ELGIN G4 GAS LEAK INCIDENT

25 March 16 May 2012

ELGIN: KEY FACTS & FIGURES
Operated by Total for 8 x J V partners
Elgin PUQ (Production Utilities Quarters)
& wellhead platforms linked by 90m bridge
High Temperature/High Pressure fields
On stream since 2001
Elgin produces 135k boe/d


Elgin G4 gas leak incident, 25 March 16 May 2012 (J uly 2012) 2
ELGIN G4: WELL ARCHITECTURE
Seabed @ 93m below
platform
Chalk HOD non-producing
low permeability high
pressure
Fulmar producing high
permeability lower
pressure
On Elgin A (wellhead)
platform
3 Elgin G4 gas leak incident, 25 March 16 May 2012 (J uly 2012)
ELGIN G4 GAS LEAK: SEQUENCE OF EVENTS
25 February: sudden decrease of A annulus pressure
and rapid increase in B and then C annulus
G4 Task Force established: well intervention program
with Rowan Viking rig support
15 March: tubing and A annulus contents displaced to
1.2sg brine
22 - 25 March: well intervention
start pumping 2.05sg NABM down tubing & up A annulus
B & C annuli pressure increase
C annulus bled off through WHP process
B annulus operating window increased
after 172m
3
operation suspended as mud returns to the
process via C annulus
attempt to re-route C annulus returns line to surge tank
sudden unsustainable C & B annuli pressure increase -
leading to gas release at well head D annulus


4
= gas path to surface leak
Specialist teams mobilised
Elgin G4 gas leak incident, 25 March 16 May 2012 (J uly 2012)
12.20: gas & condensate leak confirmed at the
wellhead on Elgins G4 well
13.30: evacuation begins of Elgin and the
adjacent Rowan Viking drilling rig
16.40: 219 people have been evacuated,
leaving 19 still on the complex
01.45: Elgin OIM decides to fully abandon
Platform, rig & wells shut down
Export pipelines isolated
02.30: the last 19 people are evacuated

All 238 people safely and quickly
evacuated
ELGIN G4 GAS LEAK: DAY ONE (25 MARCH)
5 Elgin G4 gas leak incident, 25 March 16 May 2012 (J uly 2012)
Gas, condensate & mud released at deck level
Visible gas plume formed
Condensate & mud fall to sea
Sheen covers a large area of sea surface
Waxy paraffinic deposits on wellhead platform
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ELGIN G4 GAS LEAK: INITIAL IMPACTS
Elgin G4 gas leak incident, 25 March 16 May 2012 (J uly 2012)
ELGIN G4 GAS LEAK: INITIAL IMPACTS
7
7 April
surface sheen still
visible, but less than
1/10
th
micron thick
Elgin G4 gas leak incident, 25 March 16 May 2012 (J uly 2012)
27 March
gas plume and
sheen visible,
but not obvious

Preferred solution: pumping in heavy mud
a mobile pumping unit putting heavy mud directly into G4 from the wellhead
technically feasible
re-boarding of the Elgin wellhead platform necessary
Wild Well Control already mobilised and suitably experienced
no absolute guarantee of success
timescale measured in weeks
Back-up solution: drilling a relief well
a contingency in the event the well pumping intervention is ineffective
technically feasible
start drilling two wells and use the one that reaches the interception point first
two drilling rigs (Rowan Gorilla V & Sedco 714) to be mobilised rapidly
timescale measured in months
8
ELGIN G4 GAS LEAK: SOLUTIONS TO REGAIN WELL
CONTROL
Elgin G4 gas leak incident, 25 March 16 May 2012 (J uly 2012)
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ELGIN G4 GAS LEAK: SOLUTIONS TO REGAIN WELL
CONTROL
Elgin G4 gas leak incident, 25 March 16 May 2012 (J uly 2012)
ELGIN G4 GAS LEAK: DIVERTER
Specially designed & manufactured
Fitted around the leaking G4 well head
4 flexible hoses carry gas & condensates
away from the well head
Greatly improved frequency of helicopter
flights and access to the wellhead
G4 well head before diverter fitted... ... and after
Two of the diverters four flexible hoses
10
back
Elgin G4 gas leak incident, 25 March 16 May 2012 (J uly 2012)
29 March: OSRL flights reveal size of sheen has
already diminished considerably
30 March: flare is confirmed as extinguished
2 April: pumping in heavy mud & relief well solutions
announced
5 April: first re-boarding of Elgin complex by Wild
Well Control & Total E&P UK teams
15 April: mobilisation of West Phoenix drilling rig &
Skandi Aker as main well intervention support
vessels
18 April: Sedco 714 spuds first relief well
26 April: special diverter fitted to G4 well head

The Sedco 714 drilling rig
The diverter on the G4 wellhead
11
ELGIN G4 GAS LEAK: POST INCIDENT MILESTONES (1)
Leak rate drops to about 33% of initial rate
Elgin G4 gas leak incident, 25 March 16 May 2012 (J uly 2012)
April/May: ongoing preparatory works
successful removal of waxy deposits
laying of 230m of temporary rigid pipeline (chiksan)
10 May: West Phoenix drilling rig alongside
10/15 May: extensive equipment testing
15 May: well intervention operation begins

Regular cleaning operations on the Elgin well head platform
The West Phoenix; the main well kill support vessel
Chiksan temporary rigid pipeline
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ELGIN G4 GAS LEAK: POST INCIDENT MILESTONES (2)
Elgin G4 gas leak incident, 25 March 16 May 2012 (J uly 2012)
SCANDI AKER
Elgin G4 gas leak incident, 25 March 16 May 2012 (J une 2012) 13
Elgin G4 gas leak incident, 25 March 16 May 2012 (J une 2012) 14
ELGIN G4 GAS LEAK: WELL INTERVENTION OPERATION
15
Rowan Viking
Elgin wellhead
platform
Elgin PUQ
West Phoenix
Later following successful operation, the logistics resources deployed
Elgin G4 gas leak incident, 25 March 16 May 2012 (J uly 2012)
Elgin G4 gas leak incident, 25 March 16 May 2012 (J une 2012) 16
Pre-intervention testing, using flexible hose Coflex from West Phoenix to Elgin PUQ
17
ELGIN G4 GAS LEAK: WELL INTERVENTION SET-UP
Elgin G4 gas leak incident, 25 March 16 May 2012 (J uly 2012)
Dynamic well kill with 2.05sg mud
Initially pumped water based mud (WBM)
Pumped through G4 wellhead into tubing
511m
3
pumped @ a rate of 10-4bbls/min
Pumped via Coflex & chiksan from West Phoenix
Pumping for 12 hours
No diversion: pumped fluids exited to sea
After 3 days, WBM replaced with NABM
(Non Aqueous Based Mud)

= mud path while pumping
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G4 now stable and under observation
ELGIN G4 GAS LEAK: WELL INTERVENTION OPERATION
Elgin G4 gas leak incident, 25 March 16 May 2012 (J uly 2012)
The well has been killed and is filled with oil based
mud
The well & gas leak path are under control
Progressive re-manning of the Elgin complex & the
Rowan Viking is underway
The West Phoenix was demobilised once the
Rowan Vikings pumps were made available
As a contingency, drilling of a first relief is
progressing
But a decision taken not to drill a second relief well
following the successful well kill
Tubing & all annuli filled with NAB mud
Other Elgin/Franklin wells being monitored
ELGIN G4 GAS LEAK: CURRENT STATUS
19 Elgin G4 gas leak incident, 25 March 16 May 2012 (J uly 2012)
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING
20
any questions?
Elgin G4 gas leak incident, 25 March 16 May 2012 (J uly 2012)