Ultrasound ensures that CO₂ wells stay tight

Impermeable plug

In order to reach international climate targets, it will be necessary to store billions of tons of CO₂ deep underground. Wells must be drilled so that CO₂ can be injected into suitable reservoirs. A steel pipe is placed in the wells to prevent fluids from the surrounding formation from leaking out. It is completely dependent on the back of the steel pipe being filled with cement and creating an impermeable plug. If you cannot verify the cementing job, there will quickly be large expenses if you must drill a sidestep. Alternatively, if misinterpreted and the annulus is not sealed, the consequences can be enormous in terms of environmental damage and financial costs

Equanostic 

The well cementation can be verified using ultrasound. The theory behind the verification is extremely complex and Equanostic has now developed new methods for processing measurement results from wells.

Positive results 

The project goes by the name VRI and has been part-financed through the CLIMIT programme. Project manager Stig Støa from Equanostic is very satisfied with the results that have been achieved. Through the VRI project, a solution has been developed that provides far better verification than existing alternatives.

A separate framework 

In the VRI project, new algorithms and new software have been developed for verification based on ultrasound. Through advanced machine learning algorithms, processing algorithms have been established that consider all relevant physical parameters in well operations. A separate framework has been built to handle the various formats in which field data is delivered, and field data from various wells in the North Sea and Barents Sea has been processed.

According to project manager Stig Støa, there is great industrial interest in the new software. Equanostic is now working on testing the product in collaboration with both Norwegian and European operators.