habanero 3well incident, page-7

Scoop1
This sounds a good idea but there is a problem. Attached to the top of the pipe is a connecting pipe to the demo pilot generation plant. This needs to be unbolted and removed.
Sounds easy but the pipe has water in it at 5000psi (350 atmospheres) and 250 degrees. This will flash to steam when released.
There is a valve to turn off the flow but this is lower down and I suspect surrounded buy the boiling water, steam flow.
To connect the snubbing unit needed to insert the plug the flange above the valve needs to be unbolted. This again is probably surrounded by boiling water and steam.
How can this be done is the problem.

For those suggesting drilling a new near hole to intersect the well as done in the oil industry. Remember that H#3 has 3 casings.
473mm down to 585 metres
340mm down to 2259 metres and
244mm down to 4058 metres.
The annulus between each pair of pipes was filled with cement. This may still be the case but we have no information on this.

A drill to intersect the hole above 585M would have to ream through all 3 casings - no small ask with the temperatures and pressures - and need to make a leak free seal. Lower down the sequence continues.

Remember the temperatures, pressures and depths involved. These are a surface problem but are the great reason that the project is so prospective.

I have no solutions but raise the problems for others to realise their magnitude. I leave it to the experts to solve.

I still have great long term faith in the project. These are just some of the great challenges any great project like this encounters. Solving them will provide great experience for those involved to be used later as the project continues.

RB