Oil well shut-ins are the new black. Everyone, especially in the U.S. shale patch, seems to be shutting in wells in response to what is shaping up to be the Great Glut of 2020. Now, many are asking how all these wells will be restarted once prices improve. The answer? Nobody knows. Shutting in oil wells is markedly different from flipping a switch. It is a job that has to be done with extreme care based on the characteristics of the formation into which the well is drilled, its rate of production, and the specificities of the oil that flows from it. But even with careful planning, there is a risk of permanent damage if the well remains shut-in for more than a couple of weeks. Here are some of the problems shutting-in could cause in oil wells. Under pressure There is a kind of routine well shut-in that […]