1----------Four Gas Fields Go Onstream in Côte d’Ivoire
Foxtrot International has completed a four-year, $850-million development program in block CI-27 offshore Côte d’Ivoire.
Two gas fields, Marlin and Manta, have come onstream following the installation of a four-legged, manned platform, related processing and pipeline facilities, and drilling of one exploration and seven production wells.
Gas production from block CI-27 increased during August to an average of 170 MMcf/d, comprising more than three-quarters of Côte d’Ivoire’s total gas output.
Production of oil and condensates from the block averaged 3,000 b/d. The gas is sold at a current price of $6 per million btu, with the liquids sold at international market prices.
According to partner RAK Petroleum, the new platform, in 110 m (361 ft) of water, doubles the block gas and liquids handling capacity and increases the reliability of gas deliveries to the Ivorian electrical sector.
The first platform on the block started operating in 1999 and processes gas and liquids from the previously developed Foxtrot and Mahi gas fields.
Since 2010, capex on block CI-27 has exceeded $1 billion, including drilling of one exploration and two production wells between 2010 and 2012.
RAK has a one-third ownership of Foxtrot International, which operates with a 24% direct stake. Other partners on the block are state oil company PETROCI (40%), SECI (24%), and ENERCI (12%).
Foxtrot International has other gas prospective gas pockets across the four producing fields, including in previously untapped lower and upper Turonian compartments in the Marlin field.
RAK expects an independent petroleum engineering firm to shortly complete a reserves assessment study.
2--------------SHI, ABS Develop New TLP Hull Concept
ABS and Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) of South Korea have concluded a joint development project for a new tension leg platform (TLP) design.
The new TLP hull concept, the Samsung Enhanced hull for Tendon (SET) TLP, was developed using boundary conditions such as those encountered offshore West Africa. One of the objectives in the project was to decrease the number of tendons needed for the TLP. The resulting hull configuration requires fewer tendons for stability.
Concept development is nearly complete. ABS performed design review and verification from start to finish of the project.
Jong H. Youn, vice president of SHI Co. Ltd., said: “We are very satisfied with this development because the design focuses on the issues that are critical under current market circumstances.
“We strongly believe that this innovative TLP hull concept can achieve exceptional economic benefit while maintaining the same safety level and technical functionality.”
3------------Successful Well Test at Australia's Roc-2
Quadrant Energy has confirmed a successful well test from the Roc-2 appraisal well, 165 km (103 mi) north of Port Hedland in the Bedout basin offshore Western Australia.
Roc-2 flow tested at a maximum (equipment constrained) rate of 51.2 MMcf/d of gas and 2,943 b/d of condensate from a 25 m (82 ft) thick perforated interval at 4,400 m (14,436 ft) below sea level.
Quadrant Energy says the successful test result highlights the prospectivity of the Bedout basin.
The Roc-2 well is located in the WA-437-P exploration permit in the North West Shelf. Quadrant Energy is the operator with 80% equity interest, and Carnarvon Petroleum holds the remaining 20%.
Since farming into the area in 2012, the Quadrant Energy-led joint venture has achieved a 100% success rate in three exploration wells: Phoenix South-1, Roc-1, and Roc-2.
Adrian Cook, managing director of Carnarvon, said: “The Roc-2 well has provided us with a significant amount of valuable new information, and the flow test result very clearly and unequivocally demonstrates the capability of these hydrocarbons to flow from quality reservoir within the basin.
“We are very happy with the Roc-2 well flow test results which are at rates that are significant in our industry.”
4------------PEMEX Orders Subsalt Seismic Imaging
PEMEX has contracted CGG to deliver an orthogonal wide-azimuth integrated solution designed to optimize subsalt seismic imaging in the deepwater Perdido area.
A new wide-azimuth survey, covering about 10,000 sq km (3,861 sq mi), will be acquired perpendicularly over the existing wide-azimuth seismic data acquired by CGG in 2010.
Imaging of this first large-scale combined orthogonal wide-azimuth dataset for PEMEX is expected to provide enhanced subsalt imaging results due to the improved illumination of the targets beneath the complex salt canopy.
The survey will begin in early 2017 with delivery of Fast Trax pre-stack depth migration RTM results by the end of the year and full production processing results in 2018. The data will be processed in CGG’s Villahermosa and Houston subsurface imaging centers.
5-------------Norway Authorizes Ivar Aasen Startup
The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted consent for production start-up on the Aker BP-operated Ivar Aasen field in the North Sea. The operator has scheduled start-up for December.
The field was developed with a production facility resting on the seabed at a water depth of 110 m (361 ft).
Oil and gas from Ivar Aasen will undergo final processing on the Edvard Grieg field. Edvard Grieg will also cover Ivar Aasen’s power demand until a joint solution for power from shore is established for the Utsira High.
The recoverable reserves from Ivar Aasen are estimated at 23.3 MMcm of oil, 4.4 bcm of gas, and 0.9 MM metric tons of NGL.
Data from appraisal and development wells drilled after the submission of the plan for development and operation (PDO) led to an increase in the estimate of recoverable volumes and volumes in place.
NPD says the investment costs for the development amount to NOK 26.9 billion ($3.2 billion), which is in line with the estimate in the PDO.
Tove Francke, assistant director in Development and Operation in the NPD, said: “The NPD is very satisfied that both the schedule and budget are on target.”
Det norske was the operator of the development, which comprises production licenses 001 B, 242, 338 BS, and 457 BS. The company merged with BP earlier this year, becoming Aker BP.