Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is reshaping how operators approach plug and abandonment (P&A) by unlocking the value of historical well data. By automating data extraction, validation, and interpretation, this digital workflow improves accuracy, reduces manual effort, and enables more reliable well barrier design. The result is a more efficient, scalable, and risk-informed approach to well decommissioning.
 

Reframing the P&A data challenge

Plug and abandonment is one of the most critical stages of the well lifecycle, requiring robust barrier design to ensure long-term environmental protection and regulatory compliance. For operators managing mature assets, however, the biggest obstacle often lies in accessing reliable well data. Key information—such as casing configuration, cement placement, and historical barrier performance—is frequently buried in legacy reports, scanned documents, and fragmented archives.

Extracting this data manually is time-consuming and prone to inconsistencies, creating uncertainty in P&A design and limiting the ability to standardize workflows. As global decommissioning activity accelerates, operators require a more efficient and reliable way to transform historical data into actionable engineering insight.

Digitizing legacy data with Wellbarrier solutions and GenAI

Wellbarrier solutions addresses this challenge by integrating a GenAI-powered data extraction workflow directly into the well integrity management process. Combining optical character recognition (OCR), natural language processing (NLP), and large language models (LLMs), the solution converts unstructured well documents into validated, structured datasets ready for engineering use.

Within this workflow, historical reports are digitized and semantically indexed, enabling engineers to rapidly identify and extract critical parameters such as hole size, casing details, and top-of-cement values. The extracted data is then presented in an interactive environment, where users can review, edit, and validate inputs before progressing to design.

Embedded quality control checks within Wellbarrier solutions automatically flag inconsistencies—for example mismatches between casing and hole dimensions—ensuring data accuracy before it is used in P&A planning. This significantly reduces the risk of errors propagating into barrier design and execution workflows.
 

From data to barrier design

Once validated, the data flows seamlessly into Wellbarrier solutions, where engineers can generate detailed well schematics and design barrier envelopes aligned with well conditions. This integration ensures that all P&A decisions are based on consistent, high-quality data.

By aligning barrier placement with pore pressure–fracture gradient (PPFG) analysis, Wellbarrier solutions helps identify optimal depths for cement plugs, ensuring formations can safely withstand long-term pressure conditions. This reduces the likelihood of leakage and enhances confidence in well integrity over the life of the abandonment.

The platform also supports standardized risk assessment through methodologies such as failure mode effect and criticality analysis (FMECA), enabling engineers to compare alternative abandonment designs and make more informed decisions. With access to complete and validated datasets, risk evaluation becomes more consistent and transparent across projects
 

Driving efficiency and consistency at scale

The integration of GenAI within Wellbarrier solutions significantly reduces the time required to prepare well schematics and P&A designs—from hours of manual effort to streamlined, largely automated workflows. This not only accelerates project timelines but also improves consistency across large well portfolios.

Equally important, Wellbarrier provides a unified digital environment where engineers, planners, and stakeholders can collaborate using the same validated dataset. This improves communication, supports standardization, and enables more efficient execution of P&A programs across multiple disciplines.
 

A digital foundation for future decommissioning

As the industry faces increasing decommissioning demands, digital solutions like Wellbarrier solutions are becoming essential for delivering safer and more efficient abandonment operations. By combining GenAI-driven data extraction with integrated well integrity management, Wellbarrier transforms fragmented archives into actionable, high-confidence inputs for decision-making.

This approach establishes a scalable and repeatable framework for P&A workflows—enabling operators to reduce risk, improve efficiency, and ensure compliance while maintaining the long-term integrity of abandoned wells. In doing so, Wellbarrier is helping redefine how the industry approaches well decommissioning in a data-driven era.