Q&A: Aging well: Oil wells need imaging technology just like people
Q&A: Aging well: Oil wells need imaging technology just like people
Publish Date: 2026-06-24 16:45:00
Source Domain: www.digitaljournal.com
The world’s energy infrastructure is aging. While attention often focuses on new drilling projects, many of the wells helping power the economy today were drilled decades ago.
Industry experts estimate that the average age of oil and gas wells has increased significantly over the past two decades, creating new challenges related to safety, reliability, and production performance. At the same time, oil production remains near record levels, highlighting the importance of getting the most value from existing assets and maintaining operational integrity.
As operators look for ways to increase production without the cost and complexity of drilling new wells, many are evaluating whether idle, underperforming, or aging wells can be safely returned to service. The challenge is that much of a well’s condition cannot be seen from the surface. It turns out they need a kind of ‘MRI’ to evaluate the underground integrity of such wells.
Digital Journal sat down with Guillaume Borrel, CEO of GOWell, a global provider of well logging and integrity evaluation technologies, to help us understand what’s going on inside these older oil wells.
Digital Journal: Why are aging oil and gas wells becoming such an important topic today?
Guillaume Borrel: Many of the world’s producing wells were drilled years or even decades ago. Over time, every well experiences wear and tear. Steel corrodes, cement barriers degrade, and reservoir conditions can change. At the same time, energy demand remains strong and operators are under pressure to maximize the value of existing assets. Rather than drilling new wells, many companies are first looking at whether older wells can continue producing safely or whether idle wells can be brought back online. That creates a growing need for accurate information about the condition of those assets before major decisions are made.
DJ: Why can’t operators simply restart a well that has been sitting idle?
Borrel: A well may…
