Sustainability is our future

Looking at sustainability today versus ten years ago, the focus on the future and what natural resources will remain is vital to most, if not all, organizations. Between the environmental, social and economic pillars of sustainability, BiSN has developed an innovative technology to provide a safe and natural barrier within the energy industry. This barrier is a final seal blocking the emittance of gases, unwanted water, and pressures within downhole applications.

Our most recent campaign in the North Sea was with Aker BP at their Valhall Field. BiSN provided over 30 bismuth alloy plugs to the top section of the wells as the final barrier prior to abandonment. With the largest alloy plug placed within a 30” casing, it earned the title of world record holder for using a tool weighing in at over 30,000 lbs. By the end of the campaign, 24 plugs of this size were deployed, with 6 smaller (24”) plugs, and all tested to show no emittance of gases (or bubbles) over a 14-day trial. The overall sustainability of these tools remains in line with several UN Sustainability Goals: (9) Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure and (14) Life Below Water.

The campaign with Aker BP has proven that BiSN is an environmental barrier. In addition, the PSA Norway qualified the Wel-lok™ sealing technology as a barrier for the Seal 2 application in the Valhall wells. With a gas tight, non-permeable seal in place, the conductors could be safely cut and removed with no release of hydrocarbons. Aker BP featured the BiSN technology recently in their 2021 first quarter Sustainability Report. (A copy can be viewed below.)

BiSN’s Wel-lok™ technology is a downhole sealing solution developed to provide a permanent seal through a thermite heat ignition and a rapid solidification process of bismuth alloy. The use of bismuth alloy is advantageous because once it is heated, the metal liquifies and is equal to that of the viscosity of water. The liquid bismuth alloy can then filter through porous locations prior to solidification, as opposed to conventional methods such as cement or resin.