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BLM legacy well plan praised, rapped Alaska drilling regulator Cathy Foerster says draft strategy for dealing with old federal wells is positive effort, but deficient Wesley Loy For Petroleum News
A top Alaska drilling regulator has critiqued the U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s recently released draft strategic plan for dealing with derelict federal legacy wells on Alaska’s North Slope.
Her assessment: Good start, guys. But you will need to do more, and do it faster.
“The strategy, which addresses a number of AOGCC’s concerns, represents a healthy step in the right direction,” begins the critique from Cathy Foerster, an engineer and chair of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission. “However, many concerns are inadequately addressed or not addressed at all.”
Dueling numbers BLM has been under public pressure to address dozens of test wells federal departments drilled between 1944 and 1982 in or near the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. BLM manages the reserve and is responsible for the wells.
On May 8, the agency released its strategic plan for plugging some wells and cleaning up junk at drill sites.
The plan ranks each of the 136 legacy wells according to surface and downhole risk.
The plan says 50 wells require remediation, with 68 needing no further action. The final 18 wells remain in use by the U.S. Geological Survey for Arctic climate change monitoring, BLM says.
The agency has identified 16 priority wells for cleanup, all in the area of Barrow and the Simpson Peninsula to the southeast.
Foerster, in her critique, said AOGCC believes 80 legacy wells require BLM remediation, not 50.
And she urged faster action on wells that she says pose clear hazards, such as above-ground pipe, pilings, drums and other metal debris that could hurt snowmachine or ATV travelers.
Risk rankings questioned As an example, Foerster questioned BLM’s risk assessment for a well called Simpson Core Test No. 27.
“The downhole risk for this well is not ‘none,’” Foerster wrote. “The well was inadequately plugged in 2005 and the cement was not tagged nor was the well pressure tested. BLM must ensure the well is secure. The surface risk for the site is not ‘none.’ The wellhead must be removed.”
Another example was the Wolf Creek No. 1 well.
“The subsurface risk for this well is high since it experienced a blowout while drilling, has a history of gas production, and has a primitive wellhead with pressure on it and a history of leaking and being tampered with,” Foerster wrote. “BLM should expedite plugging and cleanup for this well and site.”
Foerster noted that several sites have well cellars that fill with water, posing a drowning or entrapment hazard to children and small animals.
She also questioned BLM’s treatment of the USGS wells.
“Until such time as these 18 USGS wells are properly plugged and abandoned, USGS or BLM has an ongoing responsibility to demonstrate that the wells all are truly being used and have mechanical integrity,” Foerster wrote.
A number of legacy wells are scheduled for review at AOGCC public meetings in June, July or August, she said.
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