Identify GHG Level for Well Repair to Identify Acceptable Leak Rate

Innotech Alberta

February 2021

2020-WARI-06

Abstract

A proof of concept Excel workbook, available upon request, was developed which demonstrates that, under some conditions, more atmospheric GHGs are generated by repairing a low leak rate well than the total GHGs that the well would cause if it was not repaired. Some methane (GHGs) from leaking sweet gas wells that have been closed, cut, and capped can be consumed with the application of naturally occurring methanotrophic bacteria in the soil above the leaking wellbore.

The report called ‘Identify GHG Level for Well Repair to Identify Acceptable Leak Rate’ describes how the amount of GHGs from leaking wells and the GHGs from remediation can be determined. The report also proposes a new field practice to encourage naturally occurring bacteria to consume methane from a leaking abandoned/closed wells.

A large suite of tools and new technologies are evolving which may be used to identify leak sources and to quantify the leak rates. The report called ‘Cost Effective Wellsite Monitoring’ The report demonstrates that some sweet gas wells with very low leak rates may not be repaired before final closure if the objective is to minimize GHGs.