Wednesday 27 March 2013

Updated Guidelines Promote Best Practice for Well Operations across Industry

Oil & Gas UK has today (27 March) released the second edition of its guidelines on Relief Well Planning for Offshore Wells to provide operators with good industry practice for well operations on the UK continental shelf  (UKCS).

The guidelines, developed by members of Oil & Gas UK’s Well Life Cycle Practices Forum (WLCPF) together with the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), refer to plans for relief wells that operators must prepare as part of the Oil Pollution Emergency Plan (OPEP) submitted to DECC for any offshore installation involved in oil and gas exploration and production. The second edition comprises guidance for an expanded range of relief wells, including subsea wells.

Oonagh Werngren, Oil & Gas UK’s operations director, said: “Safety is the top priority for the offshore sector and well operations are a vital part of our industry which is why Oil & Gas UK members are committed to continually reviewing and improving safety and performance in all aspects of well practices. This document is another excellent example of what can be achieved through collaborative work across the industry. The broadened scope of these updated guidelines includes guidance on relief well planning for the full spectrum of offshore wells from subsea wells to jack-up drilled and platform wells.”

The guidelines draw on industry learning from around the world  to provide guidance that enhances cross industry understanding of well integrity issues and helps operators, drilling and well service companies to comply effectively with regulations regarding well operations on the UKCS.

For background on the guidelines and WLCPF, please visit www.oilandgasuk.co.uk/wlcpf. For the guidelines on Relief Well Planning for Offshore Wells, please click  here Ends-