Well Integrity and Reservoir Behavior under Sudden Field Shutdowns During Armed Conflicts: A Comprehensive Technical Review

Year : 2026 | Volume : 16 | Issue : 02 | Page : 40 52
By

Zainulabdeen Salah Hasan,

Ahmed Alameen,

Ali Abdullah Taha,

  1. Engineer, Department of petroleum engineering, Midland Oil Company, Baghdad, Iraq
  2. Engineer, Department of petroleum engineering, Midland Oil Company, Baghdad, Iraq
  3. Engineer, Department of petroleum engineering, Midland Oil Company, Baghdad, Iraq

Abstract

In the oil and gas industry, the sudden and unplanned cessation of operations resulting from armed conflicts or pandemics typically poses complex and multifaceted technical challenges to both well integrity and reservoir behavior. Minimal or no opportunity for proper pre-shutdown preservation procedures in unplanned shutdowns, unlike planned shutdowns that follow established operational protocols. The mechanisms and consequences of well integrity degradation and reservoir performance alteration under such conditions are synthesized in this review. Key topics examined include well barrier system failures such as cement sheath degradation, casing corrosion, sustained casing pressure (SCP) buildup, and wellhead seal deterioration. Reservoir-related phenomena including pressure redistribution, interzonal crossflow, asphaltene and paraffin wax precipitation, inorganic scale deposition, and clay swelling are also analyzed. Additional challenges specific to conflict zones, such as loss of monitoring capacity, infrastructure damage, and absence of operational personnel, are considered. The review further addresses the technical challenges and strategic approaches required for safe field re-commissioning and restart following conflict resolution. The analysis focuses on case studies from Iraq, Libya, and the broader Middle East and North Africa (MENA) area, where recurrent conflict-driven shutdowns have recorded the breadth of subterranean and surface repercussions. The findings underscore that the longer the unsupervised shutdown duration, the more severe and potentially permanent the well integrity and reservoir damage become, and that a structured, risk-based well-recommitting strategy is crucial for safe and efficient field restart.

Keywords: Well integrity, armed conflict shutdowns, reservoir behavior, sustained casing pressure, field re-commissioning, unplanned well shutdowns

[This article belongs to Journal of Petroleum Engineering & Technology ]

How to cite this article: Zainulabdeen Salah Hasan, Ahmed Alameen, Ali Abdullah Taha. Well Integrity and Reservoir Behavior under Sudden Field Shutdowns During Armed Conflicts: A Comprehensive Technical Review. Journal of Petroleum Engineering & Technology. 2026; 16(02):40-52.
How to cite this URL: Zainulabdeen Salah Hasan, Ahmed Alameen, Ali Abdullah Taha. Well Integrity and Reservoir Behavior under Sudden Field Shutdowns During Armed Conflicts: A Comprehensive Technical Review. Journal of Petroleum Engineering & Technology. 2026; 16(02):40-52. Available from: https://journals.stmjournals.com/jopet/article=2026/view=256688

References

  1. Jackson RB. The integrity of oil and gas wells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2014;111(30):10902-10903. doi:10.1073/pnas.1410786111. PMID:25009178.
  2. Ibukun M, Elyan E, Amish M, Njuguna J, Oluyemi GF. A review of well life cycle integrity challenges in the oil and gas industry and its implications for sustained casing pressure (SCP). Energies. 2024;17(22):5562. doi:10.3390/en17225562.
  3. Alsubaih AAS, Sepehrnoori K, Delshad M, Alsaedi A. A comprehensive review of well integrity challenges and digital twin applications across conventional, unconventional, and storage wells. Energies. 2025;18(17):4757. doi:10.3390/en18174757.
  4. Bybee K. A well-specific approach to the quantification of well control. J Pet Technol. 2010;62(1):60-61. doi:10.2118/0110-0060-JPT.
  5. Chalabi FJ. Iraq and the future of world oil. Middle East Policy. 2000;7(4):163-173. doi:10.1111/j.1475-4967.2000.tb00189.x.
  6. Nassar YF, El-Khozondar HJ, Salem MA, Alatrash A, Salah WA, Bashir MJ, et al. Technical and environmental cost-benefit analysis of strategies towards a green economy in the electricity sector in Libya. Econ Policy Energy Environ. 2025;(2):133-167. doi:10.3280/EFE2025-002007.
  7. Osei-Bonsu A, Al-Rashidi K, Benali F. Asymmetric market responses to Iran-related geopolitical shocks: Evidence from oil prices and energy equity abnormal returns across the June 2025 and February 2026 episodes. Open J Finance Econ. 2026;2(1):48-61. doi:10.65965/sentam.202511.UQSbgUuC.
  8. Kinzel D. Well integrity and the human factor: How does the ISO 16530-1 standard relate to communication? Oil Gas Eur Mag. 2020;46(3):21-27.
  9. Wu X, Li Z, Hou Z, Liu J, Huang S, Su D, et al. Analytical perspectives on cement sheath integrity: A comprehensive review of theoretical research. ACS Omega. 2024;9(16):17741-17759. doi:10.1021/acsomega.4c00475. PMID:38680321.
  10. Jakšić-Stojanović A, Šerić N. Sports and health as cornerstones of tourism development: Case study of Montenegro. In: Almeida Marinho D, Neiva HP, Johnson CP, Mohamudally N, editors. Sports Science and Human Health – Different Approaches. London: IntechOpen; 2020. doi:10.5772/intechopen.89386.
  11. Yakoot MS, Elgibaly AA, Ragab AMS, Mahmoud O. Well integrity management in mature fields: A state-of-the-art review on the system structure and maturity. J Pet Explor Prod Technol. 2021;11(4):1833-1853. doi:10.1007/s13202-021-01154-w.
  12. Choi YS, Young D, Nešić S, Gray LGS. Wellbore integrity and corrosion of carbon steel in CO2 geologic storage environments: A literature review. Int J Greenh Gas Control. 2013;16. doi:10.1016/j.ijggc.2012.12.028.
  13. Kiran R, Teodoriu C, Dadmohammadi Y, Nygaard R, Wood D, Mokhtari M, et al. Identification and evaluation of well integrity and causes of failure of well integrity barriers: A review. J Nat Gas Sci Eng. 2017;45:511-526. doi:10.1016/j.jngse.2017.05.009.
  14. Bogan E, Moldoveanu EA, Iamandei MI. The perspectives of sports tourism development in Bucharest, Romania. Qual Access Success. 2018;19(S1):92-100.
  15. Kaya G, Dahi Taleghani A. Integrity issues for underground gas storage wells. ASME Open J Eng. 2025;4. doi:10.1115/1.4067764.
  16. King GE, King DE. Environmental risk arising from well-construction failure: Differences between barrier and well failure, and estimates of failure frequency across common well types, locations, and well age. SPE Prod Oper. 2013;28(4):323-344. doi:10.2118/166142-PA.
  17. Horner DR. Pressure build-up in wells. In: Proceedings of the 3rd World Petroleum Congress; 1951 May 28-Jun 6; The Hague, Netherlands. p.503-523. Paper WPC-4135.
  18. SPE Reservoir Advisory Committee. Reservoir commentary: Potential implications of long-term shut-ins on reservoir. J Pet Technol. 2020;72(7):31-33. doi:10.2118/0720-0031-JPT.
  19. Antoine Ibrahim I. Legal tools for addressing uncertainty and managing risks in the energy sector: Is there a role for international disaster law? J World Energy Law Bus. 2021;14(3):163-175. doi:10.1093/jwelb/jwab013.
  20. Stratiev D, Nikolova R, Veli A, Shishkova I, Toteva V, Georgiev G. Mitigation of asphaltene deposit formation via chemical additives: A review. Processes. 2025;13(1):141. doi:10.3390/pr13010141.
  21. Minssieux L. Core damage from crude asphaltene deposition. In: SPE International Conference on Oilfield Chemistry. Society of Petroleum Engineers; 1997. p.SPE-37250. doi:10.2118/37250-MS.
  22. Mohammed I, Mahmoud M, El-Husseiny A, Al Shehri D, Al-Garadi K, Kamal MS, et al. Impact of asphaltene precipitation and deposition on wettability and permeability. ACS Omega. 2021;6(31):20091-20102. doi:10.1021/acsomega.1c03198. PMID:34395962.
  23. Wang Z, Shi B, Song Y. An insight into wax/asphaltene deposition behavior in the wellbore regions of gas condensate reservoirs. Pet Sci Technol. 2024;42(25):4072-4095. doi:10.1080/10916466.2023.2239284.
  24. Vesga-Baron A, Chamy R, Vande Wouwer A. Minimizing foaming and bulking in activated sludge with bacteriophage treatment: A review of mathematical modeling. Processes. 2022;10(8):1600. doi:10.3390/pr10081600.
  25. Abdelazim A, Abu El Ela M, El-Banbi A, Sayyouh H. Successful approach to mitigate the asphaltenes precipitation problems in ESP oil wells. J Pet Explor Prod Technol. 2022;12(3):725-741. doi:10.1007/s13202-021-01335-7.
Regular Issue Subscription Review Article
Volume 16
Issue 02
Received 29/03/2026
Accepted 06/04/2026
Published 04/05/2026
Publication Time 36 Days

Login

My IP

PlumX Metrics

Support