The Virtual Engineering Centre has helped Northwest company, BiSN Technologies, to develop a new method for sealing abandoned oil wells using simulation modelling.
The new generation technology uses an alloy that is melted in situ and could provide a more effective method than the traditional plug and abandon procedures used in the oil industry.
This corrosion-resistant technology has generated considerable interest in the oil and gas industry due to its ability to permanently seal wells in a cost effective manner.
Dr Antony Robotham, executive director at the Virtual Engineering Centre commented: “The Virtual Engineering Centre has worked closely with BiSN Technologies Ltd to develop a numerical simulation of the installation process of the BiSN Bridge PlugTM. This simulation shows how the alloy melts and solidifies in the well and demonstrates the integrity of the seal. The simulation has been validated with experimental data and is adaptable to both oil and gas applications.
Worldwide, there are estimated 20-30 million oil and gas wells that have been plugged and abandoned using traditional methods, but leaks could become a problem of the past with this new technology.”
