TorcPlug Delivers Efficient Leak Detection and Straddle Verification Through Integrated Operations Center Support on the Norwegian Continental Shelf

Challenge

A major operator on the Norwegian Continental Shelf needed to identify an unknown leak path in a gas-producing well. The operation required repeated inflow testing at selected depths around the CIV and pressure-gauge carrier while monitoring tubing and A-annulus pressure.

The original program included four planned settings, but the solution needed to provide sufficient flexibility to adapt the test program and select additional depths based on the diagnostic results obtained during the operation. The work was also executed through an Integrated Operations Center (IOC), requiring seamless collaboration between offshore personnel and onshore specialists to support real-time decision making.

Solution

The solution was the TorcPlug, selected for its multiset capability, enabling repeated setting, retrieval, and repositioning within a single deployment.

During the diagnostic run, the crew completed five downhole settings, adapting the final test locations as evidence developed. The ability to repeatedly set and retrieve the plug without returning the BHA to surface enabled an efficient leak-localization program while maintaining operational flexibility throughout the operation.

The operation was monitored through the Integrated Operations Center, allowing offshore and onshore teams to continuously evaluate the test results and optimize the diagnostic sequence as new information became available.

Following identification of the leak source and installation of a straddle, the TorcPlug was redeployed in a second run to verify the installed straddle.

Key Advantages

• Single-run multiset diagnostic operation
• Five diagnostic settings completed without retrieving the BHA to surface
• Ability to adapt test depths based on real-time results
• Integrated Operations Center support for collaborative decision making
• Dedicated verification run following remediation
• Reduced operational complexity and intervention exposure
• Reliable progression from leak diagnosis to repair verification

Result

The diagnostic run successfully identified the leak source at a tubing-joint connection after five downhole settings completed during a single run.

Following installation of a straddle, the TorcPlug was redeployed for one additional verification setting, confirming the effectiveness of the installed straddle.

Both runs were completed according to plan with no reported operational issues. The operation involved a total of six downhole settings, consisting of five diagnostic settings during the leak-localization phase and one verification setting following remediation, with a combined time in well of 64 hours and 35 minutes.