonment. In 2003 Rev 3.0 bolstered the concept of well integrity with the extensive use of well barrier schematics, a technique pioneered by Norsk Hydro (now Statoil).
Macondo saw a world-wide examination of regulations and practices. In Norway, this led to the publication of Norsk Olje og Gass’s 2011 Macondo lessons-learned report with recommendations for an update to the D-010 standard. This led to V4.0 in 2013 with advice on managed pressure drilling, relief well plans and requirements for capping equipment. Nine additional well barrier elements have been added. Løkke-Sørensen recommends that operators get ready for Rev 4’s robust safety enhancements that will require greater thoroughness and will likely drive costs up. One requirement is that a well must be killable with a single one relief well, which will impact well design. While D-010 is strictly a Norwegian standard, it has gained international recognition as global firms ‘exported’ it to other regions without such a standard. Løkke-Sørensen believes that the D-010 standard leads the world. More from DecomWorld and Norsok/Olje. Those interested in this field should be aware of DecomWorld’s upcoming Well Integrity & Abandonment Conference to be held later this year in Aberdeen.
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