PEMEX, Mexico’s state-owned oil company, has a long history of offshore oil and gas exploration and production. It is now facing the significant challenge of decommissioning ageing offshore infrastructure.
Due to the extensive nature of PEMEX’s offshore operations over decades, the company has accumulated a substantial portfolio of platforms, pipelines, and other facilities, reaching the end of its operational life. This necessitates a comprehensive approach to decommissioning, encompassing removal, dismantling, and environmental remediation.
While PEMEX has gained experience in decommissioning certain assets, the scale and complexity of the overall task pose significant technical and financial hurdles. The company is developing strategies and plans to address these challenges and ensure the safe and responsible decommissioning of its offshore infrastructure.
Contracted through our partner ABS, RESL was tasked with kick-starting the PEMEX decommissioning planning with a comprehensive study of the AKAL-N’s three offshore platforms, related pipelines and subsea equipment, and 15 well abandonment.
Our work included reviewing the applicable laws and regulations, the internal decision gate process, and developing a comparative risk-based assessment process for facilities and wells. We also reviewed decommissioning technology, emphasising increased local Mexican content. Despite the significant data availability challenges, we produced an upper Class 4 estimate for the complete decommissioning of the AKAL-N field.