Privately owned independent high technology company GA Drilling is developing disruptive PLASMABIT Milling technology for the Plug & Abandonment (P&A) sector. This plasma-based multistring section milling technology will significantly reduce costs of well P&A; a major operator independently assessed cost savings as “at least 35%”.

The latest development milestones achieved included operations in HTHP conditions, successfully milling at 7,000 psi in oil/water based muds. This proved PLASMABIT milling technology can remove production tubing in a real environment. The first on-shore test is scheduled for Q4 2017 followed by offshore testing and then commercial deployment in well abandonment during 2018.

Igor Kočiš, CEO: “We follow a rigorous development and testing plan at our Bratislava R&D centre and test well. The technology is real and will be commercialised in one of the major markets, well abandonment, as it is less complex for us, the most supporting infrastructure exists and there is already huge commercial demand. We secured significant finances over recent years, now new support and co-financing from major oil & gas industry leaders will speed up the development. That means bringing the technology customers sooner, saving their costs and those of the UK Tax payer.”


Existing milling technologies have limited scope for step change cost reduction. Hence there is a clear and urgent need for the application of game-changing technologies and methodologies.

PLASMABIT technology is a breakthrough solution. It simplifies P&A processes, operates rigless, enables a through tube approach with a fast production tubing cut, multistring cutting and cement removal.

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