Offshore staff
TANANGER, Norway – The crane barge Saipem 7000 has installed the topsides for the new Ekofisk 2/4-Z wellhead platform in the Norwegian North Sea.
This will be the central facility of the ConocoPhillips-operatedEkofisk South project, due to start up in 4Q 2013.
Saipem 7000 lifted the 8,000-metric ton (8,818-ton) topsides, which left the Kvaerner Egersund yard only two days earlier, onto the Dragados-built platform jacket, installed last year.
Following commissioning and completion, the platform will be handed over to the operations department this fall ahead of first oil.
The jackupMaersk Gallant pre-drilled four production wells on Ekofisk 2/4 Z, and these will now be integrated with the platform. Eventually the platform will have 36 wells, comprising 35 producers and one well for drill cuttings return.
Additionally, the Ekofisk 2/4 VB subsea facility will provide eight wells for injecting water into the reservoir. Water injection from the first well started in mid-May. Overall, ConocoPhillips expects the project to boost recovery by 25-35 MMboe.
Late last month, the transport vesselOsprey was due to take the new Ekofisk 2/4 L accommodation and field center platform topsides from SMOE in Singapore to Norway. The voyage was expected to last 29 days.
The topsides will stop briefly at Mekjarvik in late July, before setting off for the final leg to Ekofisk a few days later. The helicopter deck will be lifted off in Mekjarvik, in preparation for lifting the topsides onto the jacket in August. Kværner Verdal built the jacket, which was installed at the offshore location last year.
7/19/2013
