‘Sea’s smoke alarm’ to detect oil and gas leaks

An early warning system to detect leaks in oil and gas wells that has been dubbed a “smoke alarm for the sea” is being developed by scientists and industry specialists.

The new environmentally friendly technique, focused on the long-term integrity of suspended or decommissioned wells in the North Sea, is being developed by Sentinel Subsea, Heriot-watt University and the Oil and Gas Innovation Centre.

The North Sea is home to around 11,000 oil and gas wells, with almost 2,400 due to be decommissioned over the next decade.

According to the team, suspended wells are not inspected frequently and there is no obligation to inspect abandoned wells.

The industry lacks a standardised approach at this stage in wells’ life cycles to ensuring their integrity, it is claimed.