Worldwide Field Development News Sep 14 – Sep 20, 2012

This week the SubseaIQ team added 4 new projects and updated 25 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 – US Alaska

Another Setback for Shell in the Arctic

Sep 17, 2012 – After battling through federal regulatory issues and environmental lawsuits, Shell’s Chukchi Sea exploration drilling program has gotten off to a rocky start. Soon after spudding the first well, the Noble Discoverer (mid-water drillship) was forced to move off location for a short time due to an encroaching ice floe. The latest setback occurred when the containment dome – used to contain uncontrolled oil flowing from a subsea wellhead – was damaged during testing. Without an operational containment dome, the company will not be able drill into oil-bearing zones. However, Shell will still be able to drill the shallow top-hole sections of several exploration wells before the short drilling season comes to an end.

Project Details: Burger, SW Shoebill, Cracker Jack

Europe – North Sea

Xcite is Excited about Bentley Pre-Production Test

Sep 20, 2012 – Xcite Energy has successfully concluded the pre-production well test in the Bentley Phase 1A work program. The test was built around two horizontal well sections (9/3b-7 and 9/3b-7Z) that represented an excess of 4,200 feet of net reservoir. Approximately 147,000 barrels of Bentley crude were produced. Results confirmed the existence of a large aquifer that should provide long term pressure support during production. Even with the aquifer in place, the oil-water ratio was far better than expected and provides important information for modeling long term oil recovery from the field. Both well bores will be suspended and kept available for use in the next phase of development. Drilling and testing were carried out by the Rowan Norway (400′ ILC). Once the test equipment on the rig has been decommissioned the rig be demobilized from the field and released back to Rowan.

Project Details: Bentley

Draupne Gets a New Name

Sep 19, 2012 – The Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy introduced a policy of naming fields and discoveries after prominent individuals or events of national significance. The re-naming policy is an effort to parallel the importance of Norway’s offshore energy reserves with the contributions of people and events that shaped the nation. In this instance, the Draupne field is now the Ivar Aasen field. Aasen was a poet and linguist in the 1800s. He is credited with developing the Nynorsk (New Norwegian) language which aided in the modernization of the country.

Project Details: Edvard Grieg (Luno, Ivar Aasen) Project

Premier Awards Contract to ADIL

Sep 19, 2012 – Premier Oil awarded a contract worth $24.3 million to Aberdeen-based energy consulting firm ADIL to provide people and systems for the execution phase of the Solan field in the UK North Sea. ADIL spent the previous two years providing similar services to the field’s former operator, Chrysaor, during the development phase. The contract will conclude once the field is brought into production, currently scheduled for 4Q 2014. ADIL personnel will oversee construction of the jacket and topsides as well as a 300,000 barrel subsea storage tank. Once brought online, Solan is expected to produce 40 million barrels of oil at an initial rate of 24,000 barrels per day.

Project Details: Solan

JX Nippon Farms Into UK North Sea Block

Sep 18, 2012 – Serica Energy announced a farm-out agreement has been reached with JX Nippon for UK North Sea Block 22/19c. At present, Serica holds a 100% interest in the block. Once the UK government signs off on the transaction, JX Nippon will be the operating partner with an 85% stake. As part of the agreement, JX Nippon will pay $250,000 to Serica and bear all future costs associated with the license.

Project Details: Oates

Ithaca Announces Athena Intervention

Sep 17, 2012 – Ithaca Energy announced that a hydraulic intervention to correct a production tubing blockage in well P1 has been performed with minor success. Gross production from the well is now between 700 and 800 bopd. P1, drilled in 2006, is the original appraisal well and was completed as a development well in 2011. A workover was contemplated by the Athena partners but it was determined that more value would be gained from producing the well in its current condition. The company did indicate that future attempts to further clear the blockage using facilities on the FPSO may be undertaken.

Project Details: Athena

EnQuest Formally Takes Over as Kraken Operator

Sep 14, 2012 – EnQuest will formally become operator of Blocks 9/2b and 9/2c with the completion of its acquisition of an additional 15 percent from First Oil. EnQuest’s total stake in Kraken is now 60 percent.

Project Details: Kraken

Wintershall Receives Noor Permit Approval

Sep 14, 2012 – The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has approved Wintershall’s permit to drill exploration well 16/1-16 using the Bredford Dolphin (mid-water semisub). The well is located in 370 feet of water in PL457.

Project Details: Noor

Australia

Another Discovery at Gorgon

Sep 19, 2012 – Chevron continues a successful run in the Greater Gorgon area offshore Western Australia with the announcement of positive results from the Satyr-2 exploration well. The company has confirmed that the well intercepted a net gas column of 128 feet. Satyr-2 was drilled to a depth of 12,454 feet by the Atwood Eagle (DW semisub) in permit WA-374-P. This marks Chevron’s fifteenth discovery in Australia since mid-2009. Chevron’s Gorgon natural gas project is the largest of almost a dozen terminals planned or under construction along the country’s coast.

Project Details: Greater Gorgon

Technip Wins Another Contract for Ichthys

Sep 18, 2012 – INPEX awarded a contract worth $273 million to Technip for work related to the Ichthys LNG Project in the Browse Basin, Western Australia. Starting immediately, Technip will provide services concerning the preparation and execution of offshore commissioning of the FPSO and central processing facility. Completion of the contract is expected in 4Q 2016 when first gas is scheduled to be delivered. This is the third Ichthys contract awarded to Technip this year. The other two include agreements for engineering and procurement services and for the supply of flexible piping.

Project Details: Ichthys

S. America – Other & Carib.

FOGL Announces Loligo Gas Discovery

Sep 17, 2012 – Falkland Oil and Gas confirmed that their Loligo exploration well is a gas discovery. Drilling operations were carried out by the Leiv Eiriksson (UDW semisub). The well was drilled to a measured depth of 13,264 feet and intersected six-gas bearing Tertiary aged targets. Information obtained from the well will be used with existing seismic data to gain a better understanding of reservoir potential and distribution. The well will be plugged and abandoned but it is important to note that Loligo has proven a working hydrocarbon system in the northern part of the East Falkland Basin.

Project Details: Loligo

Africa – West

Eni Successful With Latest Sankofa Well

Sep 20, 2012 – Eni reports promising test results from the Sankofa East-1X well drilled off Ghana in the Offshore Cape Three Points block. The well was drilled to a total depth of 11,975 feet in 2,706 feet of water by the Transocean Marianas (DW semisub). Testing revealed 91 feet of gas and condensate pay as well as a gross oil column of 249 feet in Cretaceous sandstones. A production test of the oil-bearing zone delivered roughly 5,000 bopd; however, flow rates were constrained by surface infrastructure limitations. It is possible that the well will be suspended for future use in development operations. Eni plans to immediately drill other wells in the area to determine the size of the discovery and further evaluate the potential for commercial development.

Project Details: Sankofa

Bowleven Updates Etinde

Sep 19, 2012 – Bowleven’s latest Etinde appraisal and development well offshore Cameroon is now underway. The IM-5 well is being drilled by the Atwood Aurora (350′ ILC) in block MLHP-7. The primary objective of the operation is to establish reservoir and fluid properties in the Middle Isongo sands. An extensive logging, testing and coring suite will be performed as well. The well has been designed in a manner that will allow for use as a future producer. A second well will be drilled on the permit, the location of which will be determined by results of the IM-5.

Project Details: Etinde

Ophir Continues EG Success

Sep 17, 2012 – Ophir Energy wrapped up a successful 2012 drilling campaign with a gas discovery in the Fortuna West-1 exploration well on Block R offshore Equatorial Guinea. The well was drilled to a measured depth of 10,426 feet by the Eirik Raude (UDW semisub). Gas was encountered in the primary and secondary targets. The Felix Prospect was also intercepted and testing indicated promising results for future appraisal. Fortuna West-1 is the last of three wells in the company’s 2012 Block R drilling program. Combined results of these wells have increased estimates of in-place contingent resources from 116 MMboe to 500 MMboe.

Asia – SouthEast

Clough Wins Manora Platform Work

Sep 14, 2012 – The Pearl Energy-led joint venture has awarded Clough and TL Offshore the platform procurement construction installation and commissioning contract. Clough will be responsible for the procurement, construction and commissioning portion of the work while TL Offshore will be responsible for offshore transporation and installation. Work is expected to commence in September 2012. Completion is anticipated in early 2014.

Project Details: Manora

Tanker Pacific Wins FSO Conversion Contract

Sep 14, 2012 – The Pearl Energy-led joint venture has awarded Tanker Pacific Offshore Terminals the contract to carry out the conversion of the FSO to be used on the Manora field with work taking place in Singapore. Installation of the FSO is scheduled or early 2014.

Project Details: Manora

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