October 24th/2023.
Through Resolution 40622 dated October 17, 2023 (hereinafter the “Resolution”), the Ministry of Mines and Energy (referred to as the ” MME”) revoked the articles of Resolution 181495 of 2009 regarding the temporary suspension and abandonment of wells and introduced new technical requirements for the suspension and abandonment of wells within the hydrocarbon exploration and production activities in the country.
Some of the highlights include:
Scope of Application: The Resolution applies to all inactive wells and for the temporary and permanent suspension and abandonment of stratigraphic, exploration, development, injection, disposal, and production wells under Contracts or Agreements with the National Hydrocarbons Agency (referred to as the “ANH”) or Ecopetrol within the national territory.
Relevant Definitions:
- Completed Well: A well where all the necessary activities to make it operational for hydrocarbon or other substance production have been executed.
- Inactive Well: A well that has not been engaged in any activity for a continuous period of six months.
- Permanent Abandonment: An operation carried out when there is no intention to return to the well, which involves placing plugs made of various materials.
- Suspended Well: An inactive well authorized by the ANH for temporary suspension for a specified period. Temporary Abandonment: An operation performed on wells where the operator intends to re-enter the well. Special plugs are used to ensure the sealing of the well and the preservation of the wellhead and structures for future interventions.
Conditions for Temporary Well Suspension: The ANH may authorize the temporary suspension of wells if the requesting party provides a valid justification for the suspension, submits an integrity assessment of the well, and has a plan to ensure the well’s integrity during the temporary suspension.
Suspension Periods: The duration of well suspension varies based on the type of well as follows:
- Drilling wells: 3 months, extendable for 2 equal periods. ·
- Drilled and completed wells which did not provide services: 6 months, extendable for 1 equal period.
- Completed wells that provided services: 12 months, extendable for 2 equal periods.
- Wells for resource utilization: 12 months, extendable for 3 equal periods.
Monitoring of Suspended Wells: Operators with suspended wells must provide quarterly or semi-annual monitoring reports to the ANH for drilling or drilled/completed wells, respectively. These reports should include the results of inspections of annular pressures and wellhead conditions.
In cases where inspections reveal issues with the wellhead or higher-than-average annular pressure, the necessary actions must be taken to prevent impacts, and these actions should be reported to the ANH.
Technical Provisions for Well Abandonment: As a general rule, it is stipulated that all wells, that are going to be temporarily or permanently whether , must be technically secured and surface enclosures must be built to ensure the well’s stability. Additionally, specific provisions for each type of well are included in Articles 17 to 25 of the Resolution.
Finally, a transitional regime is established, indicating that wells abandoned before the Resolution’s effective date will not have to be intervened to comply with the Resolution’s provisions.