Standards define an annular barrier as a seal extending across the full cross-section of the annulus, of defined length, verified by an accepted method. In practice that means cement of adequate length and quality, confirmed by logging and, where possible, pressure testing. A log alone shows what is there; a pressure test shows whether it holds; the combination is what most frameworks accept.

Mechanical barriers have become a practical alternative where cement is difficult. Swellable packers, expandable systems and annular packers can create isolation in open hole or behind casing, and in some cases can be verified more directly than cement. They have their own limits, particularly around swell time, fluid compatibility and pressure capacity.

The documentation matters as much as the barrier. An annular barrier accepted ten years ago with no record of its verification is an integrity problem waiting to appear during abandonment planning. Recording what was verified, by what method, against what criteria, is part of creating the barrier.

By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

• Define zonal isolation requirements from regulations and standards.
• Specify what constitutes an acceptable annular barrier.
• Compare cement and mechanical isolation options and their limits.
• Design cement barriers to meet length and quality requirements.
• Specify swellable, expandable and alternative annular barriers.
• Design verification programmes using pressure testing and logging.
• Apply acceptance criteria to verification results.
• Use annulus pressure monitoring and surveys as supporting evidence.
• Plan remediation when verification fails.
• Document verified barriers for integrity and abandonment purposes.

The course is instructor-led. Isolation requirements are taken from recognised standards and applied to real well cases, with participants defining barriers, specifying verification and assessing whether evidence meets acceptance criteria. Cases include barriers accepted on inadequate evidence and the consequences. Participants are encouraged to bring their own well schematics for discussion.

Organisations sending participants to this training will:

• Create annular barriers that meet regulatory and standards requirements.
• Verify barriers properly rather than assuming them.
• Reduce integrity anomalies arising from unverified isolation.
• Reduce abandonment cost by having documented barriers in place.
• Improve consistency of isolation requirements across wells.

Participants will:

• Understand what an acceptable annular barrier is.
• Be able to design cement and mechanical isolation.
• Be able to specify verification and apply acceptance criteria.
• Be able to assess whether existing evidence is sufficient.
• Be able to document barriers for integrity and abandonment use.

• Well integrity engineers
• Drilling and well engineers
• Completion engineers
• Abandonment and decommissioning engineers
• Regulatory and compliance staff
• Technical authorities for well integrity