What's new in production

	Vol. 228 No. 11
VICTOR SCHMIDT, DRILLING ENGINEERING EDITOR, schmidtv@worldoil.com

Heavy-oil subsea centrifuge. Petrobras has proven its new BCSS subsea centrifuge pump at Jubarte Field, 130 mi offshore Espiritu Santo state, Brazil. The new pump system has been operating for over 100 days with flows of up to 24,000 bpd of 17°API oil, according to the company. The system is installed in the JUB-6 well in about 4,300 ft of water and uses two 1,200-hp pumps. The new pumps were developed in conjunction with the company’s suppliers. The pumps are expected to increase the average system operation period to 4-6 yr from the present 2-3 yr, cutting costs and system shutdowns.

The field is producing to the P-34 FPSO, which can handle 60,000 bopd. The vessel is expected to be at Jubarte Field until 2011. After that time, the vessel will be relocated and the FPSO P-57 will come on station to process increased oil flows. This vessel can handle up to 180,000 bbl of heavy oil, process up to 300,000 bbl of liquids, compress 21 MMcfd of gas and store 300,000 bbl of oil.

Petrobras has a heavy oil research program, PROPES, to develop new technologies for extracting and producing the company’s heavy oil reserves. At present, PROPES is exploring 32 technologies in nine projects focused on the following challenges:

1) Reservoir technologies

2) Oil deposit assessment and field development

3) Long horizontal wells in unconsolidated sandstones

4) Wide-diameter well equipment

5) Artificial lift

6) Transportation and distribution

7) Separation and treatment

8) Heavy oil production units and subsea systems

9) Characterization and pre-treatment of heavy oils for refining.

With increasing flows from Jubarte Phase 1 and 2, Roncador Module 2, Marlin Leste, Cachalote and Baleia Franca Fields, Petrobras’ offshore production of heavy oil (<19° API) is expected reach 440,000 bopd by 2010.

The BCSS pump is qualified to operate in 8,250-ft water depths. According to news reports, Marlim Leste Field will receive the next underwater centrifuge pump.

NIPEX. Nigerian National Petroleum Corp., through its National Petroleum Investment Management Services, has created the Nigerian Petroleum Exchange, NIPEX, to qualify contractors. Starting January 1, 2008, only contractors and suppliers that are pre-qualified into the Nipex Joint Qualification System (NJQS) can do business in the country’s oil and gas industry.

The exchange is an electronic transaction center developed to provide a single entry point to facilitate oil and gas supply chain transactions. The role of NJQS is to collate and track information on all suppliers and contractors. It will be used in part to invite companies for contract tenders, based on their capabilities.

Development projects. Royal Dutch Shell signed an agreement with OAO Tatneft for a tar sands project in Tatarstan. The companies will conduct a feasibility study for extracting and upgrading the heavy oil with the goal of producing 11.8-15.8 million bbl per year by 2020.

Nighthawk Energy (80%) and Running Foxes (20%) began a 60-well appraisal-drilling program in Devon Field, Kansas, US, as part of a waterflood project. The pilot will cover 1,764 acres in the Cherokee Basin to develop shallow Bartlesville channel sandstones. Initial flooding will be in 20-30-ft-thick sandstone sections.

Austral Pacific Energy Ltd. commissioned its Cheal Field facility for the extraction, production and transportation of waxy oil, onshore Taranaki Basin, New Zealand. The facility is producing around 400 bopd from the “A” site and has produced at up to 1,000 bopd. Once a second, “B,” site comes online, production will increase to 850-1,000 bopd. Additional production wells are planned for the “A” site.

New output. Santos Ltd. began producing from Oyong Field, offshore Indonesia, some 113 mi east of Surabaya, just south of Madura Island. The company is increasing production rates, which will be stabilized at 8,000-10,000 bopd. The field is estimated to hold over 8 million bbl of recoverable oil and 130 Bcf of recoverable gas. Santos is operator (45%) with partners Singapore Sampang Ltd. (40%) and Cue Sampang Pty Ltd (15%).

AED Oil Ltd. started oil production from Puffin North East in the Timor Sea. Wells Puffin-7 and Puffin-8 tested at 12,000-16,000 bopd each. Production from the wells is commingled and flows to the Front Puffin FPSO. Oil flow is being gradually increased to the present facilities limit of 27,000 bopd.

Petrobras started oil production from Piranema Field in 3,300-5,300-ft water depths, off Aracaju, Sergipe state, Brazil. Production will flow to the Sevan Piranema FPSO, which can process 30,000 bopd and a compress 127 MMcfd of gas. The vessel is the world’s first cylinder-shaped FPSO and is working under an 11-yr (fixed) + 11-yr (optional) charter. The vessel can store up to 300,000 bbl of oil and water.

BP began producing from the Greater Plutonio project offshore Angola. The development is in Block 18 about 260 mi northwest of Luanda in water depths up to 4,350 ft deep. The subsea system connects 20 producing wells and 23 injectors from five fields: Cobalto, Cromio, Galio, Paladio and Plutonio. The wells flow into 90 mi of flowlines, through a 4,150-ft riser tower and into the Greater Plutonio FPSO, which can hold up to 1.77 million bbl. BP operates with 50% interest, while Sonangol Sinopec International owns the remaining 50% in the block.

Energy Partners (EPL) began producing Cap Rock Field from the South Timbalier 41 B-3st well in the Gulf of Mexico. The well is producing about 1,900 bopd and 18 MMcfd with 5,540 psi flowing tubing pressure. EPL operates with 60% and W&T Offshore Inc. holds 40% interest.

Also in the GOM, BHP Billiton began producing oil from Genghis Khan Field in Green Canyon Block 652. Well K1-1 began producing through a subsea manifold to the Marco Polo TLP. The field is about 120 mi offshore Louisiana in 4,300 ft of water and straddles GC 608 and GC 652. Additional wells are planned, one in GC 608 and two in GC 652. This field is part of a six-block development area (GC 608, 609, 610, 652, 653 and 654) for which BHP is operator (44%) with partners Hess (28%) and Repsol YPF (28%).