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December 7, 2005
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It is a phrase that is often mentioned when the discussion of new proposed E&P activities comes up, both onshore and offshore. This of course refers to the public’s resistance to building new oil and gas infrastructure in areas where people work, live or play. While this is perhaps an understandable reaction, the burgeoning worldwide demand for hydrocarbons has increased the debate over where to put new production facilities. This debate has increased in some unexpected areas, including off the coast of North Carolina, where legislation has been proposed to allow companies like Chevron to explore for, and eventually produce, hydrocarbons. While there may only be a 7% chance of finding commercially-viable hydrocarbons, the potential payoff could be 5-6 tcf of natural gas. Environmental groups and North Carolina’s fishing and tourism industry have voiced concerns over offshore spills and the negative consequences of having platforms visible from beach resort areas. Most recently, members of the US Department of Defense and the Senate Armed Services Committee have expressed concerns that new drilling structures and associated development in the eastern GoM would interfere with the military’s training activities. The oil and gas industry has countered these concerns by increasing their use of subsea technology, which both reduces the visual impact of platforms above the surface and minimizes the footprint of production facilities. This month’s Subsea Report eNL provides many examples of companies using state-of-the-art subsea technology to develop new fields around the world, from Statoil’s work in the Tyrihans field offshore Norway to BHP’s plans for the Stybarrow field offshore Australia. Also, be sure to check out the special report from ODS-Petrodata that highlights where the more than 1,000 subsea trees scheduled for installation will be placed. As the use of subsea technology continues to grow, the need for subsea knowledge in the industry grows with it. Pennwell’s upcoming Subsea Tieback Conference & Exhibition is considered the major event at which industry operators, engineers and project managers from around the world can meet to discuss subsea technical challenges and new frontiers. I hope you find this month’s report useful, and stay tuned for more development in the subsea arena in 2006. Ted Moon Technology Editor :: GLOBAL UPDATE
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Bonga onstream off Nigeria
Royal Dutch Shell started crude oil production from its Bonga deepwater oil and gas field 120 km offshore Nigeria. The supermajor aims for plateau output of 225,000 b/d and 150 MMcf/d from this field with production facilities including a 2-MMbbl capacity FPSO and deepwater subsea infrastructure.
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Aker Kvaerner, Sonsub join forces
The Aker Kvaerner company Aker Marine Contractors and Aberdeen-based Sonsub Ltd. have signed a three-year cooperation agreement to jointly seek project opportunities in the field of subsea construction and removal. The agreement will allow Sonsub and Aker Marine Contractors to optimize the use of their respective resources and assets on joint projects.
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Oseberg Delta contract awarded to Reinertsen
Hydro awarded Norwegian engineering and construction firm Reinertsen the NKr 180-million modification contract to link the Oseberg Delta satellite field to the Oseberg Field Center.
:: SPECIAL REPORTS
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Operators favor floating and subsea solutions for deeper discoveries
Soaring oil and natural gas prices and increased pressure to drill and develop reserves worldwide has pushed operators to pursue all viable field development solutions. Thus, the widespread use of floating and/or subsea production systems to develop deepwater fields remains a trend as the energy industry seeks to develop reserves in increasingly deeper waters.
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Subsea separation to boost oil recovery on Tordis
FMC Kongsberg Subsea is to supply the world’s first full-scale subsea separation system, for use on the Tordis Field in the Norwegian North Sea. In October, operator Statoil sought approval from Norway’s government for a two-stage development project, with an estimated cost of NKr 1.8 billion.
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Conference meets subsea technology needs
As demand drives exploration into deeper waters, operators, field engineers, and project managers depend on new technology to meet new challenges. The Subsea Tieback Conference & Exhibition (SSTB) is designed to meet these needs. At this two-day event in Galveston, Texas, they meet to discuss engineering and technical developments that will bring them success under demanding conditions. The annual SSTB has proven to be the premier venue in discussing issues pertaining to one of the fatest growing oil and gas E&P industry segments.
:: TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION
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Collaboration on well abandonment
WellCut Decommissioning Services and TSMarine (Contracting) Ltd. have signed a master service agreement (MSA) that will guarantee WellCut support for its subsea suspended well abandonment activities over the next three years.
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Rigless system addresses constraints of deepwater well intervention
Expro Group in Aberdeen has been leading a joint industry project (comprised of Expro and three major oil companies) to develop a new subsea well intervention technique, known as the Rigless Lightweight Well Intervention system.
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Subsea umbilical to integrate HV
Industrial cable supplier Nexans has been awarded a $15-million contract by BP America Production Co. for the design and manufacture of the world’s first subsea service umbilical that integrates a high voltage (HV) cable. The power-umbilical will be installed in BP’s King complex in the GoM as part of a project to retrofit two existing subsea wells with multiphase pumps.
:: FIELD DEVELOPMENT PLANS
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FMC picks up Blind Faith
FMC Technologies, Inc. says it has been selected by Chevron and partner Kerr-McGee to supply subsea systems for its Blind Faith project. The contract has a value of approximately $39 million.
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Tyrihans subsea project reaches Storting
The Norwegian Council of state approved Statoil's development plans for the Tyrihans field in the Norwegian Sea and submitted the plans to the Storting, the Norwegian National Assembly.
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Stybarrow field gets subsea development go-ahead
BHP Billiton will develop the Stybarrow oil field in WA-255-P(2) in the Exmouth sub-basin 65 km from Exmouth, off the northwest Australian coast. Located in 825 m of water, this represents the deepest oil field development undertaken to date off Australia. :: TRENDS & STATISTICS :: MAPS & POSTERS :: OFFSHORE SPONSORED EVENTS
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PennWell Bookstore covers all aspects of the petroleum industry from oil and gas investment to oil exploration to offshore drilling. Written by selected industry experts, PennWell books will help you broaden your expertise in your current field, understand other related disciplines, provide quick-glance references as a topic arrives in your daily routine, and make excellent classroom, seminar, and in-house training texts. Shop our online bookstore here.
:: SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION To report distribution problems with this newsletter, send an email to: news@os-media.com Offshore invites you to forward this newsletter to colleagues or associates who might be interested in our regular news summaries. If you do not subscribe to this newsletter and would like to receive it, please click this link: http://www.omeda.com/os/ Offshore subscribers may access complete current and archived stories online at: http://offshore-mag.com For editorial concerns ONLY contact Eldon Ball at eldonb@pennwell.com |
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Copyright © 2005: PennWell, Tulsa OK; All rights reserved.
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