Four Subsea Wells Planned in Gabon
BW Offshore has taken an investment decision for the Tortue Phase 2 project offshore Gabon following successful appraisal drilling on the western flank of the Tortue field.
Phase 2 will feature four additional horizontal development wells. The company has placed orders for long-lead equipment including subsea trees, wellheads, drilling casing and completion equipment, and has also signed a letter of intent for the drilling rig.
BW estimates 2P reserves for Tortue field Phase 1 and Phase 2 (six wells in total) at 30-40 MMboe.
In addition, the company has approved two further appraisal wells in the greater Ruche area as part of the Phase 2 drilling program to assess high-grade prospects.
Negotiations continue over a 10% farm-in by Gabon Oil Co. to the surrounding Dussafu license.
Barge Upgrade for Offshore Cambodia Project
KrisEnergy subsidiary, SJ Production Barge has contracted Keppel Shipyard to modify and upgrade a production barge for the Apsara oil development offshore Cambodia.
The work scope covers installation of a power generation module, electrical house, new accommodation units and other refurbishment activities. All work should be completed next summer.
At the field, the barge will be capable of processing up to 30,000 b/d of fluid and will have gas, oil, and water separation facilities.
Value of the contract is around $21.7 million, with part of the payment on deferred terms.
Apsara is in block A in the Khmer basin in the Gulf of Thailand; water depths in the concession range from 50-80 m (164-262 ft).
Phase 1A of the development will feature a single unmanned minimum facility 24-slot wellhead platform producing to the moored barge.
From there, produced crude will be sent through a 1.5-km (0.9 mi) pipeline for storage to a permanently moored floating, storage, and offloading vessel.
Browse JV, Chevron Sign Australia Gas Accords
The North West Shelf Joint Venture offshore Western Australia has signed non-binding preliminary agreements with the Browse Joint Venture and Chevron, the leaseholder of the Clio-Acme fields.
This involves processing of the respective offshore gas resources through the North West Shelf (NWS) facilities on Western Australia’s Burrup Peninsula, said NWS operator Woodside Energy.
The aim is to extend the operating life of the NWS Project’s Karratha Gas Plant for decades beyond 2025, said Woodside CEO Peter Coleman.
“Central to our vision for the Burrup Hub is the transition of the Karratha Gas Plant into a third-party tolling facility as the NWS Joint Venture fields reach the end of their lives.
“The Browse Joint Venture will be the anchor tenant underpinning that transition and this preliminary agreement enables the participants to progress toward an earlier final investment decision to develop the gas resource, targeted for 2020.
“Gas from Clio-Acme is planned to be brought to the Burrup Hub through the Woodside-operated Pluto offshore infrastructure and then transported via the proposed Pluto-NWS Interconnector pipeline to be processed at the Karratha Gas Plant.”
Woodside also operates the Browse Joint Venture and Pluto LNG.
Iguana Gas Field Goes Online Offshore Trinidad
DeNovo Energy Ltd. has delivered first natural gas from the Iguana field in block 1(a) offshore Trinidad and Tobago.
The Iguana field remained undeveloped for more than 34 years until DeNovo became the operator in 2016. It is the first gas development campaign in the Gulf of Paria.
The operator awarded Chet Morrison Contractors LLC the engineering, procurement, construction, installation and commissioning (EPCIC) contract for the project.
Work scope for the Iguana field development included facilities for three development wells installed through a conductor supported platform (CSP) and a 45-km (28-mi), 14-in. diameter subsea natural gas export pipeline connecting the Iguana CSP to a newly constructed onshore gas processing unit on the Port Lisas Industrial Estate, with commissioning for first gas delivery.
The water depth at the Iguana platform is ~27 m (88.6 ft).
Morrison said that it safely managed the offshore and shore crossing conditions to complete this development in record time and installed and commissioned the pipeline and offshore facility last month.
Morrison was able to achieve 80% local content and safely delivered the project with more than 370,000 combined man-hours while achieving zero recordable incidents (0-TRIR). It worked with its joint venture partner, Trinidad Offshore Fabricators Unlimited (TOFCO), in the support of many aspects of this project including the hook up through mechanical completion.
Shell Completes Transaction for Offshore Norway Fields
A/S Norske Shell has completed the sale of its interests in the Draugen and Gjøa fields offshore Norway to OKEA for NOK4.52 billion ($526 million).
These comprised a 44.56% operated stake in Draugen and 12% (non-operated) in Gjøa, collectively comprising 14% of A/S Norske Shell’s production in 2017.
As part of the transaction 153 staff will transfer to OKEA.
“Today’s deal completion…was made possible by good collaboration between Shell and OKEA and with constructive dialogue with the Norwegian authorities,” said Rich Denny, managing director of A/S Norske Shell.
Shell stressed it remained committed to Norway, where it is operator of the Ormen Lange and Knarr fields and a partner in Troll, Valemon, and Kvitebjørn.
It is also technical service provider at the Nyhamna gas processing plant that receives Ormen Lange’s gas, and in the Norwegian Full Scale CCS (carbon capture and storage) project Northern Lights and the CCS test facility at Mongstad.