petroleum-well-integrity-operations-method

# Petroleum Well Integrity Operations Method ## Freeze well identity and lifecycle state Identify operator, jurisdiction, field/facility, well name and unique well identifier, surface and subsurface reference, well type, current lifecycle state and effective timestamp. Record the authoritative well schematic/configuration revision and every source used. Preserve datum, measured depth and true vertical depth conventions; pressure basis; temperature basis; fluid and material identity; and unit system. Do not merge evidence from sidetracks, slots, completions or revisions merely because names resemble each other. State the bounded operation under review: drilling, suspension, completion, production, injection, workover, intervention or decommissioning evidence. Record the requested human decision, technical authority and independent-examination boundary. A stale schematic or ambiguous lifecycle state stops the review. ## Establish design basis and operating envelope evidence Trace supplied formation, pore/fracture pressure, temperature, fluid, load, corrosion, material and service assumptions to controlled sources. Map casing, liner, cement, wellhead, tubing, packer, subsurface safety valve and other completion equipment to depth, configuration, function and verification evidence. Preserve design values exactly as supplied with unit, reference basis, source version and applicability. Record an operating limit or MAASP only as a cited operator-controlled value. Do not calculate, interpolate, recommend or approve it. Separate design rating, test pressure, allowable operating value, alarm, trip and observed measurement. A public regulation or industry catalog is not a substitute for the operator's well-specific design basis. ## Model credible flow paths and barrier envelopes For the bounded operation, identify credible paths from formation or contained fluids to another formation, the wellbore, facility or environment. Record the operator-defined primary and secondary barrier envelopes and the well-barrier elements composing each. For each element capture function, configuration, interfaces, failure modes considered, verification method, status source and dependencies. Independence and availability are professional determinations. The Skill checks only whether supplied evidence is linked and internally consistent. It does not declare two barriers independent, an element qualified or an envelope valid. Unmapped paths, common dependencies and conflicting status require escalation. ## Trace drilling and completion verification Organize supplied casing/liner design and installation records, cement program and evaluation evidence, wellhead/BOP configuration, completion components and pressure or function tests. For a test, record procedure/version, authorized acceptance source, preconditions, fluid and temperature, pressure and time basis, volume/returns as applicable, instrumentation and calibration, expected response, observed response, leak-off or negative-test interpretation supplied by the qualified engineer, anomalies and evidence pointer. Do not reinterpret a negative-pressure test, direct a BOP test, prescribe cement remediation or provide well-control steps. A test from a different configuration, depth, instrument or lifecycle phase cannot be silently reused. ## Evaluate production integrity surveillance Build a time-aligned ledger of tubing and annulus pressures, temperatures, rates when relevant to interpretation, valve/function checks, corrosion/erosion monitoring, leak indications, fluid samples, integrity logs and alarm/events supplied by the operator. Preserve timestamp/time zone, channel, annulus designation, reference depth, pressure basis, instrument, calibration and source-system quality flags. Compare observations only with current supplied operating-envelope, alarm and action criteria. State trend window, missing data, sensor replacement, shutdown/startup context and configuration changes. Distinguish measurement artifact, observation, anomaly and engineering disposition. Never command a valve, change an alarm, alter pressure/rate or decide shutdown or restart. ## Trace interventions, changes and anomalies Create an immutable chronology of workovers, repairs, interventions, configuration changes, temporary measures, anomalies and remediation evidence. Link each event to affected barrier envelopes/elements, before/after schematic, approvals as supplied, verification, surveillance and unresolved residual gaps. Record management-of-change identifiers without approving the change. Challenge unexplained discontinuities: changed annulus behavior, missing pressure tests, cement uncertainty, corrosion progression, valve failure, communication between annuli or unexpected fluid indications. These are evidence gaps or observations, not automatic integrity classifications. Route disposition to the named technical authority. ## Reconcile units, bases and uncertainty Every quantity requires unit and reference basis. Distinguish gauge and absolute pressure, surface and downhole conditions, measured and true vertical depth, static and circulating condition, design/test/operating values and original/reporting units. Record conversion formula/source and never compare unlike bases. State measurement accuracy, calibration status, sampling interval, data gaps, model dependence and interpretation uncertainty. Preserve conflicting readings and interpretations. Do not smooth or normalize data in a way that hides excursions or time-dependent barrier status. ## Join the well-integrity evidence case Run basis/envelope, drilling/completion verification, production surveillance and intervention/change branches from one frozen well/configuration/lifecycle baseline. Join by stable well, schematic, operation, flow-path, envelope, element, test and anomaly IDs. Reconcile depth and pressure bases, dates and configuration across branches. Produce explicit lists of supported records, contradictory status, orphan elements, unverified barriers, stale tests, unexplained trends, missing approvals and decisions requiring technical authority. The join may state that evidence is present or unresolved; it cannot classify integrity, validate barriers, set limits or authorize operations. ## Source and jurisdiction discipline Bind each regulatory statement to jurisdiction, section, version and effective date. Use current 30 CFR sources for US offshore applicability only when the well is within scope; use UK HSE material only for its applicable regime. API catalog entries identify available standards but do not supply protected content or current operator requirements. Operator-controlled standards and procedures govern well-specific work and must be provided lawfully. ## Stop and authority rules Stop on ambiguous identity, lifecycle or schematic; missing datum/depth or pressure basis; absent flow path or barrier definition; unsupported element status; missing test criterion/calibration; unexplained pressure/annulus behavior; or absent technical authority. Stop before live connection or operational instruction. Never provide BOP, valve, pressure, kill, cement, drilling, completion, stimulation, intervention, plug or abandonment commands. Never calculate MAASP, set limits, declare a barrier valid, decide shutdown/restart/abandonment, approve a permit/waiver or claim compliance. Qualified engineers, operator technical authority, independent examiner and regulators retain those decisions.