from the site. Precautions must be taken during this operation to control 

 waste liquids associated with equipment removal. If the well is to be perma- 

 nently shut down, the bore must be filled with mud and capped with cement. 

 Then the casing must be cut below ground and the area around the wellhead 

 filled and tamped. Surface production equipment such as the Christmas tree, 

 walking beam, and pumps may be in good enough condition to be refurbished and 

 moved elsewhere. Surface flowlines are disconnected, and if they are in good 

 condition, they can be used elsewhere. However, it is unusual to remove 

 buried lines unless they are very near the surface. 



When operations are completely terminated, the surface owner may require 

 a certain amount of restoration of the area around the wellsite. The operator 

 may level the area, plow, and seed it according to the owner's specifications. 

 In upland areas, the wellsite location often has become revegetated over the 

 period of time from drilling to shutdown. Therefore, the restoration required 

 in these places is minimal. 



In marsh locations, owners may ask for breaching or removal of dikes, 

 though this is unusual. Because of previous artificial or natural revegetation, 

 dikes are usually well-vegetated by the time shutdown of a producing wellsite 

 occurs. 



In dredged locations, a small floating rig is required to pull the tubing 

 and equipment from the well bore. A minor amount of dredging may be required 

 to move this rig to the location site. All downhole equipment, surface produc- 

 tion equipment, and surface flowlines are removed and barged elsewhere. 

 Unless in excellent shape, most of this equipment is sold for scrap. The well 

 is filled with mud and capped, and the casing is cut considerably below the 

 water-sediment interface. When all equipment is removed, the canal leading to 

 the slip may be closed off, though in the majority of cases it is not. In 

 dredged locations, surface pumps, heaters, and wellsite production equipment 

 are placed on pilings. When shutdown occurs, these pilings are removed so 

 that no obstructions remain. 



In upland, marsh, and dredged sites, roads or levees with roads that have 

 been built are usually left after termination of production. Since production 

 is long term, the impacts (if any) resulting from significant physical changes 

 have already occurred. Sometimes surface owners have found the roads to be 

 convenient for their own access. Thus, it is unusual for the surface owner to 

 require removal and restoration of road areas. 



When a field has completely ceased production, centralized upland produc- 

 tion facilities are removed as well. All pieces of surface equipment - tanks, 

 separators, valves, etc. - are removed from their permanent foundations. 

 Unless in \ery good condition, this equipment is sold for scrap on site. 

 Surface flowlines are taken up, though buried pipes are usually left. Unless 

 specifically required by the surface owner, poured foundations are usually not 

 removed. 



110 



