Disposal of old boreholes in Berlin
In the summer of this year, MND DS started a project to dispose of several wells of the Berlin Erdgasspeicher (BES) underground gas storage facility, which is located directly in Berlin. Here, our company uses an MD 80 rig operated primarily by MND Germany employees, which enabled us to meet the customer's request for at least a partially German-speaking crew. In addition, the MD 80 has thus returned to the foreign market for which it was primarily intended after several years of operation.
The Streicher MD 80 rig was equipped with a Tecniwell flushing pump tank system, a Shaffer 11" 5K preventer assembly and other necessary equipment for the project. Work is performed seven days a week and only the morning shift is performed. The entire POS crew is made up of MND Germany employees. Key MND Germany employees have been trained to operate the MD80 rig in Lusatia. A mechanic and an electrician from Lusatia were brought in for the first few assemblies and builds of the MD 80.
A total of thirteen bunker probes on three work areas should be disposed of during the project. The disposal of one probe takes an average of fifteen days and the work for BES should be completed in April 2025.
BES is a major player in the German gas market. It specialises in natural gas storage and provides key services in the energy sector. BES chose to work with MND because of the technical expertise we have already demonstrated on a previous successful project with the MD 150 rig. BES was more than satisfied with the performance of the previous contractor, which opened the door to working with MND again, despite the considerable distance between the site and our company bases (Lusatia and Celle).
The BES project is a key step in MND DS' plans to expand its plug and abandonment (P&A) activities outside the Czech Republic. This project also expands the portfolio of activities of our German subsidiary, MND Germany, which has so far operated only one Rig40 rig and focused mainly on drilling medium-deep wells. In the future, it is expected that the MD80 rig will be operated by MND Germany.
Germany offers considerable potential for the disposal of old wells, presenting a significant opportunity for further development in this sector, where demand is expected to grow rapidly. The P&A work not only contributes to environmental protection, but also enables the use of these sites for new energy projects, such as geothermal energy, or the reuse of sites as part of urban development. In Germany, major contracts and campaigns for this type of work can be expected in the coming years. The implementation of the disposal wells for BES is thus a pilot project for planned activities in the field of P&A and the further development of MND's strategic presence in Germany.
Radovan Jedlička
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