Safely retiring legacy wells and unlocking future options in the Adriatic

‍

Elemental Energies planned and executed four well plug and abandonment (P&A) operations – three at SSM and one at SGM – plus a slot recovery to enable future development opportunities by providing access to previously untapped reserves.

‍

All work was performed from single/dual-well satellite platforms in shallow water (15–18 m), addressing ageing well stock and obsolete equipment while maintaining high productivity and stringent HSE performance.

‍

Scope of Work

• Detailed planning and execution of four offshore well P&As and one slot recovery.
• Decommissioning of wells >50 years old, with long-term shut-in status.
• Well access and integrity assessment prior to intervention.
• Management of obsolete wellhead systems and complex well-control configurations.
• Engineering, programme preparation, risk assessment and contingency planning.
• Offshore supervision, logistics coordination and contractor interface management.
• Verification of permanent barriers and regulatory compliance close-out.

‍

‍

Safety & Environment

• Barrier verification aligned to regulatory standards; structured MoC and permit-to-work.
• Real-time risk reviews; zero recordable incidents and no environmental releases.

‍

Technology & Methods

• Perforate, Wash, and Cement (PWC) for permanent isolation of legacy intervals.
• Bespoke fishing strategies for dual completions; optimised rig-up for obsolete equipment.

‍

Collaboration & Interfaces

• Integrated planning with Energean Asset and Wells teams; clear RASCI and daily calls.
• Streamlined logistics and vendor management to minimise non-productive time.

‍

"..with this being  the first major operation since 2008 for the assets located within the Adriatic Sea, overall, it has been an outstanding campaign in terms of well operations. The support received from the various functions and the Asset team has been excellent.”
‍
Well Delivery Manager
Energean - Italy

Key Highlights

‍

• Operations on single/dual-well satellite platforms in 15–18m water depth.
• Productive time >85% with ~6% NPT, despite legacy asset challenges.
• Successful use of perforate, wash, and cement (PWC) technology during the campaign.
• Zero accidents and zero environmental incidents.
• Delivered ahead of schedule and 10% under budget.
• Dual-completion fishing operations successfully executed on two wells.

Conclusion

‍

Through disciplined planning, robust barrier design and tight contractor coordination, Elemental Energies safely decommissioned legacy wells and executed a slot recovery in shallow-water Adriatic conditions. The programme achieved high productivity, ahead-of-schedule delivery and a 10% cost underrun – demonstrating an efficient, reliable model for late-life well retirement and future access enablement.