No one enjoys when the end of a life arrives. Typically, a mourning period ensues, followed by a return to life as normal, depending on what life has ended. This can be anything from your career life, when you switch jobs and move on to something else, or more impactful, the end of a family member’s life or a pet. Oilfield wells have a life as well, and it ends when it is not producing enough oil to cover the cost of running it.
Northern Oilfield Services, a superb oilfield service company based out of Williston, specializes in oilfield equipment rentals, including oil drilling equipment, fracking equipment, and wellhead equipment rentals. Known for our exceptional service, we make our customers’ lives easier by maintaining, replacing, or refurbishing their oilfield equipment. In this blog post, we’ll take a look at the forlorn oilfield well. Contact us today to learn about all of our wellhead services!
WHEN IS AN OIL WELL ABANDONED?
There is a mathematical formula that is used to determine when exactly to take an oil well out of production, which is basically when no one is making money on it anymore. This can either be because the oil reservoir has dried up beneath the earth, or operating expenses of the well have risen, such as an increase in the price of the lease. In oilfield terms, the well is said to have reached its economic limit. The oil well is then abandoned.
THE PROCESS OF ABANDONING AN OIL WELL
In a previous blog post, we discussed how an oil well is drilled. Here, you could say the process is almost reversed. Tubing is removed, and some sections of the hole are filled with concrete. The wellhead and casing are removed and cut off, and then a cap is welded into place. Then, after the wellhead has been secured in its coffin, it is then buried in an unmarked grave.
Typically, the oil reservoir still has oil in it; however, economic conditions are just not right for retrieval. In this case, many oil wells are only temporarily abandoned, giving them hope for an eventual resurrection. If a well is slated to be abandoned only for a short period of time, a temporary plug can be installed and the wellhead can be locked to not only ensure no one messes with it, but also to ensure the safety of the public around it. Children are known to be curious, especially with cool things in the ground. There are thousands of these abandoned wells in the United States alone that are just awaiting a change in government regulations or lease provisions in order to be reinstituted back into production.
Many of these abandoned wells have seen new life due to hydraulic fracturing, which is where fluids are injected into the rocks in order to fracture them and allow oil to flow out. Northern Oilfield Services offers rental fracking equipment to aid in these resurrections, per se.
HOW NORTHERN OILFIELD SERVICES HELPS WITH ABANDONED WELLS
As mentioned above, many economic conditions go into the death of an oil well. However, it may not be the end. When conditions are ripe or new technologies come along such as hydraulic fracturing that makes operating these old wells cost efficient, many can see new life. When that happens, Northern Oilfield Services can help. By offering fracking rental equipment, you can concentrate on the actual oil field work, leaving the maintenance and upkeep to us. We can replace fracking parts, as well as perform fracking equipment service. Whether you rent or buy from us, you can rest assured you will receive the best oilfield service. Contact us today to get started!