The energy transition introduces novel challenges to well integrity that remain largely unexplored and unaddressed. In this paper, wellbore integrity from a traditional standpoint is revisited and examined against emerging requirements driven by energy-transition applications. The work consolidates common wellbore-integrity issues across various energy-transition applications, offering a unified perspective based on a literature review and the authors’ extensive laboratory experience. It highlights critical challenges and proposes future research directions to address the evolving needs of subsurface operations in the energy-transition era.
Energy Transition and New Wellbore Fluids
New challenges exist for wellbore integrity because of the unique properties of newly introduced fluids and developing operational aspects.
Hydrogen (H2). H2 is the smallest molecule in nature and is highly penetrative and reactive.
