The “Plugging and Abandonment of Oil Wells” is an issue that should be considered of vital importance worldwide. All Oil Country Operators in the world have as an obligation and responsibility the plugging and abandonment of oil wells whose useful life has come to an end. However, this work is omitted, for various reasons, leaving an environmental risk of high impact for humanity.
The number of forgotten or “orphaned” non-producing wells that exist in the world is quite high. In the United States alone, there are more than 120,000 documented wells, and there are hundreds of thousands more whose production is very low, or they are in their terminal stage and will eventually become a orphan well. In Mexico we have between 8,000 and 10,000 wells in this same condition.
The impacts of these wells include air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, groundwater pollution, soil degradation, damage to ecosystems and the risk of explosions, all of which pose a threat to human health.
In Mexico, Petróleos Mexicanos (“PEMEX”) has understood the seriousness of these environmental risks and has launched a couple of initiatives to be able to plug and abandon these orphan oil wells. Currently REPSTIM has the opportunity to support PEMEX directly with this task. In 2022, REPSTIM, in consortium with other companies, won the bidding process 94730 for “Plugging and abandonment services for Lake and River wells of the Production Assets Southern Region” that is currently in operation.
To attend this type of services it is necessary to have Personnel with Extensive Experience in wells of mature / marginal fields that have concluded their productive life. Also with Cementing Laboratories to be able to make slurry designs suitable for each of the wells that will be plugged and Adequate Equipment to meet these activities. That is where REPSTIM SHINES, since these services are the raison d’être of the company. Any work carried out without taking these considerations can generate problems with serious consequences for PEMEX and the environment, and consequently an increase in expenses not considered in the program.
REPSTIM intends to support Mexico, and the whole world, in addressing this current problem that to date is a latent risk to the environment and humanity.
