Acoustic TOC Determination

Enhancing Plug & Abandonment Efficiency with ScanWell’s EzScan System

The Role of Tubing Cutting in P&A Activities

During Plug and Abandonment (P&A) operations, cutting the tubing is a critical step that facilitates effective wellbore isolation and site restoration. This process serves several key purposes:

• Access to the Wellbore: Cutting the tubing provides better access to the wellbore, allowing for precise placement of cement plugs at the required depths.
• Ensuring Isolation: Removing the tubing ensures that all potential fluid migration pathways are effectively sealed and isolated.
• Preparation for Final Abandonment: Extracting the tubing and other downhole equipment is necessary to properly prepare the well for abandonment and restore the site.

Typically, tubing is severed at predetermined depths using specialized cutting tools. Once cut, the sections are extracted to facilitate secure cement plug placement, ensuring a long-term seal.

The Challenge of Determining Top of Cement (TOC)

One of the primary challenges in P&A operations is accurately determining the existing Top of Cement (TOC) within the casing or annuli. Unfortunately, TOC is often not precisely determined during well construction and is only estimated based on calculated cement pump volumes recorded in the final well report. This lack of certainty results in a significant margin of error when selecting the optimal depth for tubing cuts, leading to inefficiencies and increased operational costs.

ScanWell’s EzScan System

ScanWell’s Portable EzScan System, combined with our advanced Acoustic Measuring Software, provides a revolutionary solution for accurately and swiftly identifying TOC without the need for intrusive intervention.

Key Benefits:

• Accurate TOC Determination: Utilizing acoustic measurement technology, EzScan precisely identifies the actual TOC levels within the annuli, reducing uncertainty and optimizing decision-making for tubing cutting placement.
• Minimized Rig Time: By eliminating guesswork and unnecessary operational delays, operators can significantly reduce rig time—translating to substantial cost savings, potentially in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
• Enhanced P&A Success Rate: Accurate TOC detection increases the likelihood of a successful P&A operation by ensuring proper isolation and plug placement.

Advanced Seismic-Based Algorithms for Cement Plug Depth Detection

In addition to TOC determination, ScanWell has integrated advanced algorithms from the seismic industry into our Acoustic Metering Software. This breakthrough allows for accurate depth determination of Cement Plugs, using the same system.

Additional Advantages:

• Improved Cement Plug Placement: Operators can verify the depth of their cement plugs, ensuring correct placement and reinforcing long-term well integrity.
• Support for Rigless P&A Operations: The system enables reduced rig-time or even rigless abandonment strategies, providing operators with greater flexibility and cost efficiency.

ScanWell’s EzScan system is setting a new standard for precision in P&A activities. By leveraging cutting-edge acoustic and seismic-based technologies, operators can eliminate uncertainties, streamline operations, and achieve significant cost savings while enhancing the overall success of their well abandonment efforts.

With ScanWell’s innovative approach, operators can confidently execute P&A activities with greater efficiency, reduced costs, and improved well integrity.