Category Archives: Offshore FIeld Development

Recap: Worldwide Field Development News (May 18 – May 24, 2012)

Baker-Hughes-International-Offshore-Rigs-Up-by-11-USA

This week the SubseaIQ team added 5 new projects and updated 33 projects. You can see all the updates made over any time period via the Project Update History search. The latest offshore field develoment news and activities are listed below for your convenience.

N. America – Mexico
McDermott to Build, Install Ayatsil Platform
May 23, 2012 – McDermott International has received a contract for the new Ayatsil-B drilling platform for PEMEX in the Bay of Campeche Ayatsil field. McDermott will undertake the engineering, procurement, fabrication, pre-commissioning, load-out and sea fastening of the Ayatsil-B eight-leg jacket and deck, weighing about 11,650 tonnes for installation in waters 377 feet (115 meters) deep. McDermott will also carry out transportation and installation analysis of the structures, and will conduct training for Pemex personnel for the facility operation and maintenance. At peak, more than 500 personnel will be engaged on the project. Completion is expected during the third quarter of 2013.
Project Details: Ayatsil
Africa – Other
Anadarko Finds Major Gas Accumulation in Rovuma Basin
May 22, 2012 – Anadarko Petroleum has discovered a major natural gas accumulation in the Golfinho exploration well offshore Area 1 of the Rovuma Basin. The Golfinho discovery well encountered more than 193 net feet (59 net meters) of natural gas pay in two high-quality Oligocene fan systems that are age-equivalent to, but geologically distinct from, the previous discoveries in the Prosperidade complex. “The Golfinho discovery, which is entirely contained within the Offshore Area 1 block, adds an estimated 7 to 20-plus Tcf of incremental recoverable resources over a significant areal extent. This new discovery is only 10 miles offshore, providing potential cost advantages for future development options,” stated Anadarko. The Golfinho exploration well was drilled to a total depth of approximately 14,885 feet (4,537 meters), in water depths of approximately 3,370 feet (1,027 meters). Once operations are complete at Golfinho, the partnership plans to mobilize the Belford Dolphin (UDW drillship) to drill the Atum-1 exploration well.
Project Details: Golfinho (Anadarko)
Australia
AWE Identifies Potential Prospects in Tui Area
May 23, 2012 – Pan Pacific Petroleum, a partner on the Tui field, reported that the joint venture has further progressed evaluation of the Tui Area upside and has identified two potential development infill opportunities and two prospects, which are currently being further matured to enable the JV to decide on possible drilling plans. Subject to approval and rig availability, drilling is planned for 4Q 2012 – 1Q 2013.
Project Details: Tui
Oilex Plans to Drill Bazertete, Tutuala Prospects by Year-End
May 23, 2012 – Oilex has finalized evaluation of the Bazartete and Tutuala prospects which have both emerged as attractive drilling candidates, according to the company. The Bazartete prospect has been selected by the Joint Venture participants as the third commitment well based on an assessment of a higher chance of success than Tutuala and proximity to potential oil charge modeled from the southern part of the contract area based on offset well calibration. Oilex estimates mean recoverable resources for Bazartete (within JPDA06-103) of 65 MMbbls with an upside of 164 MMbbls. Subject to rig availability, drilling is targeted for 3Q 2012.
Project Details: Tutuala
Africa – West
Chariot Secures Rig to Drill Nimrod Prospect
May 21, 2012 – Chariot Oil & Gas Limited and partners have reached an agreement with Ocean Rig UDW to use the Ocean Rig Poseidon (UDW drillship) to drill the Kabelijou (2714/6-1) well at the Nimrod prospect. The Poseidon, which is currently on a long-term contract with the operator, is anticipated to arrive on location in July 2012. Drilling operations will commence shortly thereafter. The Nimrod prospect is located in the Orange Basin in Southern Block 2714A where Chariot has a 25 percent equity interest. The Kabeljou well is expected to take approximately two months to drill. The drilling location is 48 miles (77 kilometers) offshore Namibia in 1,181 feet (360 meters) of water with an estimated total drilling depth of 10,171 feet (3,100 meters).
Project Details: Nimrod
Asia – SouthEast
AWE Ready to Spin Bit at Atlas Prospect
May 23, 2012 – AWE reported it is ready to start drilling the Atlas-1 well in May 2012. The prospect is targeting a large gas opportunity in East Java Basin, and if successful, will provide ongoing prospects for further exploration.
Project Details: Atlas
Premier Reviewing Commercial Potential of CRD Discovery
May 23, 2012 – Premier has completed an extensive assessment of exploration opportunities remaining in Block 07/03 and of the commercial potential of the CRD oil and gas/condensate discovery, including whether additional appraisal drilling is required. The JV participants are considering future drilling plans based on the results of this work. At least one exploration well is required to be drilled as a commitment well prior to the end of November 2013.
Project Details: Ca Rong Do (CRD)
Premier Oil Moves Forward with Dua Development
May 21, 2012 – Premier Oil announced that the Dua project, a tie-in to the Chim Sao field, was formally sanctioned by Premier and Santos in April. It is expected that the necessary Vietnamese government approvals will be received during the second quarter of 2012. In the meantime, bids for FPSO modifications and the drilling rig have been received and are being evaluated. Premier continues to target 2014 for first oil.
Project Details: Chim Sao
Otto Energy Updates Galoc Oil Reserves
May 21, 2012 – Otto Energy provided an update on remaining oil reserves balances at the Galoc oil field in the Philippines, performed by independent consulting firm RISC. The company confirmed the reported increase in reserves is attributable to better than expected reservoir performance to date and an extension of field life due to higher prevailing oil prices. Galoc is expected to remain in production until 2016 to 2018 on the basis of the existing two wells alone. Otto Energy estimates Contingent Resources of 1.49 MMboe (Otto share) at 2C level attributable to the Galoc Phase II development, currently progressing through Front End Engineering and Design, with a target Final Investment Decision around mid-2012.
Project Details: Galoc
Black Sea
Sterling Resources to Drill in Black Sea
May 24, 2012 – Sterling Resources and partners intend to drill two offshore prospects in the Romanian sector of the Black Sea by year-end. The first of the two wells to be drilled will be the Ioana prospect, located in the gas-prone Midia Block, directly northeast of the Ana and Doina discoveries. Following drilling of the Ioana well, the jackup will be relocated to the Eugenia prospect in the Pelican Block.
Project Details: Ioana
Asia – Far East
CNOOC Finds Oil in Liaodong Bay
May 24, 2012 – CNOOC Limited has made a discovery in the Luda (LD) 21-2 prospect in the Bohai Bay. LD 21-2 is located in the inverted structure belt of LD 22-27 in south Liaodong Bay, with its south part adjacent to the LD 27-2 oilfield. The average water depth is 66 feet (20 meters). The discovery well of LD 21-2-1D was drilled and completed at a depth of 9,288 feet (2,831 meters) and encountered oil pay zones with a total thickness of about 558 feet (170 meters), representing the thickest oil layers found in the exploration of Bohai clastic rocks in recent years. Currently, oil production at the Luda well tested at around 608 barrels per day.
S. America – Other & Carib.
Repsol Drills Duster at Jaguey Prospect
May 21, 2012 – Repsol failed to hit pay at the Jaguey prospect offshore Cuba and will begin operations to plug and abandon the well.
Project Details: Jaguey
S. America – Brazil
Respol Gears Up Appraisal Plans for BM-C-33 Block
May 24, 2012 – Repsol Sinopec Brazil reported that Block BM-C-33, in the deepwater Campos Basin, contains resources of more than 700 million barrels of light oil and 3 trillion cubic feet of gas. The partners are working on an appraisal plan for the area, which contains the recently discovered Seat, Gavea and Pao de Acucar fields. The latter is reportedly one of the world’s top five discoveries in 2012. The latest well, Pao de Acucar, was drilled in approximately 9,186 feet (2,800 meters) of water and 121 miles (195 kilometers) from the coast of Rio de Janeiro, and found a 1,640 foot-thick (500 meter-thick) oil column. The consortium is preparing to submit an appraisal plan for submission to ANP.
Project Details: Pao de Acucar
Wartsila Hamworthy to Deliver Inert Gas Generator Units for Tupi, Guara FPSOs
May 21, 2012 – Wartsila Hamworthy will deliver inert gas generator units to eight FPSOs in the Santos Basin. Six of the units will be deployed for the Tupi fields with the other two being utilized for the Guara field. The first two units will undergo full scale testing at the factory in Moss prior to delivery, starting as soon as the end of December this year and up to the end of January 2015. Each of the units will be installed on the utility module on the FPSO inside a dedicated compartment. The eight FPSOs are currently under construction in Brazil.
Project Details: Lula (Tupi)
Europe – North Sea
Barryroe Proves Production Potential
May 24, 2012 – Providence Resources reported that it is “dealing with a high productivity oil system” at its Barryroe discovery, offshore Ireland in the North Celtic Sea. Providence said that well test analysis at Barryroe indicates a high-permeability basal oil-bearing reservoir interval, while the firm expects horizontal development wells to deliver “significant production rates”. Data acquired by Schlumberger during well-testing operations of the 48/24-10z Barryroe well was analyzed to find an average permeability of around 400 millidarcies, confirming high permeability. The analysis forecasts that a 1000-foot (305-meter) horizontal well could deliver around 12,500 barrels of oil per day and 11 million standard cubic feet of gas per day through a standard 4.5-ince outer diameter production tubing under natural lift.
Project Details: Barryroe
Faroe Spuds Clapton
May 24, 2012 – Faroe Petroleum has commenced drilling at the Clapton prospect in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea. Clapton is a chalk prospect on the flanks of the salt induced Mode Dome. The well will target the Ekofisk, Tor and Hod formations, which are the main producing reservoirs in the neighboring fields. The well is being drilled using the Maersk Guardian (350′ ILC) jackup.
Project Details: Clapton
Total to Appraise Norvarg in 2013
May 24, 2012 – Total is preparing for an appraisal well on the Norvarg discovery for 2013. Total currently carries a resource estimate in excess of 200 million barrels of oil equivalent (mmboe). However, the resource range is wide and the need for appraisal apparent, stated the company.
Project Details: Norvarg
MPX Halts Timon Drilling Ops
May 24, 2012 – The WilHunter (UDW semisub), which is drilling the Timon exploration well in the UK sector of the North Sea, has incurred technical downtime due to equipment failure. Therefore, operations at the Timon well have been temporarily suspended and the current estimated length of downtime is roughly 18 days. A further update will be released once the semisub is able to recommence normal operations, which is expected to be in early June 2012.
Project Details: Timon
Wintershall Succesfully Appraises Maria
May 22, 2012 – Wintershall has successfully appraised the Maria well (6407/1-5 S) in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea. The purpose of the appraisal well was to delineate the Maria discovery and prove hydrocarbons in the northern extent of the structure. “Our preliminary calculations do not only confirm our original resource estimates, but support the upper end of our discovery volumes”, said Bernd Schrimpf, Managing Director of Wintershall Norge. The original Maria discovery has been estimated to contain between 60 and 120 million barrels of recoverable oil and between 2 and 5 billion standard cubic meters (sm3) of recoverable gas.
Project Details: Maria
Development Progresses at EnQuest’s Alma/Galia Project
May 21, 2012 – EnQuest reported that development of the Alma/Galia project is continuing on schedule for start-up in 4Q 2013. Batch drilling of the first three wells continues; the first of these wells is in the reservoir and on prognosis.
BG Group Updates Ops at Bream
May 21, 2012 – BG Group reported that the conceptual design of the Bream project was formally agreed among the JV partners in March and the operator has signed a FEED agreement. An invitation to tender to drill the development wells has also been issued and the JV partners anticipate achieving formal project sanction in the second half of 2012.
Project Details: Bream
Emerson to Deliver Subsea Instrumentation for Brynhild Development
May 21, 2012 – Emerson will deliver its Roxar subsea instrumentation for the Brynhild field in the North Sea. The contract was awarded by Aker Solutions and covers Roxar subsea multiphase meters, subsea Sencorr pressure and temperature sensors, subsea chemical injection valves, and sand monitors. Aker Solutions will use the instrumentation as part of the rolling out of a complete subsea production system on Brynhild, with Emerson also delivering a number of downhole pressure and temperature gauges directly to Lundin Petroleum. The Brynhild field, which is currently under development, is forecasted to produce first oil in late 2013 at a gross plateau production of 12,000 bopd.
Project Details: Brynhild (Nemo)
Premier Oil Continues with Concept Engineering, Evaluation Design on Catcher
May 21, 2012 – Premier Oil reported that concept engineering and evaluation by the JV partners of the Catcher development continues to progress. It is expected that an agreement on the conceptual design of the development will be reached in the third quarter. The operator continues to target a final investment decision around year-end and first oil in 2015.
Project Details: Catcher
Total Confirms Well Intervention at Elgin Complex
May 21, 2012 – Total has confirmed the success of the G4 well intervention at the Elgin complex. To regain control of the well, heavy mud was pumped into the G4 well from the West Phoenix (UDW semisub). The leak was stopped, stated the company. Following the success of the well intervention, the next phase will be to re-man the Elgin complex and restart the Rowan Viking (430′ ILC) drilling rig in order to set cement plugs in the G4 well. This phase, aiming at completing the plugging and permanent abandonment procedure of the G4 well, will take several weeks. Once the first cement plug is set in the G4 well by the Rowan Viking, the drilling of the ongoing relief well with the Sedco 714 (mid-water semisub) will be stopped. In consultation with the appropriate authorities, it has been decided that drilling a second relief well by the Rowan Gorilla V (400′ ILC) jackup is no longer necessary and has therefore been cancelled.
Project Details: Elgin/Franklin
E.ON to Bring Huntington Online by Year-End
May 21, 2012 – E.ON reported that progress has been made offshore on the Huntington field in the UK sector of the North Sea. The production wells drilled to date have exceeded expectations and development drilling is expected to be completed in July. The infill pipeline is now being laid and a two month installation FPSO window, commencing on September 1, has been secured. Previously announced delays to the upgrade of the FPSO have been addressed by increasing the manpower in the yard. The operator continues to forecast fourth quarter for first oil with an expected plateau production rate of 25,000 bopd.
Project Details: Huntington
N. America – US GOM
Anadarko Fails to Hit Pay in Spartacus
May 24, 2012 – Anadarko has failed to hit commercial pay in the Spartacus oil and gas prospect in the Gulf of Mexico. The well was targeting subsalt layers in the vicinity of Anadarko’s Lucius project, which is currently under development.
Project Details: Spartacus
Shell Begins Development Drilling at Cardamom
May 22, 2012 – Shell has begun development drilling at its Cardamom field in Garden Banks Block 427 using the Noble Jim Thompson (DW semisub). The rig will drill two wells, with each well taking about 90 days. Both wells will be tied-back to the Auger TLP. Shell’s DOCD for Cardamom includes drilling four development wells and permits for all wells have been approved.
Project Details: Auger
Repsol to Drill Leon Prospect in 2012
May 22, 2012 – Repsol reported it has received a drilling permit for its Leon prospect in Keathley Canyon Block 686 in the Gulf of Mexico. Drilling is scheduled to take 140 days. It is reported that the Noble Jim Day (UDW semisub) will drill the well. Leon is a subsalt prospect with a proposed total depth of just over 31,500 feet (9,601 meters) and is located in approximately 6,200 feet (1,890 meters) of water.
Project Details: Leon

Recap: Worldwide Field Development News (May 11 – May 17, 2012)

Chervon-Selects-McDermott-for-Gulf-of-Mexuco-Gig

This week the SubseaIQ team added 4 new projects and updated 19 projects. You can see all the updates made over any time period via the Project Update History search. The latest offshore field develoment news and activities are listed below for your convenience.

Europe – North Sea
RWE Begins Development Drilling on Breagh
May 17, 2012 – RWE Dea has begun development drilling at the Breagh gas field in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea. The ENSCO 70 (250′ ILC) has been deployed to start the Breagh development drilling program. Previously drilled wells 42/13-3 and 42/13-5Z, which were suspended for future use as early development wells, will be re-entered and sidetracked to re-drill the reservoir interval. Including the recompletion of these two wells, up to eight development wells are expected to be drilled, completed and put on production over the next two years. First gas from Breagh is expected in the second half of 2012.
Project Details: Breagh
Marathon Takes Reins at Vilje Field
May 16, 2012 – Statoil has transferred operatorship of the Vilje field in the North Sea to Marathon Oil. The agreement does not involve any change of stakes in Production License 036D.
Project Details: Alvheim
Total Begins Elgin Well-Intervention Operation
May 15, 2012 – Total has started a well-intervention operation to stop the leak from the G4 well at its Elgin complex in the North Sea. The well intervention operation consists of pumping heavy mud into the well from the main support vessel, the West Phoenix (UDW semisub) drilling rig via a temporary pipeline connected to the G4 wellhead. Depending on the precise conditions inside the well, the operation and subsequent observation period will last a few days before it is possible to confirm whether the operation has been a success, Total said.
Project Details: Elgin/Franklin
BP Gets Govt Nod to Drill Snadd Outer Prospect
May 15, 2012 – BP has received consent to use the Polar Pioneer (mid-water semisub) drilling facility to drill exploration well 6507/3-9 in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea. Well 6507/3-9 is part of Production License 212 E and the well lies in a water depth of 1,194 feet (364 meters). The objective of the well is to investigate a prospect named Snadd Outer. Drilling will commence soon.
Project Details: Skarv/Idun
Statoil to Commence Drilling Campaign in Barents Sea
May 14, 2012 – Statoil and partners have established a plan to advance exploration drilling in the Skrugard area. The exploration campaign will comprise four new prospects and is scheduled to commence in late 2012. The objective of the drilling campaign is to follow up on the Skrugard and Havis discoveries and to test further upside potential of the area. The four prospects will be drilled back-to-back with the West Hercules (UDW semisub) drilling rig, which will be winterized to meet the weather conditions in the Barents Sea. The drilling campaign will start in PL532 with the Nunatak prospect due to be spud in December this year. Then the rig will proceed to the Skavl prospect located in the same license, and thereafter to the Iskrystall prospect in the neighboring licence PL608. The fourth prospect to be drilled will be announced at a later stage.
Premier Spuds Carnaby Prospect
May 14, 2012 – Premier commenced drilling at the Carnaby exploration well 28/9-5 in the North Sea. The well is being drilled by the Sedco 711 (mid-water semisub) and is being managed by Applied Drilling Technology International. Drilling operations are expected to take about 25 days.
Project Details: Carnaby
Providence Confirms Significant Reservoir Potential at Barryroe
May 11, 2012 – Providence Resources has reported that the 48/24-10z appraisal well, the second well to be tested in the basal sands and the sixth well to be drilled at the Barryroe oil discovery, has successfully logged hydrocarbons. In addition to carrying out comprehensive flow testing, significant data acquisition was also carried out utilizing modern wireline equipment. The newly acquired wire-line log data has now been used to evaluate the potential to directly map the hydrocarbon bearing basal reservoir sands, which were successfully tested in the most recent Barryroe 48/24-10z well. This modeling has confirmed that the basal reservoir sandstone package has a defined seismic response which can be detected clearly within the inverted 3D seismic volume. A preliminary review of the inverted 3D seismic volume indicates that the reservoir sequence is widely developed in the Barryroe area. Detailed interpretation of the inverted seismic data has now commenced and will be used to better define the static oil in place estimates for the Barryroe accumulation.
Project Details: Barryroe
Africa – Other
Eni Scores Big in Coral-1 Discovery
May 16, 2012 – Eni has made a “giant” natural gas discovery in Area 4, offshore Mozambique, at the Coral-1 well. The Coral discovery is estimated to contain between 7 and 10 Tcf of gas in place, exclusively located in Area 4. With these new results at Coral-1, Eni estimates that the resources range between 15 and 20 Tcf of gas in place. The new discovery further increases the total potential of the Mamba complex, which holds between 47 and 52 Tcf of gas in place, according to recent estimates. The discovery well encountered a total of 246 feet (75 meters) of gas pay in single high-quality Eocene sand. This discovery is particularly significant since it confirms a new exploration play, which is independent of those drilled so far in previous Mamba wells. Eni will run a production test on the Coral-1 discovery.
Project Details: Coral (ENI)
BG Makes Mzia Discovery
May 16, 2012 – BG Group has made a gas discovery in the Mzia-1 exploration well in Block 1 offshore southern Tanzania. Mzia-1 is the company’s first discovery within the deeper Cretaceous section and opens an extensive new play fairway within Blocks 1, 3 and 4, to complement the now proven Tertiary fairway. Preliminary evaluation of the results indicates 180 feet (55 meters) of natural gas pay in good quality sands. An extensive logging program has been completed, including the acquisition of pressure data and gas samples. The well has de-risked a number of adjacent Cretaceous prospects, which could form part of a future Mzia hub, stated the operator. These prospects are expected to be tested in a future appraisal program to be defined following incorporation of data from this new well and 3D seismic. The new resources proven by Mzia and the potential of adjacent prospects are currently under evaluation.
Project Details: Mzia
BG Group to Spud Papa Prospect in June
May 16, 2012 – BG Group plans to spud the Papa-1 prospect in Block 3 offshore Tanzania in June 2012. The operator will use the Deepsea Metro-1 (DW drillship) to perform drilling operations in a water depth of 9,843 feet (3,000 meters).
Project Details: Papa
S. America – Brazil
OGX Declares Waimea Complex Commercial
May 15, 2012 – OGX has presented to the National Petroleum, Natural Gas and ANP a Declaration of Commerciality for a portion of the Waimea Complex, of which the proposed new designation is Tubarao Azul field in Block BM-C-41. This declaration of commerciality occurred after assessing results gathered during the Extended Well Test (EWT). The EWT, conducted through the OGX-26HP well, has confirmed excellent perm porosity reservoir characteristics. The development plan estimates a total recoverable volume of 110 million barrels of oil from Tubarao Azul field over the concession period’s production phase.
Australia
Apache Agrees to Sell LNG to Tohuku Electric Power Company
May 17, 2012 – Apache and partners have agreed to sell LNG from the Chevron-operated Wheatstone project in Western Australia to Tohuku Electric Power Company (THE). The Wheatstone partners and THE signed a Heads of Agreement to supply up to 1 million metric tons per annum (MTPA) of LNG for up to 20 years. Through its 13-percent share in Wheatstone, Apache Julimar Pty Ltd, an Apache subsidiary, will supply up to 0.13 MTPA, or approximately 19 million cubic feet of natural gas per day, to THE. Wheatstone is under development; the foundation phase of the project will include two LNG trains with a combined capacity of 8.9 MTPA and a domestic gas plant.
Project Details: Wheatstone
Origin Disappointed by Thistle
May 15, 2012 – Origin Energy will plug and abandon its Thistle-1 exploration well after reaching a total depth of 7,431 feet (2,265 meters). No shows were encountered in the objective Waarre sandstones. The well was drilled by the Stena Clyde (mid-water semisub).
Project Details: Thistle
FMC to Supply Offshore Loading Arm Systems for Prelude Development
May 14, 2012 – FMC Technology will supply offshore loading arm systems as part of the Shell Prelude FLNG project. FMC’s scope of supply includes seven offshore footless marine loading arms, four for liquefied natural gas and three for liquefied petroleum gas. FMC’s Loading Systems business in Sens, France will design and manufacture the equipment. The Prelude facility will be built by TSC at the Samsung Heavy Industries shipyard in Geoje, Korea. It will measure 1,600 feet (488 meters) from bow to stern and weigh around 600,000 tonnes when fully loaded. It will be moored over 120 miles (200 kilometers) from land and will produce gas from offshore subsea fields. The facility will treat and liquefy the gas onboard via a cooling process before storing and export it via conventional LNG carriers.
Project Details: Prelude
Black Sea
Melrose to Acquire Seismic Data offshore Romania in June
May 17, 2012 – Melrose plans to commence a work program over its Muridava concession offshore Romania in June 2012. The company will acquire 474,442 acres (1,920 square kilometers) of 3D seismic, sufficient to cover both blocks. A contractor has been selected to conduct the seismic program and detailed contract negotiations are ongoing.
Melrose Obtains Reservoir Data Program over Galata
May 17, 2012 – Melrose Resources has recently conducted a reservoir data acquisition program on the shut-in Galata field to confirm the remaining reserves and gather information required to update the gas storage feasibility study. The results of the program were positive and confirmed remaining reserves of at least 6 Bcf and more limited aquifer movement than previously predicted. Furthermore, the field data indicates that the field could be placed back on production as early as next year, which will be discussed with the Bulgarian authorities over the forthcoming months. The interpretation of the recent 3D seismic survey over the Galata Block is being finalized and a number of structures have been identified within three high graded areas in the central area of the concession. The interpretation is expected to complete in June when the Company will be in a position to provide details of the survey findings and confirm the future drilling plans. An independent prospective resource report is also being prepared for the block by the Company’s reserves auditors.
Project Details: Galata Area
N. America – Canadian Atlantic
Statoil Preps for Newfoundland Drilling Campaign
May 14, 2012 – Statoil has reached an agreement to use Seadrill’s West Aquarius (UDW semisub) to conduct exploratory drilling offshore Newfoundland. Starting late 2012, the operator will begin a three-well drilling program, including two exploration wells in the Flemish Pass Basin, as well as an exploration well in the Jeanne d???Arc Basin.
S. America – Other & Carib.
Borders & Southern Spuds Stebbing Prospect
May 14, 2012 – Borders & Southern has spud exploration well 61/25-1 at the Stebbing prospect in the Falkland Islands. The Stebbing prospect is a thrust cored anticline structure with an area of 33 square miles (85 square kilometers). Objectives comprise Tertiary and Upper Cretaceous sandstone reservoirs. The well duration is estimated to be 49 days.
Project Details: Stebbing
Africa – West
Afren Hits Additional Pay in Ebok
May 17, 2012 – Afren announced that the Ebok North Fault Block exploration well encountered 370 feet (113 meters) true vertical thickness of net oil pay in excellent quality reservoir sands. The Ebok NFB exploration well was spudded on April 12, 2012 by Afren and Oriental Energy Resources, and reached a total vertical depth of 4,320 feet (1,317 meters), with the Transocean Adriatic lX (350′ ILC) drilling rig. The well was targeting a separate fault block structure located to the north of the main Ebok field, and encountered good quality oil in the same Tertiary reservoir sands equivalent to those that have been developed and are in production at the main Ebok field development. The well will be suspended while the partners determine the optimal development solution.
Project Details: Greater Ebok-Okwok Complex
Tap Oil Updates Ops in Accra Contract Area
May 16, 2012 – The Ministry of Energy, Ghana has granted Tap Oil Limited a 12-month extension of the Initial Exploration Period under the Petroleum Agreement in respect of the offshore Accra Contract area. The IEP now ends on Sept. 23, 2013, by which the commitment well must be drilled. New 3D seismic was acquired over the deepwater part of the Contract Area in early 2011. Interpretation of the data at hand indicates multiple large prospects within both the post-rift Upper Cretaceous fan sands (the same play type as Jubilee) and pre-rift Lower Cretaceous rotated fault blocks (the same play type as the Espoir and Baobab oil fields). To date several prospects and leads have been mapped and have unrisked prospective resources of greater than 3 billion barrels. It is anticipated that the commitment well will likely target a large, deepwater, Jubilee look-a-like trap with prospective resources in the range of half a billion barrels. Well planning is in progress with various rig options currently being investigated.
Rialto Energy Granted Exclusive Exploitation Area over Gazelle
May 15, 2012 – Rialto has received formal confirmation from the government of Cote d’Ivoire that the company has been granted an Exclusive Exploitation Area over the Gazelle field on Block CI-202. The EEA granted Rialto with the right to produce hydrocarbons from Gazelle over a tenure period of 25 years. The Gazelle field is the current focus of an initial three-well drilling campaign by Rialto, which commenced with the drilling of the Gazelle-P3 development well in March 2012 and which will be followed by further development and exploration drilling in and around Gazelle during the coming months. The current drilling program is aimed at converting the 58 MMboe of gross mean contingent resources at Gazelle to reserves as well as testing the high impact Chouette oil prospect, which contains a gross mean prospective resource of 84 MMbbls.
Project Details: Gazelle
Chariot Drills Duster in Tapir South
May 14, 2012 – Chariot O&G will plug and abandon its Tapir South pre-salt exploration well (1811/5-1) in the Namibe Basin, offshore Namibia. The well reached a total depth of 16,005 feet (4,789 meters) without encountering commercial hydrocarbons. The well encountered 568 feet (173 meters) of net reservoir sand of Cretaceous age, including two zones in excess of 98 feet (30 meters) with average porosities of 24 percent. Carbonate intervals were also penetrated with porosities of up to 18 percent over a net interval of 92 feet (28 meters). Chariot said that detailed analyses will be conducted on the data collected during the drilling of Tapir South and the information will be used to calibrate the firm’s existing data set. A resource update of the remaining prospectivity in the block will be provided once this evaluation is complete.
Project Details: Tapir South
N. America – US GOM
ClampOn to Provide Detectors for Tubular Bells Project
May 14, 2012 – ClampOn will supply multiple subsea acoustic sand vibration detectors and PIG detectors for the Tubular Bells project. The development is slated for production in 4Q 2014.
Project Details: Tubular Bells
Asia – SouthEast
PTSC M&C to Construct Wellhead Platforms for White Lion Project
May 11, 2012 – PTSC M&C has won a major detailed engineering, procurement, construction, installation, hook-up and commissioning contract. The scope of work includes two wellhead platforms, Thang Long and Dong Do, with topsides weighing about 1,100 tonnes each, 9-mile (15-kilometer) infield pipeline and 87-ton PLEMs and PLET. The project completion is scheduled for August 2013. The White Lion field is slated to come online in October 2013.
Su Tu Trang Jacket, Topside Leaves Yard for Field Installation
May 11, 2012 – Thang Long JOC reported that the Su Tu Trang jacket and topside for the White Sealion field has sailed away from the PTSC M&C fabrication yard in Vung Tau City. Su Tu Trang is a turn-key project which was awarded to PTSC M&C in March 2010 by Cuu Long JOC for engineering, procurement, construction, installation, hook-up and commissioning of a 1,400-ton topside, 1,200-ton jacket, 1,000-ton jacket pile, 19.5 kilometer-long infield pipeline and the additional modification for the existing Su Tu Vang Central Processing Platform. The detailed design work was completed in November 2011 by Nippon Steel Engineering Company Limited (NSEC) under the supervision of PTSC M&C. Overall project management; procurement and fabrication was carried out and managed by PTSC M&C as part of its turn-key, EPCI contractor???s responsibilities. PTSC M&C is now targeting the finish date of offshore installation campaign to be in early July 2012.

Anadarko: Another Major Discovery Offshore Mozambique

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Anadarko Petroleum Corporation today announced the Golfinho exploration well discovered a new, major natural gas accumulation nearly 20 miles (32 kilometers) northwest of its Prosperidade complex within the Offshore Area 1 of the Rovuma Basin.

The Golfinho discovery well encountered more than 193 net feet (59 net meters) of natural gas pay in two high-quality Oligocene fan systems that are age-equivalent to, but geologically distinct from, the previous discoveries in the Prosperidade complex.

“The success of the Golfinho well significantly expands the tremendous resource potential of the Offshore Area 1 in the deep-water Rovuma Basin, with additional opportunities yet to test,” Anadarko Sr. Vice President, Worldwide Exploration, Bob Daniels said. “The Golfinho discovery, which is entirely contained within the Offshore Area 1 block, adds an estimated 7 to 20-plus Tcf (trillion cubic feet) of incremental recoverable resources over a significant areal extent. This new discovery is only 10 miles offshore, providing potential cost advantages for future development options.

“We are very excited about this new discovery and the value these additional resources represent for the people of Mozambique and our partnership. We look forward to continuing an active exploration program in the highly prospective northern and southern portions of the Offshore Area 1, as well as delineating this new discovery.”

The Golfinho exploration well was drilled to a total depth of approximately 14,885 feet (4,537 meters), in water depths of approximately 3,370 feet (1,027 meters). Once operations are complete at Golfinho, the partnership plans to mobilize the Belford Dolphin drillship to drill the Atum-1 exploration well.

Additionally, at the Barquentine-1 well location in the Prosperidade complex, the partnership successfully tested the upper Oligocene zone, which flowed at a facility-constrained rate of approximately 100 million cubic feet of natural gas per day. This is the third successful drill-stem test flowing at this facility-constrained rate.

Anadarko is the operator in the Offshore Area 1 with a 36.5-percent working interest. Co-owners include Mitsui E&P Mozambique Area 1, Limited (20 percent), BPRL Ventures Mozambique B.V. (10 percent), Videocon Mozambique Rovuma 1 Limited (10 percent) and Cove Energy Mozambique Rovuma Offshore, Ltd. (8.5 percent). Empresa Nacional de Hidrocarbonetos, ep’s 15-percent interest is carried through the exploration phase.

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Noble Energy Linking Noa and Pinnacles to Mari B Platform

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Noble Energy and Delek Group have started linking Noa and Pinnacles offshore natural gas fields to the Mari B production platform, according to the Israel’s financial newspaper Globes.

Helix ESG’s reeled pipelay vessel, Express, which in April arrived at the port city of Haifa, Israel has started SURF (Subsea Umbilicals, Risers and Flowlines) work.

According to the data on Noble Energy’s website, Noa will, once developed, provide 100 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d) of production by September 2012.

Development of the Noa field is geared to allow for additional supplies of natural gas to the Israeli market, until the start of natural gas supplies from the Tamar project.

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Recap: Worldwide Field Development News (May 4 – May 10, 2012)

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This week the SubseaIQ team added 5 new projects and updated 20 projects. You can see all the updates made over any time period via the Project Update History search. The latest offshore field develoment news and activities are listed below for your convenience.

Africa – West
Harvest Natural Completes Technical Evaluation over Dassafu Ruche Marin
May 9, 2012 – A technical evaluation of the 2011 Ruche discovery has been completed, reported Panoro Energy. Studies indicate that the discovery has recoverable resources of around 11 MMbbl and is commercially marginal. Further resources will need to be found in order to proceed with a commercial development of the field. The Tortue prospect, about 9 miles (15 kilometers) southeast of Ruche, has been selected as the next exploration prospect to drill. The well will target pre-salt Gamba and mid-Dentale reservoirs and a secondary post-salt Madiela reservoir. When combining these reservoirs, the Tortue prospect has consolidated mean prospective resources of 28 MMbbls with 56 percent geological chance of success. When combining a discovery on Tortue with the existing discovery on Ruche, the minimum commercial threshold for Tortue is estimated to be around 10MMbbl resulting in a commercial chance of success of 46 percent. Rig options are currently being reviewed to drill the Tortue prospect.
Project Details: Dussafu Ruche Marin
Aker to Supply Subsea Trees for Dalia Field
May 4, 2012 – Total awarded Aker Solutions a contract for the delivery of seven subsea tree systems to the Dalia field offshore Angola. The scope of work includes seven production trees, seven wellhead systems and seven well jumper systems, and may include some contract options. Management and engineering of the subsea tree systems will be performed at Aker Solutions’ manufacturing center in Tranby, Norway. Procurement, manufacturing and assembly will take place in Port Klang, Malaysia, and Aberdeen, UK. Equipment deliveries will be made in 2013 and 2014.
Project Details: Dalia
Kosmos to P&A Teak-4A Well
May 4, 2012 – Kosmos Energy has completed drilling the Teak-4A appraisal well, located in the West Cape Three Points Block, offshore Ghana. The well, targeting the stratigraphic extension of the Teak discovery area, encountered thin, non-commercial reservoirs and is being plugged and abandoned. Kosmos and partners have begun integrating well results into the Teak field model to determine forward appraisal and development plans. The Atwood Hunter (DW semisub) drilled Teak-4A to a total depth of 9,348 feet (2,850 meters) in a water depth of 1,817 feet (554 meters). Following the completion of operations at the Teak-4A well, the drilling rig will set gauges at the Teak-2A well and perform a drill stem test at the Akasa oil discovery on the West Cape Three Points Block.
Project Details: Teak
Europe – North Sea
Lundin Spuds Albert Prospect
May 10, 2012 – Lundin Petroleum has commenced drilling exploration well 6201/11-3 in PL519 in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea. The well will target the Albert prospect. The main objective of the well is to test Cretaceous and Triassic age sandstones of a multiple target structure. Lundin Petroleum estimates the Albert prospect contains unrisked, gross, prospective resources of 177 MMboe. The planned total depth is 10,335 feet (3,150 meters) below mean sea level and the well will be drilled using the Bredford Dolphin (mdi-water semisub). Drilling is expected to take approximately 55 days.
Project Details: Albert
Total to Begin Elgin Kill Op in Near Future
May 10, 2012 – Total reported that the West Phoenix (UDW semisub) drilling rig has been positioned about 99 feet (30 meters) away from its North Sea Elgin platform, where a gas leak was discovered in late March. Dependent on weather, the well intervention should start “within a very few days,” according to the operator. Additionally, drilling of the first back-up relief well by the Sedco 714 (mid-water semisub) is still progressing as per plan, added the company.
Project Details: Elgin/Franklin
Lundin, Partners Finalize Johan Sverdrup Timetable
May 10, 2012 – Lundin Petroleum and partners have agreed to a development schedule to move forward the Johan Sverdrup discovery. The current timetable for Johan Sverdrup is: concept selection to be selected in 4Q 2013; POD submission in 4Q 2014; and first oil in 4Q 2018. The field is expected to have a production life extending to 2050. Ashley Heppenstall, President and CEO, commented, “We are very pleased that the Johan Sverdrup partners have agreed on a development schedule to move forward this very large discovery. This highlights the importance of this project to all stakeholders.”
Project Details: Johan Sverdrup
Centrica Spuds Cooper Prospect in North Sea
May 9, 2012 – Centrica Resources has commenced drilling the Cooper prospect in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea. Drilled by the West Alpha (UDW semisub), the exploration well will target the Cooper prospect located in P L477 in Block 6506/11 on the Halten Terrace between the Smorbukk oil field, immediately to the east, and the Morvin oil field, to the west. Cooper consists of an untested north to south trending fault block. The main reservoir objectives are the prolific Middle Jurassic Garn and Ile formations, which are the main producing reservoirs in the neighboring Smorbukk and Morvin fields.
Project Details: Cooper
CB&I to Provide FEED Services for Aasta Hansteen Project
May 4, 2012 – Statoil awarded CB&I a contract for the provision of front-end engineering design (FEED) services for the Aasta Hansteen, formerly Luva, topsides project in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea. The platform will process hydrocarbons from the field in a water depth of 4,265 feet (1,300 meters). The development concept consists of a spar platform tied to subsea templates. Processing on the topsides will consist of conventional gas dehydration and dew-pointing with condensate stabilization through heating and separation, designed for daily production rates of 23 MMcm/d. CB&I???s scope of work consists of the FEED package for the topsides which includes units for processing, utilities, 108-bed living quarters and flare, with a total dry weight of about 21,500 tonnes. FEED is scheduled for delivery by year-end.
Project Details: Aasta Hansteen (Luva)
MPX North Sea Spins Bit at Timon Prospect
May 4, 2012 – Valiant Petroleum announced that the WilHunter (UDW semisub) has arrived on location to drill the Timon prospect, located in the UK sector of the North Sea. The well is anticipated to spud within the next few days and take around 40 days to complete. Timon is an Upper Jurassic channelized sand play similar to the Cladhan and Tybalt discoveries also located in the UK Northern North Sea. Gross best estimate prospective resources are estimated by Valiant to be 30 million barrels of oil equivalent.
Project Details: Timon
N. America – US GOM
Stone Energy Acquires Additional Shares in Pompano
May 10, 2012 – Stone Energy will purchase Anadarko’s working interests in the Pompano field for $67 million. Under the terms of the agreement, Stone Energy will acquire Anadarko’s 25% working interest in the five-block deepwater Pompano field, 22% in Block 29, and 10% in portions of Block 72 of the Mississippi Canyon.
Project Details: Pompano
Nexen P&A Kakuna Well
May 8, 2012 – Nexen failed to encounter commercial hydrocarbons in its Kakuna well and is in the process of plugging and abandoning the well. Kakuna was drilled to a depth of 30,300 feet (9,235 meters) by the ENSCO 8502 (UDW semisub).
Project Details: Kakuna
AMEC to Perform FEED for Mad Dog Phase 2 Development
May 8, 2012 – AMEC received a contract from BP to provide Front End Engineering Design services (FFED) for the topsides facilities for the second phase of the Mad Dog field development. The new facility, expected to be one of the largest floating production systems installed in the GOM, will produce oil and gas from the Phase 2 development area within the existing Mad Dog field.
Project Details: Mad Dog
Apache to Spud Parmer
May 8, 2012 – The deep water Parmer step-out appraisal well is expected to spud late in the second quarter of 2012. The well is expected to drill for approximately three months, followed by a possible sidetrack. Apache operates the prospect.
Project Details: Parmer
S. America – Brazil
Manati’s Production Increases as Wells Come Online
May 9, 2012 – Average gas production at the Manati field was 5.2 MMcm/d in the first quarter of 2012, stated Panoro Energy, a partner in the field. The production figures represent an increase of approximately 12 percent from the fourth quarter 2011 and an increase of approximately 27 percent compared to the first quarter 2011. The year-on-year increase is a result of the wells being back at full production capacity, after repair and maintenance work last year that resulted in lower production capacity. Average production in Q2 2012 has been 6.4 MMcm/d to date with the field currently producing from all six wells. The operator has scheduled a shut-down of the field for two to three weeks, which has now been postponed to November/December 2012, for maintenance of the gas processing plant and replacement of certain topside equipment on the platform. Annual production from the field is expected to average between 5.5 to 6 MMcm/d.
Petrobras will Re-inject Gas from Bauna, Piracaba Fields
May 9, 2012 – Petrobras reported that the nearby Tiro/Sidon discoveries (now renamed Bauna and Piracaba) will re-inject the gas produced from these fields, rather than export gas through a common pipeline with gas from the BS-3 fields. Gas export options for the BS-3 fields are consequently being re-evaluated, including potential volumes from several nearby high-profile exploration wells for which results are expected within the next year. Revised development plans will be filed with the ANP, including a gas export solution and a strategy to evaluate the area B1 zone potential.
Vanco Preps for Drilling Campaign
May 9, 2012 – Vanco reported that the GSF Arctic I (mid-water semisub) is undergoing required inspections and preparations to commence an exploratory drilling campaign offshore Brazil. The campaign includes the drilling of three prospects, Sabia, Canario and Jandaia, with Sabia being the first drilling target. The shipyard operations are on track and the drilling campaign on the three exploration licenses is expected to start in June/July 2012. The three prospects to be drilled in this campaign are estimated to hold around 100 MMBOE of unrisked resources.
Oceaneering to Supply Umbilicals for Lula, Sapinhoa Development
May 8, 2012 – Petrobras awarded Oceaneering a contract to supply nearly 125 miles (200 kilometers) of thermoplastic production control umbilicals for field development projects, Lula and Sapinhoa, offshore Brazil. Product manufacturing is expected to commence in 3Q 2012 and be completed in 3Q 2015.
Project Details: Sapinhoa (Guara)
Asia – SouthEast
Talisman Progresses HST/HSD Development
May 9, 2012 – The Hai Su Trang and Hai Su Den (HST/HSD) development, which was sanctioned in December 2011, is progressing on schedule and on budget, announced Talisman. First production from the project is planned for the second half of 2013.
McDermott to Provide Subsea Infrastructure for Siakap North Development
May 9, 2012 – McDermott has received a subsea contract to execute a deepwater engineering, procurement, construction, transportation, installation and commissioning project offshore Malaysia. The award is for the subsea infrastructure of the Siakap North – Petai (“SNP”) development project operated by Murphy Sabah Oil Co., comprising rigid flowlines, flexible risers, an umbilical and subsea hardware and controls. The SNP field is located nearby the existing Kikeh field, northwest of Labuan Island, Malaysia, in waters measuring 3,900 to 4,900 feet (1,189 to 1,494 meters) deep. The SNP field architecture consists of two rigid, insulated, pipe-in-pipe production flowlines, one rigid water injection flowline and one main umbilical system connecting eight new manifolds and subsea distribution units to existing riser slots on the Kikeh FPSO. The development calls for five water injection and eight production wells, drilled from the manifolds at each of the four drill center locations. The project scope is scheduled to be completed by the third quarter of 2013.
Project Details: Kikeh
Aker to Provide Subsea Production System for the Siakap North Project
May 4, 2012 – Murphy Sabah Oil has awarded Aker Solutions a contract for the delivery of a subsea production system for the Siakap North project. The scope of work includes 13 subsea trees, eight manifolds, well jumpers, engineering for topside controls and life cycle support services. The first hardware delivery is slated for 1Q 2013. The subsea production system will be tied-back to Murphy’s Kikeh FPSO.
Project Details: Kikeh
Mediterranean
Noble Suspends Leviathan Drilling Ops
May 4, 2012 – Noble Energy announced that the Leviathan deep well offshore Israel has reached a depth of approximately 21,400 feet (6,523 meters), the deepest known penetration in the Levant Basin. High well pressure and the mechanical limits of the wellbore design resulted in the suspension of drilling operations before the primary objective was reached. Over the course of deepening the Leviathan No. 1 well, the operator obtained valuable geologic and engineering data about the basin. At approximately 21,000 feet (6,401 meters), the well encountered a zone where natural gas was detected. The composition of the natural gas was heavier than discovered in the shallower intervals and suggests a thermogenic source. At a total depth of 21,400 feet (6,523 meters) higher pressure was encountered indicating the possibility of an overlying seal. The Noble Homer Ferrington (mid-water semisub) is scheduled to remain on location at the No.1 well to conduct a production flow test of the previously discovered natural gas sands at Leviathan
Project Details: Leviathan

Recap: Worldwide Field Development News (Apr 27 – May 3, 2012)

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This week the SubseaIQ team added 0 new projects and updated 16 projects. You can see all the updates made over any time period via the Project Update History search. The latest offshore field develoment news and activities are listed below for your convenience.

Europe – North Sea
Aker Solutions Sub-Contracted for EPC Gig at Edvard Grieg
May 3, 2012 – Kvaerner will subcontract Aker Solutions to engineer, procure and construct topsides for the Edvard Grieg platform, formerly the Luno field. Aker Solutions will deliver design engineering and procurement services from the company’s offices in Oslo, Norway and Mumbai, India, with support from Kvaerner. Fabrication and assembly of the 4 500 tonn process module will be conducted by Aker Solutions’ yard in Egersund. Detail engineering will begin instantly, while fabrication is expected to commence in 2013. First production from the field is expected in late 2015, with a forecast gross peak production of approximately 90,000 barrels of oil per day (bopd).
Project Details: Edvard Grieg (Luno, Draupne) Project
Lundin Strikes Again at Johan Sverdrup
May 3, 2012 – Lundin reported that sidetrack 16/2-11A of the appraisal well 16/2-11 has confirmed good quality in Upper and Middle Jurassic reservoir on the Johan Sverdrup field, reported Lundin Petroleum. The well was drilled approximately 2.05 miles (3.3 kilometers) southwest of the discovery well 16/2-6 and 2,493 feet (760 meters) north east of the 16/2-11 appraisal well. The sidetrack well (16/2-11A) encountered a gross reservoir column of approximately 167 feet (51 meters) of which 115 feet (35 meters) was above the oil water contact. The oil water contact was established and in line with other wells in PL501. A comprehensive coring and logging program has been performed which confirmed the good reservoir properties in the appraisal well 16/2-11. The total depth of the sidetrack was 7,759 feet (2,365 meters). The wells will be plugged and abandoned.
Project Details: Johan Sverdrup
TD Reached at Valiant’s Orchid Prospect
May 3, 2012 – Valiant Petroleum announced that the well on the Orchid prospect has reached a total depth of 9,333 feet. The well encountered a Chalk zone of over 280 feet (85 meters) which exhibited oil shows throughout and higher-than-anticipated porosities. The shallower, secondary Tertiary target sands were not present in the well location. Initial interpretation of the wireline log data by Valiant suggests the well has encountered a 50 foot (15 meter) pay zone above a large Chalk interval with low average oil saturations. The partnership has decided to plug and abandon the well pending further work on the data acquired to determine what further appraisal might be warranted.
Project Details: Orchid
Nexen Drills Dry Hole in Stingray
May 3, 2012 – Nexen has reached total depth of 6,895 feet (2,129 meters) in the Stingray exploration well (15/13b-11) in the North Sea. The well is dry and will be plugged and abandoned.
Project Details: Stingray
Det norske Drills Duster at Storebjorn
May 2, 2012 – Det norske has hit a water-bearing reservoir section in the Storebjorn prospect in PL 450. The drill bit encountered high pressure zones in the well, and because of this, drilling operations took longer than expected to reach the reservoir section. The well will be plugged and abandoned.
Project Details: Storebjorn
PSA Grants Statoil Consent to Drill on Tyrihans
May 2, 2012 – The Petroleum Safety Authority Norway has granted consent to use the facility Transocean Searcher (mid-water semisub) for recompletion of well 6407/1A-4-H on the Tyrihans field in Production License 091. The water depth of the site is 879 to 945 feet (268 to 288 meters). The estimated start up is May 16, 2012 and the activity will last up until March 30, 2013.
Project Details: Tyrihans
GE to Supply Cheviot Subsea Equipment
May 1, 2012 – ATP has contracted GE Oil & Gas to supply subsea production equipment, ancillary systems and related services for the Cheviot field in the North Sea. The supplied equipment, including wellheads, subsea Xmas trees and a subsea control system will be used in conjunction with ATP’s Octabuoy FPS that is currently being constructed. As part of the contract, GE will also provide system engineering and design, procurement and on-site testing services. Product shipments will begin in February 2013 with installation scheduled for later that year. Commercial operations are set to begin in 2014.
Project Details: Cheviot
Bacchus Comes Online
May 1, 2012 – Apache has commenced production from the first development well on the Bacchus field, located in Block 22/06a in the UK sector of the North Sea. Initial production rates over the first five days were approximately 6,000 gross bopd. When the full field development is completed and online, the company will be able to provide reliable long-term sustainable production estimates. Furthermore, the company has commenced development drilling on the second production well on the field and expects for it to come online in 3Q 2012.
Project Details: Forties
MidEast – Persian Gulf
ATP Spuds Shimshon Well
Apr 30, 2012 – ATP Oil & Gas Corporation and its wholly-owned subsidiary ATP East Med B.V. have initiated drilling at the Shimshon well in the Levant Basin offshore Israel using the ENSCO 5006 (DW semisub). The Shimshon well resides in a water depth of 3,622 feet (1,104 meters) with a target depth of 14,764 feet (4,500 meters). After spud, several protective casing strings will be set until the well has penetrated the salt layer, said the operator. A full set of electric logs will be run at total depth to assist in evaluation of target reservoirs. ATP expects to announce results during the third quarter of 2012.
S. America – Other & Carib.
McDermott Wins Brownfield Contract for North Coast Marine Area Project
May 1, 2012 – McDermott International received a brownfield contract to provide two new permanent living quarter modules, including Front End Engineering Design (FEED), design engineering, construction, transportation and installation for BG’s North Coast Marine Area project. The two modules comprise a 640-ton, 60-man quarters module for the Hibiscus platform and a 915-ton, 62-man quarters module for the Poinsettia platform. The Hibiscus module will also accommodate new electrical power generation and distribution, the design of which is being performed by the McDermott engineering office in Houston. The Poinsettia and Hibiscus fields are located in the North Coast Marine Area (“NCMA”) in waters up to 530 feet (162 meters), offshore Trinidad.
Project Details: North Coast Marine Area (NCMA)
BPZ Energy, Pacific Rubiales Form JV
Apr 27, 2012 – BPZ Energy has formed an unincorporated joint venture with Pacific Rubiales to explore and develop Block Z-1 offshore Peru. The agreement calls for Pacific Rubiales to pay $150 million in cash and is subject to a commitment of $185 million for BPZ’s share of capital and exploratory expenditures in Z-1, for their assumption of a 49 percent participating interest in Block Z-1. The block spans 555,000 acres and holds two producing fields, Corvina and Albacora, which averaged 3,880 bopd in the first quarter of 2012. BPZ Energy said it also contains several prospects and leads in water depths ranging from 200 to 1,000 feet. Under the terms of the agreement, BPZ will remain as operator, holding a 51% participating interest, while Pacific Rubiales assumes a 49% participating interest.
Project Details: Corvina
N. America – US GOM
Technip to Deliver Spar for Mad Dog Phase 2
Apr 30, 2012 – Technip has received a FEED contract from BP for the Mad Dog phase two project. The contract covers the design of a spar hull and mooring systems for the development, located near Green Canyon Block 825 in the Gulf of Mexico. This first award comes under the framework of the 10-year spar platform master services agreement signed in 2011. The Mad Dog Phase 2 Spar will be located near the first Mad Dog Spar delivered by Technip for BP in 2004, and installed on Green Canyon 782. Detailed engineering for the new spar is scheduled to start during the second half of 2012.
Project Details: Mad Dog

USA: BP Awards Mad Dog Topsides FEED to AMEC

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AMEC, the international engineering and project management company, has been awarded a contract from BP Exploration & Production Inc. (BP) to provide Front End Engineering Design services (FEED) for the topsides facilities for the second phase of the Mad Dog field development. The new facility will be of one of the largest floating production systems to be installed in the Gulf of Mexico.

The contract value has not been disclosed.

“This award is the latest in our on-going global engineering and project management services agreement with BP and continues our long-term collaboration with the largest oil producer in the Gulf of Mexico,” said Simon Naylor, President of AMEC’s Natural Resources Americas business. “The contract further strengthens AMEC’s track record in the development of global deepwater facilities, building on current offshore projects in Brazil and Angola.”

The new facility will produce oil and gas from the Phase 2 development area within the existing Mad Dog field in the Green Canyon region of the Gulf of Mexico, about 200 miles (320 kilometres) south of New Orleans, Louisiana.

Deepwater projects are increasingly important in helping to meet rising demand for oil and gas around the world.

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