As oil and gas wells reach the end of their productive life, there is a risk of leaving shallow reservoirs untapped left behind casing. These shallow reservoirs, including gas caps and thin bed formations, may hold valuable resources that are uneconomical to produce using conventional rig based well recompletions.
In Indonesia's Belida field, operators tackled this challenge by implementing rigless up-hole recompletions and utilising 3M Ceramic Sand Screens for downhole sand control. By employing this, operator was able to achieve high production rates from short reservoir perforated zone, maximising hydrocarbons recovery and extending the productive life of the wells and asset.
What role did 3M Ceramic Sand Screens play in facilitating rigless up-hole recompletions for shallow reservoir extraction?
How 3M technology contributes the extension of asset life by accessing previously uneconomical reservoirs?
How does 3M's solution manage erosion and hotspotting risks contributing faster return on investment?
The Intervention and Coiled Tubing Association (ICoTA) has re-established its China Chapter, a recognition of the country’s growing importance to global energy markets and in the evolution of advanced well technologies.
ICoTA called it a “significant milestone” in the association’s global expansion and a commitment to technological innovation in well intervention.
In a statement, it said the revitalised China Chapter would serve as a critical hub for networking, knowledge exchange and technological advancement in the well intervention and coiled tubing sector across the whole of the Asia-Pacific region.
“This strategic relaunch reflects ICoTA's dedication to supporting emerging markets and fostering global industry collaboration,” the association noted.
Steve Moir, Global Chair of ICoTA, called it a landmark moment with implications for the whole region.
“Re-establishing the China chapter of ICoTA marks a pivotal moment as we unite to harness the immense potential of well intervention services in one of the world’s largest markets,” he said.
“Together, we will drive innovation and collaboration, ensuring a prosperous future for coiled tubing technology in China and beyond."
Frank Kong, from CNPC USA, described the market for well intervention services in China alone as huge.
“In 2024, the number of coiled tubing operations is about 12,000 jobs,” he said.
“The CNPC Engineering Technology R&D Company and Jianghan Machinery Institute have taken the lead in establishing the Coiled Tubing Technical Committee of the China Petroleum Society, which plays a leading role in China. The combination of China and ICoTA will for sure greatly promote the development of the industry and expand ICoTA's influence.”
Key objectives of ICoTA’s renewed China Chapter include:
Providing a robust platform for Chinese and international professionals in well intervention technologies.
Facilitating knowledge sharing and technical expertise across regional and international boundaries.
Supporting local industry professionals through networking, training and professional development opportunities.
Promoting cutting-edge technological innovations in well intervention and coiled tubing operations.
The Asia Pacific region is set to continue to provide a steady stream of work for the interventions market for some years to come, as high levels of upstream activity drive demand for drilling contractors and specialist expertise across a broad range of areas.
The well interventions segment is likely to prosper injecting new life into some of the region’s ageing oil and gas fields, all set against a backdrop of a general rise in energy demand globally.
This is likewise driving current upstream activity in the area.
According to industry consultancy, Westwood Energy, there are more than a dozen high-impact wells expected across the Asia Pacific region during the course of this year.
This includes the Hai Su Vang-1X well, which was completed as a discovery in early 2025.
As the region’s oil and gas sector expands and matures, the demand for well intervention services from local and international contractors is expected to follow suit.
Energy services provider, Expro Group, for example, reported significant contracts from the Asia-Pacific region in its Q1 results, including work to provide combined e-line cased hole and slickline services across 315 wells.
UK-listed EnQuest is among the upstream operators with an eye on the region’s hydrocarbon potential, with operations now spread across Malaysia, Vietnam and Indonesia.
Organic and transactional growth in the region already provides a pathway for the company to grow its South East Asian production to more than 35,000 Boepd by the end of the decade, EnQuest Chief Executive, Amjad Bseisu, said at the end of May.
He also noted that the group is in “advanced discussions” around a further new country entry in the region, highlighting keen investor appetite.
It underscores the potential for contracting teams, including across the well services and internentions market, to secure more business as the industry flourishes.
Westwood Energy identified various other key frontier wells for 2025 across the region, offshore South Korea at Daewanggorae, as well as at Mailu offshore Papua New Guinea.
Drilling will also continue in the Kutei Basin, offshore Indonesia, it noted, whilst a 2025 exploration programme offshore Malaysia is still to be firmed up, with only the Megah high-impact well currently drilling confirmed.
In addition, India should see at least five or six high impact wells from Oil India and ONGC across the east coast and Andaman Islands basins, the consultancy group noted earlier this year.
China’s DS Global Offshore has reported that its Huan Qiu 1200 vessel has now completed decommissioning contract work in Thailand, on behalf of operator, Chevron.
The vessel has now returned to Chinese waters for domestic-based work.
“From early spring 2024 to late spring 2025, after more than a year of hard work, the Thailand Chevron oil and gas field subsea pipeline recovery project led by the ship, Huan Qiu 1200, of DS Global Offshore Engineering (Tianjin) Co.,Ltd. has successfully concluded,” it noted in a statement.
“After more than 400 days, with the excellent performance of the DP2 power positioning system, the team successfully recovered more than 60 21-inch cement-coated sea pipes in the deep sea, breaking the industry record and setting a new benchmark for global deep-sea energy development.”
It described the submarine pipeline labyrinth as an “underwater steel forest” spanning multiple kilometres in length.
DS Global Offshore said in its statement that precision technology and solutions had won praise from Chevron for overcoming challenges such as the increased weight of cement coatings and disturbance from underwater currents in the deep-sea environment.
It said the project team adopted the “segmented disassembly and precise lifting scheme, optimising the cutting path through dynamic simulation and using high-precision sensors to adjust the lifting angle in real time, successfully avoiding the risk of pipeline entanglement.”
At the core of the project, it noted, was the vessel’s DP2 power positioning system.
“The system analyses wind speed, ocean currents and ship displacement data in real-time through onboard computers, automatically adjusts the propulsion power, and controls the positioning error of the engineering ship within three metres, even in deep sea and level four sea conditions,” the DS Global Offshore statement noted.
The company added: “The Chevron owner stated: This cooperation fully demonstrates the excellent technical strength and professional competence of the engineering ship team, setting a benchmark for future offshore energy projects.”
Chevron is looking to decommission dozens of offshore platforms and subsea pipelines in Thailand over the coming years.
South East Asia’s decommissioning challenge is at a pivotal point. With an estimated 1,500 platforms and 7,000 wells nearing decommissioning by 2030, it is a challenge that is coming into sharp focus. But which country faces the greatest test?
While Southeast Asia is a region with profound market differences, each of the main oil and gas-producing states faces a stern test ahead. According to recent insight article by Bureau Veritas South East Asia, the decommissioning journey ahead will not be simple, but with billions of dollars at stake, sustainable, economic and effective solutions must be found.
With over 630 offshore platforms, many of which are over 40 years old, Indonesia faces a great challenge ahead. Despite its comparatively limited decommissioning experience, Indonesia’s regulatory body, SKK Migas, is focused on enhanced oil recovery initiatives and maximising output from existing assets before decommissioning, notes Bureau Veritas, a world leader in testing, inspection and certification services. However, initial projects such as the Anoa field’s decommissioning and the removal of the Belanak floating storage and offloading unit have provided important learnings for future activity, it adds.
Brunei is home to some of the oldest oil and gas infrastructure anywhere in the wider Asia Pacific region. It is prioritising the phased abandonment of its shallow-water fields, including the Champion and Ampa fields, according to the Bureau Veritas article. With 214 offshore platforms and over 1,400 wells, the nation’s petroleum infrastructure is extensive, though, it notes. Decommissioning activities are supported by updated guidelines developed in collaboration with Brunei Shell Petroleum.
It is estimated that around 40% of Malaysia’s 300-plus offshore platforms are now over 30 years old — moreover, a significant number are operating beyond their design life. To address this problem, state oil company, Petronas, plans to invest around US$2bn in decommissioning activities over the coming decade. Future plans include plugging and abandoning approximately 153 wells and the abandonment of about 37 offshore facilities, as well as one onshore facility connecting the Sabah-Sarawak Gas Pipeline.
With 450 offshore platforms, Thailand is channelling its decommissioning efforts through initiatives such as Decomm 2.0, the Bureau Veritas article notes, which streamlines regulatory approvals under the Thailand Department of Mineral Fuels. According to Bureau Veritas, the nation’s legal framework, rooted in its Petroleum Act, provides “a strong foundation” for efficient and sustainable decommissioning activities.
In a significant stride for India’s energy infrastructure, the Panna-Mukta and Tapti (PMT) joint venture – comprising Shell (via BGEPIL), Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), and ONGC – has wrapped up country’s first offshore decommissioning project successfully.
The milestone marks the safe removal of offshore facilities in the mid and south Tapti fields, located off India’s west coast.
The PMT JV, which operated the Tapti fields under a production sharing contract with the Government of India, includes ONGC with a 40% stake, and BGEPIL (Shell) and Reliance holding 30% each.
Production from the fields ceased in March 2016, marking a major shift in India’s oil and gas sector – from extracting resources to safely shutting down operations.
The multi-phase project involved the removal of five wellhead platforms, the safe plugging and abandonment of 38 wells, and the removal of infield pipelines. The entire process closely adhered to safety and environmental standards, at every stage – from offshore execution to onshore dismantling, planned with utmost precision.
The project, aligned with India’s ‘Make in India’ mission, awarded major contracts to Indian firms – Larsen & Toubro, who led the offshore removal, while Chowgule Shipyard in Ratnagiri handled the onshore dismantling. This not only strengthened domestic capability in energy infrastructure but also created a blueprint for future decommissioning operations in Indian waters.
What sets this project apart is not just its scale but its role in shaping a strong regulatory and operational framework for offshore decommissioning in India. Built in close collaboration with stakeholders – the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, the Directorate General of Hydrocarbons, and the Oil Industry Safety Directorate, the Tapti decommissioning project sets a benchmark of how legacy fields can be responsibly retired.
“The safe and successful completion of the Tapti offshore project is a landmark moment for India’s offshore energy sector,” said Nipun Pradhan, managing director of BGEPIL and GM, Shell Upstream India, adding, that this project sets a new benchmark for responsible decommissioning, which has been made possible by global expertise, strong collaboration, and an unwavering commitment to safety and sustainability.
Sanjay Barman Roy, president of E&P, Reliance Industries, shared, “The safe and responsible offshore decommissioning by the PMT JV marks a significant step forward for India’s energy sector. From the outset, the JV partners worked tirelessly to strengthen local supply chains and enhance the technical and safety capabilities of Indian contractors, especially for offshore dismantling activities,” stating that this has been successful in fulfilling the government’s ‘Make and Break in India’ vision.
For ONGC, the project’s complexity, given its proximity to active assets, underscored the importance of meticulous planning. “This first-of-its-kind large-scale offshore decommissioning underscores ONGC’s commitment to responsible energy practices, said Pankaj Kumar, director of production, ONGC, expressing that the project’s complexity, especially its proximity to ONGC’s live assets demanded strategic planning, precise execution, and utmost focus on safety and that it sets the foundation for India’s next chapter in offshore transformation.
As India strives to balance energy growth with environmental responsibility, the Tapti project sets a timely benchmark for offshore decommissioning in the country’s evolving energy transition.
Well intervention in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region is expected to witness significant growth in the coming years.
According to a report by Allied Market Research, an increase in energy demand and revitalisation of aging brown field wells are factors propelling the growth of the market. However, environmental risks coupled with strict government regulations are key factors that slow down market growth.
The well intervention services market is categorised based on service type, applications, and countries. China, Australia, India, Indonesia, and Malaysia are among the handful of APAC countries that are set to experience remarkable market growth. Companies such as FMC Technologies, Nabors Industries Limited, Archer Limited, and Expro International Group Holdings Ltd., have adopted various innovative strategies, that have enabled them to gain a strong foothold in the market.
Driven by increasing energy demand, exploration activities and technological advancements in well intervention, the market is projected to expand to around US$2.7bn by 2032.
UK-based Odfjell Technology has reported that a workover contract it had in place for south-east Asia has been scrapped by its client, Brunei Shell Petroleum Company Sendirian Berhad.
In a statement, the company said that its client was “terminating this contract for convenience”.
It added: “The client reiterates that the termination is not related to the performance of Odfjell Technology and the two parties remain open to working together on future potential projects.”
Odfjell Technology said that it will close out the contract in accordance with any terms and conditions, with any expenses to be reimbursed by the client.
It also added that there will be “limited” financial effect in 2025 following the cancellation.
Asia Pacific is a region where the company is keen to grow its footprint, however, after entering the Indonesian market, and also landing the services of Australian energy industry equipment provider, R&D Solutions, earlier in the year.
It means Odfjell Technology’s industry-leading well intervention services, wellbore clean up and whipstock tools are now also available to service the Australian well services and deepwater markets, with plans for future growth in the regional plug and abandonment sector.
In its 2024 annual report, released recently, the company also reiterated its global growth ambitions.
“We are well positioned for growth in a competitive market in 2025,” it noted. “Our ambition is to increase our global footprint with well services, entering new geographies as we have in
2024, and focusing on high margin product lines.”
It added that technology development and strategic growth represent a large part of its ambitions for its well services division in 2025.
As well as its European activities, the company is also active in North America, Africa and the Middle East.
But while the cancellation of the project in Brunei may have little immediate impact on finances, it is a blow to the group’s forward aspirations.
In its 2024 annual report, the company noted that the Brunei workover job “opens both an exciting geographical market and type of service, with huge potential.”
Commencement for workover operations in south-east Asia was scheduled for the middle of this year, while mobilisation efforts began last November.
In November, Simen Lieungh, CEO of Odfjell Technology, highlighted the contract’s importance “for significantly increasing our footprint in south-east Asia.”
But in his introductory notes in the 2024 annual report he remained bullish about the group's overall global growth prospects in 2025.
“We will actively explore opportunities for acquisitions and international expansion in line with our strategy,” he noted.
Material science and technology provider, 3M, has released via Offshore Network a case study illustrating how an Indonesian oil and gas corporation Pertamina Hulu Mahakam (PHM) deployed Ceramic Sand Screen to cost effectively unlock marginal field assets
While coiled tubing-deployed chemical sand consolidation (SCON) or slickline deployed through tubing metallic screens are the conventional approaches to sand control at PHM, they are limited by its operating envelope and technical constraints. There is a need identified to unlock production with a change in filter media material.
3M Ceramic Sand Screens have saved PHM up to 50% cost over SCON solution and delivered 200% higher productivity than through tubing metallic screen solution by integrating 3M advanced ceramic materials into a sand screen assembly.
Assets like in Tunu and Peciko, reservoirs are marginal and multi-layered sand series which are highly unconsolidated and poorly sorted sands with an average of 20 to 30% porosity. 3M Ceramic Sand Screen have been initially trialed in these conditions and enabled in optimising sand control completions.
Within a span of 4 years, more than 80 wells in various fields of PHM have been successfully replicated.
*How 3M solution has impacted to unlock production from marginal assets
*How material change enables optimised and cost-effective sand control completions
*How 3M material science empowers and contributes to their energy customers to develop improved, safer and more sustainable solutions
Click here to learn more.
Valeura Energy Inc has taken a decision on investing in the redevelopment of the Wassana field in the offshore Gulf of Thailand
The investment is expected to create a significant value for shareholders. Currently, the production from the field is carried out through a MOPU facility whose life is expected to finish at the end of 2027. The facility is also limited in the number of future development wells that could be drilled and has insufficient oil and fluid processing capacity to recover the expected reserves and resources of oil in the G10/48 licence.
The Company has reviewed a number of different redevelopment concepts for the Wassana field and has selected a new central processing platform (CPP) with 24 production well slots as the optimal development concept to yield both the highest financial returns and the maximum total recoverable oil from the G10/48 licence. The new CPP will replace the existing MOPU production infrastructure and is expected to allow for a more holistic commercialisation of the field’s oil reserves, both by enabling more aerially extensive drilling reach and also by way of a longer facility design life, resulting in more years of cash flow generation.
The Company has selected Thai Nippon Steel Engineering & Construction Corporation Ltd, recognised for being a very capable Engineering, Procurement, Construction, and Commissioning (EPCC) contractor with four decades of experience in developing similar type of facilities in Thailand. Following the completion of the initial development wells, the Wessana field is expected to produce oil at rates of 10,000 bbls/d in the second half of 2027.
The company expects to spend US$40mn on the Wassana redevelopment project, with their guidance for Adjusted Capex being revised to US$165mn to US$185mn for the full year 2025, with free cash flow guidance also being provided.
Vietnam’s oil and gas sector is at a crossroads in 2025, with new discoveries, ageing fields, and geopolitical tensions contrubuting to its 2025 outlook.
The country's state-owned National Energy and Industry Group (formerly known as PetroVietnam) is driving upstream activities. This means that interventions like workovers, stimulation, and coiled tubing are becoming critical to sustaining production.
Key 2025 developments point toward a growth potential for this market.
In January 2025, Murphy Oil Corporation announced a significant oil discovery at the Hai Su Vang-1X well in the Cuu Long Basin, located 40 miles offshore Vietnam.
Drilled to 13,124 ft, the well revealed 370 ft of net oil pay, with appraisal drilling planned.
Such discoveries demand early interventions such as hydraulic fracturing or perforating to optimise reservoir flow, creating new opportunities for service providers.
In the same month, EnQuest reached an agreement to pay US$84mn to acquire Harbour Energy's offshore Vietnam oil and gas production business.
It consists of a 53.125% interest in the Natuna Sea's Chim Sáo and Dua fields, which were both first produced by Premier Oil.
The deal, set to close in Q2 2025, could spell intervention’s role in mature fields.
Producing 5,300 boe/d, these fields have “significant upside potential” through water injection optimisation and reperforation, according to EnQuest.
On the other hand, major projects, like the US$740mn Block B gas field led by Mitsui Oil Exploration, could drive intervention demand.
With production expected to begin in 2026, Block B, located about 330 km southwest of the country, may require coiled tubing cleanouts or scale removal during commissioning.
Vietnam’s 2022 Petroleum Law and CPTPP framework further attract foreign investment, with PetroVietnam’s US$1bn 2024-2025 plan supporting upstream activities. The law includes revised tax incentives, such as a corporate income tax rate of 32%, where previously it was 50%. And, a crude oil export tax rate of 10% (where previously it ranged between 6 and 25%).
Vietnam’s ageing fields, like the Bach Ho field in the Cuu Long Basin, operated by Vietsovpetro since the 1980s, face declining output.
National oil production is projected at 177.76 thousand barrels per day in 2025, according to Mordor Intelligence.
Worldwide, according to Rystad Energy, operators are turning to cost-effective interventions like workovers, artificial lift, or chemical treatments rather than costly new drilling.
A country like Vietnam, which ranks 37 in oil production globally, could certainly follow this trend.
This shift is amplified by oil prices falling this May due to OPEC+ production hikes, making interventions a budget-friendly way to sustain output.
Advanced technologies, such as digitalised wireline and riserless systems, can enhance intervention efficiency, thereby drawing global contractors to Vietnam’s basins.
By leveraging cost-effective technologies and partnerships, service providers can capitalise on demand from mature fields and new wells.
More than 200 offshore fields comprising of over 1,500 platforms and 7,000 wells are expected to curb production by 2030, signalling an urgent need for clarity in regard to decommissioning regimes.
Despite the task size, only a handful of southeast Asian countries are involved in decommissioning activities, making their overall experience limited. Adding to this challenge, are the following three region-specific issues:
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