Passive well monitoring systems and carbon, capture and storage (CCS) application
Andrew Jaffrey A * and Jim Gordon AA
Dr Andrew Jaffrey is a co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of Sentinel Subsea Ltd, based in Aberdeen, Scotland. He holds a First-Class Honours Degree in Mechanical Engineering (Paisley, 1986) and a PhD in Robotics and Machine Vision (Edinburgh, 1992). His 38 year career spans a number of innovation and technical directorship and consultancy roles with companies ranging from 10 to 30,000 people. In 2016 he was invited by the US National Academy of Sciences to present his recommendations on implementing remote Condition-Based Monitoring of safety-critical subsea equipment following the Macondo (Deepwater Horizon) events of 2010. He is a Chartered Engineer, a Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology and a named inventor on 31 granted patents. |
Jim Gordon is a member of the Business Development team at Sentinel Subsea, where he spearheads the company’s global expansion efforts. With over 4 years of dedicated experience at Sentinel Subsea, Jim supports the adoption of cutting-edge passive technologies worldwide. With a Master of Science degree from University of Aberdeen in Business and Finance, his understanding helps navigate changing market dynamics and meet evolving customer demands effectively. |
Abstract
With an increasing number of ageing subsea wells and a tightening of global regulations for well management, assuring well integrity is a key feature of risk management for oil and gas operators. Baker Hughes, in collaboration with Sentinel Subsea, has successfully deployed patented passive well monitoring systems able to detect a range of subsea emissions and alert well owners. This early detection and warning technology harnesses the natural forces and processes of chemistry and physics but does not use any electrical power for the monitoring and detection of fluids. Static mechanical structures and the natural buoyancy of escaping fluids of interest are used to gather fluids in the subsea environment where they are detected chemically using specially developed Triggers. By using fluid-specific Triggers, systems respond only to the fluid(s) of interest, not to other fluids typically encountered around subsea assets. When the target fluid has been detected passively, a coded signal beacon (previously dormant) is mechanically released to the ocean surface using self-buoyancy where an alarm is transmitted via satellite and the responsible party alerted. Systems are currently supporting multiple major and independent operators mitigate the risks associated with subsea wells globally. Based on these experiences, this paper discusses the development process of a passive well integrity monitoring system with application for carbon, capture and storage (CCS) sites.
Keywords: ALARP, alert, CCS, CO2, continuous, development, integrity, legacy wells, long-term, monitoring, passive, process, regulation.
Dr Andrew Jaffrey is a co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of Sentinel Subsea Ltd, based in Aberdeen, Scotland. He holds a First-Class Honours Degree in Mechanical Engineering (Paisley, 1986) and a PhD in Robotics and Machine Vision (Edinburgh, 1992). His 38 year career spans a number of innovation and technical directorship and consultancy roles with companies ranging from 10 to 30,000 people. In 2016 he was invited by the US National Academy of Sciences to present his recommendations on implementing remote Condition-Based Monitoring of safety-critical subsea equipment following the Macondo (Deepwater Horizon) events of 2010. He is a Chartered Engineer, a Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology and a named inventor on 31 granted patents. |
Jim Gordon is a member of the Business Development team at Sentinel Subsea, where he spearheads the company’s global expansion efforts. With over 4 years of dedicated experience at Sentinel Subsea, Jim supports the adoption of cutting-edge passive technologies worldwide. With a Master of Science degree from University of Aberdeen in Business and Finance, his understanding helps navigate changing market dynamics and meet evolving customer demands effectively. |
References
Arbad N, Watson M, Heinze L (2022) Risk matrix for legacy wells within the Area of Review (AoR) of Carbon Capture & Storage (CCS) projects. International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control 121, 103801.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |
Bai M, Zhang Z, Fu X (2016) A Review on Well Integrity Issues for CO2 Geological Storage and Enhanced Gas Recovery. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 59, 920-926.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |
Connelly DP, Bull JM, Flohr A, Schaap A, Koopmans D, Blackford JC, White PR, James RH, Pearce C, Lichtschlag A, Achterberg EP, de Beer D, Roche B, Li J, Saw K, Alendal G, Avlesen H, Brown R, Borisov SM, Böttner C, Cazenave PW, Chen B, Dale AW, Dean M, Dewar M, Esposito M, Gros J, Hanz R, Haeckel M, Hosking B, Huvenne V, Karstens J, Le Bas T, Leighton TG, Linke P, Loucaides S, Matter JM, Monk S, Mowlem MC, Oleynik A, Omar AM, Peel K, Provenzano G, Saleem U, Schmidt M, Schramm B, Sommer S, Strong J, Falcon Suarez I, Ungerboeck B, Widdicombe S, Wright H, Yakushev E (2022) Assuring the integrity of offshore carbon dioxide storage. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 166, 112670.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |
IOGP (2022) Recommended practices for measurement, monitoring, and verification plans associated with geologic storage of carbon dioxide. IOGP Report 652. (International Association of Oil and Gas Producers) Available at https://www.iogp.org/bookstore/product/recommended-practices-for-measurement-monitoring-and-verification-plans-associated-with-geologic-storage-of-carbon-dioxide/
Zonetti S, Dupuy B, Emmel B, Romdhane A (2023) Monitoring casing corrosion of legacy wells using CSEM: Implications for large-scale energy and CO2 storage projects in shut-down hydrocarbon fields. The Leading Edge 42, 808-816.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |
