Result
MCGx demonstrated that two redundant subsea gas wells could be safely managed without pre-emptive abandonment, avoiding US$52 million in unnecessary intervention costs and eliminating HSE exposure from live-field operations. The assessment enabled the operator to defer P&A by over a decade while maintaining ALARP integrity, and the framework was subsequently applied to other redundant wells across the asset.
Problem
Two subsea wells had ceased production but remained connected to live infrastructure. Age-related degradation indicators, including minor gas weeps and control-line vulnerabilities, triggered concern that regulatory expectations would require early suspension or abandonment. Pre-emptive P&A carried significant cost, execution risk over producing assets, and operational complexity. The operator needed a defensible basis to determine whether continued monitoring, targeted risk reduction, or immediate intervention was justified.
MCGx Insight
MCGx recognised that late-life risk must be assessed against operational baseline, not zero-risk expectations. By integrating historical integrity data, barrier performance trends, and credible failure mechanisms, MCGx demonstrated that shut-in wells were actually safer than during flowing operations, with residual loss-of-containment risk remaining stable and tolerable under proportionate monitoring rather than invasive intervention.
Proof
MCGx led a formal ALARP workshop evaluating all practicable options. Targeted actions were endorsed by the operator’s Wells Technical Authority and Asset Manager. The framework is now being applied to additional redundant wells across the portfolio.