Blog Archives
Worldwide Field Development News Oct 18 – Oct 24, 2014
| Worldwide Field Development News Oct 18 – Oct 24, 2014 |
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| This week the SubseaIQ team added 9 new projects and updated 38 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. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Oct 22, 2014 – Additional oil resources have been proven in the vicinity of the Statoil-operated Grane field in the Norwegian North Sea. Statoil tested the D-structure with well 25/8-18S and exposed an oil column of 82 feet in the Heimdal formation. Data indicates a recoverable volume of 30 to 80 million barrels. The discovery is located just over 4 miles north of the Grane field and is part of Statoil’s strategy of near-field exploration in an effort to extend the life of existing infrastructure. The well was drilled by the Transocean Leader (mid-water semisub) and reached a measured depth of 6,125 feet.EIA Projections Show U.S. Energy Production Growing Faster than Consumption
EIA issued its Annual Energy Outlook 2013 (AEO2013) Reference case, which highlights a growth in total U.S. energy production that exceeds growth in total U.S. energy consumption through 2040.
“EIA’s updated Reference case shows how evolving consumer preferences, improved technology, and economic changes are pushing the nation toward more domestic energy production, greater vehicle efficiency, greater use of clean energy, and reduced energy imports,” said EIA Administrator Adam Sieminski.
“This combination has markedly reduced projected energy-related carbon dioxide emissions,” said Mr. Sieminski.
AEO2013 offers a number of key findings, including:
Crude oil production, especially from tight oil plays, rises sharply over the next decade. Domestic oil production will rise to 7.5 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2019, up from less than 6 million bpd in 2011.
Motor gasoline consumption will be less than previously estimated. Compared with the last AEO, the AEO2013 shows lower gasoline use, reflecting the introduction of more stringent corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards. Growth in diesel fuel consumption will be moderated by the increased use of natural gas in heavy-duty vehicles.
The United States becomes a net exporter of natural gas earlier than estimated a year ago. Because quickly rising natural gas production outpaces domestic consumption, the United States will become a net exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in 2016 and a net exporter of total natural gas (including via pipelines) in 2020.
Renewable fuel use grows at a much faster rate than fossil fuel use. The share of electricity generation from renewables grows to 16 percent in 2040 from 13 percent in 2011.
Net imports of energy decline. The decline reflects increased domestic production of both petroleum and natural gas, increased use of biofuels, and lower demand resulting from the adoption of new vehicle fuel efficiency standards and rising energy prices. The net import share of total U.S. energy consumption falls to 9 percent in 2040 from 19 percent in 2011.
The AEO2013 Reference case focuses on the drivers that shape U.S. energy markets under the assumption that current laws and regulations remain generally unchanged throughout the projection period. The complete AEO2013, to be released in early 2013, will include many alternative cases in recognition of the uncertainty inherent in making projections about energy markets, which in part arises from assumptions about policies and other market drivers such as trends in prices and economic growth.
- Key updates made for the AEO2013 Reference case include the following:
- Extension of the projection period through 2040, an additional 5 years beyond AEO2012.
- A revised outlook for industrial production to reflect the impacts of increased shale gas production and lower natural gas prices, which result in faster growth for industrial production and energy consumption. The industries affected include, in particular, bulk chemicals and primary metals.
- Adoption of final model year 2017 to 2025 greenhouse gas emissions and CAFE standards for light-duty vehicles (LDVs), which increases the projected combined fuel economy of new LDVs to 47.3 mpg in 2025.
- Updated modeling of LNG export potential.
- Updated power generation unit costs that capture recent cost declines for some renewable technologies, which tend to lead to greater use of renewable generation, particularly solar technologies.
EIA Projections Show U.S. Energy Production Growing Faster than Consumption LNG World News.
- The Future Of US Energy In 4 Charts (businessinsider.com)
- EIA: Here’s What Oil Prices Will Do For The Next 30 Years (businessinsider.com)
- US Energy Mix to 2040 per EIA (simplerna.com)
Apache Inks Suriname PSC
Apache Corporation today signed a production sharing contract (PSC) with Suriname’s oil company Staatsolie for offshore block 53. located in the territorial waters of the South American country.
The contract, divided into exploration, development and production phases, is valid for approximately 30 years. The parties have agreed to a minimum working program for the exploration phase, which includes geological surveys and exploration drilling. Apache will take full responsibility for all costs during the exploration phase.
If a commercial find has been made and brought into production, Apache will receive reimbursement for such costs. The contract offers Staatsolie the opportunity for a stake in the development phase of up to 20 percent.
Block 53 is located at approximately 130 kilometers off the northwest coast of Paramaribo. The exploration period under the contract is divided into two phases with a combined investment of approximately US$230 million. The duration of the first phase is scheduled for three years with an optional second phase of two and a half years. In addition to a large 3D seismic survey, two wells will be drilled in the first phase with a third well to be drilled in the optional second phase. The production sharing contract explicitly deals with inspection, safety and the environment. There are also special provisions for employment of local cadre, training, social programs and the dismantling of facilities at the end of operations.
Huisman Builds New Production Facility in Brazil
Huisman, specialist in lifting, drilling and subsea solutions, has announced its plans to build a new production facility in Brazil and recently initiated the land fill works. The new facility will be located alongside the river Itajai-Açu in the city of Navegantes in Santa Catarina state, a state in the southern part of Brazil bordering the Atlantic Ocean. This facility will be used for the manufacturing of construction equipment for the Brazilian offshore market.
The first investment phase includes over 15,000 square meter of production facilities. The next investment phase will include a 200m long quay side with an artificial bay to protect vessels from the seasonal river’s high currents. With the quayside in place, the Huisman do Brasil facility will be easily accessible for seagoing vessels, allowing for fast installation, commissioning and testing of the Huisman designed and built offshore construction equipment onboard. The new Huisman production facility is planned to be operational in the second half of 2013.
Subsea World News – Huisman Builds New Production Facility in Brazil.
BSEE: Production in US GoM Returns to Normal
Offshore oil and gas operators in the Gulf of Mexico continue to restore production following Tropical Storm Isaac. The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) Hurricane Response Team will continue to work with offshore operators and other state and federal agencies until operations return to normal.
Personnel remain evacuated on a total of 10 production platforms, equivalent to 1.68 percent of the 596 manned platforms in the Gulf of Mexico. Production platforms are the structures located offshore from which oil and natural gas are produced.
Personnel remain evacuated from one rig, equivalent to 1.32 percent of the 76 rigs currently operating in the Gulf. Rigs can include several types of self-contained offshore drilling facilities including jackup rigs, submersibles and semisubmersibles.
BSEE: Production in US GoM Returns to Normal| Offshore Energy Today.
- Gulf of Mexico production ramps up after Isaac (fuelfix.com)
- Gulf Oil Production About 80% Shut-In Due to TS/Hurricane Isaac (247wallst.com)
- Hurricane Isaac’s Impact On Oil Prices Would Likely be Short-term (valuewalk.com)
Deep Down Receives Umbilical Carousel Order (USA)
Deep Down, Inc., an oilfield services company specializing in complex deepwater and ultra-deepwater oil production distribution system support services has been successful in its proposal to a major international umbilical manufacturer for the manufacture, installation and commissioning of a portable umbilical carousel.
The project has an estimated value of $4 million in revenue to Deep Down and is scheduled for delivery in the second quarter of 2013, with procurement of long lead items commencing this month.
Ron Smith, Chief Executive Officer of Deep Down, Inc. stated, “We are delighted with this opportunity. We currently have outstanding quotes in excess of $30 million for our carousel design and this project further recognizes that we are a leading provider of innovative umbilical solutions to the oil and gas industry.”
Related articles
- Houston, Texas: Deep Down Receives Multiple Services Contracts (mb50.wordpress.com)
Eagle Ford a contender for top U.S. play
Highly productive wells and the vast size of the Eagle Ford Shale are combining to make the South Texas shale play a contender for being the nation’s best, according to a new report.
The report, from information and analytics firm IHS, looked at well performance for oil and oil-rich liquids in the Eagle Ford as well as in the Bakken Shale of North Dakota and Montana, currently the nation’s top play. The Bakken has more wells than the Eagle Ford, but so far, on a per-well basis, the Eagle Ford seems to be producing more than the Bakken.
The Bakken is more established, and the Eagle Ford is still developing.South Texas
This IHS report is part of a broader study that’s under way of 27 of the nation’s shale plays.
The IHS analysis shows that “Eagle Ford drilling results appear to be superior to those of the Bakken,” said Andrew Byrne, director of equity research at IHS and the study’s author.
The Bakken shale is the play against which others are measured, Byrne said, because “it was the key play that really opened up development of unconventional resources” using high-tech drilling methods and hydraulic fracturing.
The Bakken first began to show great promise about 12 years ago, Byrne said.
“The results from the Bakken were so strong that it set the standard by which all others will be measured. It was the one play that incited the industry into pursuing these opportunities,” he said.
Now, though, comes the Eagle Ford.
Wells in the Eagle Ford Shale have a stronger flow – 300 to 600 barrels a day or oil and oil-rich liquids, based on average production in a peak month – than in the Bakken, where flow ranges from 150 to 300 barrels a day.
“One of the reasons we really like the Eagle Ford is its potential as a large total resource. It could be one of the best, if not the best, in North America,” Byrne said.
“The Eagle Ford covers such a vast area. That also makes this such a strong play.”
The Eagle Ford sweeps 400 miles from East Texas to counties south of San Antonio and on to the border.
The play “gets uniformly strong results, and that’s making the play look that much bigger and better,” Byrne said.
“All plays essentially have sweet spots. What makes the Eagle Ford so good is that the noncore stuff is delivering strong results also. In some other plays, it’s only the sweet spot that’s economic.”
2012 prediction
The Center for Community and Business Research at the University of Texas at San Antonio has also prepared studies of the Eagle Ford Shale. Center Director Thomas Tunstall predicts that the Eagle Ford Shale will produce 65 million barrels of oil for 2012. Oil production in the Eagle Ford reached 36.6 million barrels in 2011, according to Texas Railroad Commission data.
It’s somewhat difficult to predict production from the shale because the rate of production is accelerating, Tunstall said.
IHS doesn’t yet have an estimate of all the oil that is in the Eagle Ford.
“We’re working on that,” Byrne said.
Last week, Steve Trammel, senior manager of industry affairs for HIS, said in an interview that rig counts are declining in shale plays with much more natural gas than oil because of low natural gas prices.
But drilling is on the rise in shale with oil and “liquids-rich” areas, where wells can tap a mix of oil and condensate, a light oil, and “wet,” or liquid, natural gas, Trammel said.
Looking ahead
In fact, the highest average monthly production in the Eagle Ford is coming from the formation’s liquids-rich window, Byrne said.
Asked which might be the next hot play, Byrne said: “We haven’t officially put out that opinion yet. That will have to be reserved until we finish our study.”
The energy industry is “very creative,” he noted. “It seems like every quarter another play shows up.”
Related articles
- Texas: Experts deliver another round of Eagle Ford bullishness (mb50.wordpress.com)
- Black gold comes to Texas’ rescue again (fuelfix.com)
- Eagle Ford oil production in May tripled from 2011, Texas says (fuelfix.com)
- Eagle Ford banks challenged as deposits skyrocket (mb50.wordpress.com)
- Eagle Ford tied to global economy (mysanantonio.com)
- Black gold comes to Texas’ rescue again (mysanantonio.com)
Rebounding US Oil Production: The Historical View
Excitement continues to run at very high levels, over the rebound in US crude oil production. Coming out of the new, historic low of 4.95 mbpd (million barrel per day) in 2008, the annual average of US production in the first 4 months of 2012 is currently on pace at 6.156 mbpd. This new production has largely been made possible by the price revolution in crude oil, which finally broke through the long-term, $25 ceiling during 2003-2004, and which is now mostly sustaining marginal production around the $90 level. A question: has the US, since its own production peaked near 10 mbpd in 1971, seen this kind of production rebound before? Let’s first take a look at the past decade. | see: US Average Annual Oil Production mbpd 2001 -2012
If maintained, the current rebound would add back a little more than a million barrels a day to US production, compared to the 2008 low. Some analysts fervently believe that, despite ongoing declines from existing US fields, that production will go even higher into the end of this decade. Well, just leaving that issue aside for now, given that so much of this new production depends on sustained high prices, let’s briefly take a look at a previous rebound in US oil production. | see: US Average Annual Oil Production mbpd 1972 -1985
Coming out of the 1976 low, at 8.136 mbpd, US production rebounded over the following 9 years by 800 kbpd–not quite a million barrels per day. However, a volume comparable to the current rebound. Afterwards, the 40 year decline in US production resumed its decline.
The course of US production into 2020 will be more dependent than usual on price. An increasing portion of total global production is crowded into the marginal price band of $80-$100 a barrel, and yet the world economy appears to struggle–on the demand side–at that very same level. Thus, new marginal production in the US and elsewhere is fated to continually pass back and forth, in and out of the domain of economic viability, as the world economy chokes, recovers, and chokes on high oil prices.
Source -Gregor
Related articles
- The Supply Side Of Oil (seekingalpha.com)
- Gasoline prices rise as crude oil rebounds (fuelfix.com)
Continents of the World
Mb50's "Liquid Mud" Rant 