The Subsea Well Decommissioning Project

An important new initiative to clean up the seabed has resulted in a major project to decommission and remove redundant subsea wells. The subsea well decommissioning project was instigated by BP Exploration to fulfill its commitments and obligations under various license agreements. When exploration wells are no longer required for further appraisal or development, the requirement is to remove all subsea wellhead equipment and clear the seabed. This paper will describe first the organisation and execution of the project. It will then look at the experience gained and how it challenges the current well suspension philosophy.