Well-Safe Solutions: Three years of progress

By Matt Jenkins – COO at Well-Safe Solutions

Well-Safe Solutions launched in August 2017 with a clear vision “To be the trusted well decommissioning service partner of choice”

Since then, we have steadily built towards that vision with a business model that allows complete flexibility to operators needing to plan or execute their well decommissioning projects.

What we have now added, is real scale to our capabilities as a Tier 1 decommissioning contractor. We can design, plan, and execute platform, subsea or land wells using our unique assets, hugely experienced on/offshore teams, deep knowledge of local/international regulations and our intelligence about all the latest available downhole technology.

So, what makes us unique and different from traditional drilling contractors, engineering houses or operators? We can break this down into 3 key areas: deep experience, unique equipment, and commercial flexibility.

If we take the Well-Safe Guardian, our semi-submersible P&A rig as an example, what makes this different to other equivalent units or those that are newer?

Significant Experience

• The Guardian has a long history of successful operations in the North Sea - As a 700 series unit, she is a proven North Sea workhorse and has drilled, completed or worked-over 100+ wells and is recognised as a stable and reliable MODU for all year operations.  In the last year, we have completed a refurbishment and upgrade program worth a substantial amount and she is now ready to go to work.
• We have hand-picked our crew from the industry who have P&A pedigree. Drilling contractors are now scrapping experienced P&A rigs in favour of newer and more automated units, something we think reduces efficiency and adds cost. We have selected many of our crew from those units to retain their experience for Well-Safe and our customers. Our subsea engineers, tool-pushers and deck crew all know what it takes to run the most efficient P&A operations.

Unique Equipment

• We have invested heavily in the rig mooring system to improve reliability and reduce downtime.  This includes all gypsies, fairleads and anchor winches being replaced or overhauled.  We also have a unique commercial solution to improve rig move efficiency speed.  This was a considerable investment by Well-Safe.
• The moonpool systems have been completely revitalised with a new bridge crane system and associated hydraulics which allows Well-Safe to offer fixed price operations in our busiest area of the rig.
• We have modified the skidding system to be simpler, more reliable and fit for the extensive BOP/xmas tree/SIL operations that will be performed. We have re-installed a Well-Safe Guardian optimisation of the past with the tree skidding system allowing up to 4 xmas trees to be sat on the starboard main deck at once – this reduces weather downtime and increases batching efficiency.

Commercial Flexibility

• We own the asset and are in complete control of our performance therefore we can offer a unique commercial solution which ties us into our actual performance and de-links Well-Safe from the traditional Drilling Rig market.  We commit to being better value than a traditional drilling contractor in all areas.

However, it is when our bespoke assets are combined with our well engineering team that the unique value drivers can be added to maximum effect. Our engineering team are currently executing projects for clients globally as our 500+ wells of P&A experience is highly valuable in the planning and engineering phases of a project. We can show examples of Well-Safe designs that save operators over £10mm over a typical campaign simply by showing why P&A is different to drilling and completion operations. We have executed over 20 large engineering projects in the last  2 years, ranging from:

• Subsea portfolios of >50 subsea wells, providing the operator with costs/time estimates, outlining the risks and opportunities based on our experience of over 500 P&A operations amongst our team.
• Complete platform well decommissioning strategies up to 5 years ahead of operations start-up, including subsurface isolation designs, rig/P&A unit execution costs and Asset Retirement Obligations (A.R.O.) estimates.
• Over 150 well screening projects to allow operators to budget their well abandonment liabilities at a country or overall company level.

Despite only being 3 years old, we have completed our first multi-well, multi-operator campaign for RSRUK and DNO where we worked on 14 wells over 12 months. This project will continue in 2021 and we will complete the remaining 21 wells on 2 platforms and a subsea centre.  

The next stage for Well-Safe Solutions is focused on 2 areas:

• Add the Subsea Intervention Lubricator (SIL) and Dive System to the Well-Safe Guardian to further improve the capability in the North Sea
• Complete the delivery of the Well-Safe Protector to our fleet, our newly acquired Jack-Up unit, which is currently being modified with bespoke P&A additions.

With the Energy Transition now top of government and major operator agenda, Well-Safe are perfectly placed to play a major part in the next phase of the oil and gas industry and our capabilities will add significant value to operators and regulators alike.

For more information visit www.wellsafesolutions.com

Read the latest issue of the OGV Energy magazine HERE.