Accelerated Mobilisation in a Month for Plug and Abandonment Project - Resolving Gas Leak on a Well

Abstract An incident of a gas leak was reported on an offshore platform in Malaysia. Observers noticed a gas cloud emerging from a well on the platform, accompanied by water and mud returning to the conductor and surface casing of the wellhead. At the same time, a drilling rig was operating on an adjacent platform. As a result of this incident, an immediate evacuation was carried out on the platform, and well control measures were implemented on the drilling rig. The management made the decision to address the gas leak problem by plugging and abandoning (P&A) the well before resuming production and drilling activities on the platform. Production was halted, and drilling operations were suspended until the well was secured, causing financial and production losses for the company. Within a month of preparation, the HWU Rig, along with well services, was mobilized to an offshore location. This paper discusses on the comprehensive planning, challenges, steps, and arrangements involved in the execution of the plug and abandonment (P&A) project. The topics covered range from rig readiness and acceptance to engineering planning, contracts, manpower, services, governance, and more. Various stakeholders, such as Facilities, Production, Intervention, and others, collaborated to make this endeavour feasible. All these parties were brought together as a cohesive team to ensure its success. The traditional approach to project execution, which has been widely accepted in the industry for many years, is being strongly challenged by fast-track projects. This project demanded added flexibility in decision-making processes, without compromising governance and safety. The project team encountered various challenges and devised solutions to achieve project success. Some of these challenges and solutions include: HWU Rig Readiness and Acceptance - Partial acceptance was conducted at different locations to meet the project timeline. Acceptance requirements were innovatively engineered to suit the time constraints.Stakeholder Management - Multiple stakeholders were integrated to enable concurrent activities and resource sharing, thereby minimizing costs and improving efficiency.Engineering & Technology - Offline jobs were performed on the well to gather more information and optimize time. New technologies ( First In the world Technology Application – Perf, Wash & Bismuth) were explored and deployed to enhance assurance and ensure the secure P&A of the well. This paper highlights the significance of meticulous planning, engineering, and an innovative approach in successfully executing a time and cost-constrained fast-track project. The collaborative efforts of numerous stakeholders were essential in ensuring that the project was accomplished while upholding governance and safety standards. This approach facilitated the implementation of cutting-edge technology at each stage, setting a benchmark for excellence.