Well completion is the critical final phase of oil and gas operations that prepares a newly drilled well for service. It is essential for economic viability, as it ensures the safe and efficient control and flow of hydrocarbons from the reservoir to the surface.
This process involves several key mechanical steps: after the well is drilled and evaluated, steel casing is run and cemented for structural integrity.
The final stages involve installing production tubing to carry the fluids up and fitting the wellhead (often called the “Christmas Tree”) on the surface to control flow and pressure.
The fundamental objective of any completion strategy is to maximise the total volume of oil or gas recovered while managing costs, though the methods are highly variable based on reservoir type, well design, and local geology.
In T&T, well completion activity serves as a vital indicator of the country’s efforts to increase production. The Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries tracks this data, providing a direct insight into the number of new wells brought into service.
Between 2014 and June 2025, T&T recorded 402 well completions for production.
The majority, 66 per cent, were for oil wells, predominantly concentrated in onshore Trinidad. The remaining one-third of completions were for natural gas wells, which are primarily located offshore.
Additionally, there were 99 other well completions, including abandonments: the process of permanently sealing non-economic or depleted wells for safety and environmental protection.
The data reveals a declining trend in total well completions over the analysed period. While drilling activity experienced a significant halt in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and has since recovered, it has not returned to the robust levels seen between 2014 and 2016.
Over the period, oil wells have shown a marked reduction in completions while natural gas completions have also declined, though less severely than oil.
This overall slowdown in new completions directly contributes to the country’s falling production rates. Since well pressure and output naturally decline over time (a process known as natural decline), new wells must be continuously brought online just to maintain steady national production, and even more are required to achieve growth.
Beyond simply increasing output, an acceleration of onshore oil production activities, primarily in south Trinidad, presents a significant opportunity for job creation.
Onshore activity typically requires a greater and more diverse human input compared to automated offshore gas operations.
Increasing output from these fields can boost the local labour force by creating demand for specialised energy services (eg, drilling, maintenance, rentals), local contractors and general labourers and support services such as welders, transport providers, and caterers.
Increased investment and activity in well completions are not only key to bolstering T&T’s energy output but also to improving local employment and economic spin-offs in the surrounding communities.
