A Web Application for Identification and Analysis of Shales as Barriers for Well Abandonment

The demand for well plug and abandonment (P&A) has been increasing as important hydrocarbon (HC) fields reach the end of lifespan. P&A must ensure permanent well integrity and minimize operational and environmental risks. Apart from the standard P&A techniques adopting cement plugs, the use of autochthonous materials such as creeping rocks as barriers has been increasingly considered to simplify P&A. This work presents an overview of a web application named SABAR Web which has been developed to indicate shale intervals which are candidates to close on the casing forming barriers. The application includes a smart workflow that essentially depends on well data files ("*.las") and interactive graphs implemented through a user-friendly interface. It holds a modular software architecture and exhibits high flexibility to manage large data volumes, reducing the processing time. SABAR Web analyzes several well logs such as gamma ray, density, porosity, resistivity, mineralogy, among others, and applies correlations to estimate relevant missing information. Then, it identifies shale intervals and allows to forecast their willingness to form geological barriers. Promising outcomes and successful results have been observed from tests using field well files.