Process Summary - Net Zero Technology Centre

The Well P&A Technology Qualification Framework provides a clear, evidence-based way to simplify the approval process of new or modified alternative materials for permanently plugging and abandoning oil and gas wells.

Download the guidance document to view the below Technology Qualification Process from both the Operator’s and Technology Provider’s perspectives, along with links to the necessary tools.

Return

1
Candidate technology identification
Before assessing a technology’s suitability for use, it is essential to clearly define what the technology entails. All options within its specification should be confirmed to ensure the technology is precisely and unambiguously identified.
2
Technology specification against requirements
Defining the qualification basis is fundamental to all other technology qualification (TQ) activities. This importance is reflected in all major guidance documents, which recognize it as the starting point for establishing technology goals and requirements. The “technology specification against requirements” step provides a consistent approach to defining the requirements for a specific application and evaluating the identified technology’s ability to meet them.
3
Assessment of technology maturity and qualification gaps
This step is acknowledged in all major TQ guidance documents. However, these documents vary considerably in how they approach technology and maturity assessments. The commonly used Technology Readiness Level (TRL) scale—ranging from levels 1 to 9—is broadly defined and typically suited to technologies that follow a conventional development path from concept to prototype to deployment. In the case of novel well barriers, however, key characteristics such as barrier formation and material properties only become fully evident once deployed in the well. As a result, the standard TRL pathway must be adapted. Developing the NZTC TQ framework has required extensive collaboration to define what each TRL level means for novel well barriers and how those levels can realistically be achieved.
4
Assessment of failure modes (FMECA)
A rigorous threat assessment, often conducted as a Failure Modes, Effects, and Criticality Assessment (FMECA), is a critical step in the qualification process and forms the foundation for an effective technology qualification plan. Many guidance documents recommend that all TQ activities be traceable back to the FMECA. However, it is unclear how consistently or effectively this is done in practice, as there is relatively limited guidance on how FMECA should be integrated into the technology qualification process. This lack of clarity is even more evident when applied to novel well barriers, particularly across key life cycle stages such as installation (to achieve the required material properties and geometries for a permanent seal), verification and validation (to confirm the technology meets permanent well barrier requirements), and long-term integrity (to ensure the barrier remains effective over time). To address this, the NZTC TQ framework provides a structured template that supports the application of FMECA in a way that enables effective qualification and long-term barrier assurance.
5
Identification qualification and risk mitigation actions
The qualification plan is central to the Technology Qualification Process (TQP) and is a key output of the preceding steps. All major industry TQ guidance documents recommend the development of a qualification plan. A primary outcome of the FMECA is the identification of qualification actions. These may include activities such as physical testing of materials and components, analysis and simulation, and the development and documentation of processes. This input is fundamental to building a qualification plan that maintains clear traceability between the qualification test plan, the FMECA, and the technology qualification basis and requirements.
6
Technology qualification evidence and deployment checklist
All industry TQ guidance documents recognize the importance of assessing qualification activity results against requirements and ensuring that all mitigations are in place. Operators must be able to demonstrate to regulators that they have gained sufficient confidence from the technology qualification activities and remaining risk mitigations, so that any residual uncertainties and risks are reduced to as low as reasonably practicable. The deployment checklist developed within the NZTC TQ Framework is a key tool to ensure that all relevant steps and actions have been fully completed.