Offshore staff
DUBAI, UAE– Dragon Oil is currently employing one platform-based and two jackup rigs to develop the Cheleken Contract Area (CCA) fields in the Turkmen sector of the Caspian Sea.
They will soon be joined by the newbuild jackupCaspian Driller, which is undergoing commissioning in the CCA ahead of starting operations on the Dzheitune (Lam) field. The lease and management contract for this rig lasts for five years, with an option to extend by up to two more years.
Of the fleet in operation, theElima jackup, contracted until May 2016, is at present drilling the Dzheitune (Lam) 13/199 well.
TheNeptune jackup, currently completing the Dzheitune (Lam) C/198 development well, will remain available until Dragon takes delivery of Mercury, another newbuild jackup, later this year. Mercury will then work for the company under the remainder of its three-year lease with the drilling contractor.
Land Rig 2 is contracted to drill on the Dzhygalybeg (Zhdanov) A platform until it completes eight slots allocated for drilling with a land rig on this platform.
Dragon says a program to acquire water injection facilities for installation on the Dzheitune (Lam) field is in the approval stage. These will be used for pressure maintenance, to sustain production rates, and to increase reserves recovery.
Last year, the company commissioned a jet pumping system for two wells on the Dzheitune (Lam) 13 platform. It has since procured more jet pumping systems for other platforms and commissioning is scheduled to start later in 1Q 2015, with a view to increase production and enhance recovery.
In parallel, the company is considering use of electric submersible pumps with a pilot application to start later this year.
Fabrication has started of a new eight-slot wellhead and production platform Dzheitune (Lam) E and associated pipelines. The platform will be suitable for use with a jackup drilling rig. The platform is expected to be completed in 1H 2016.
The Dzheitune (Lam) F accommodation platform has been installed in the central part of the Dzheitune (Lam) field. Installation of the production platform is in progress and it should be ready for drilling by the second half of this year.
Structural strengthening and slot addition works continue at other platforms in the Dzheitune (Lam) field to allow further drilling. Four slots have been added at both the Dzheitune (Lam) C and Dzheitune (Lam) 28 platforms, while strengthening/slot addition works continue at the Dzheitune (Lam) 10 (six slots) and Dzheitune (Lam) B (two slots) facilities. The programs are expected to be completed by mid-year.
In the Egyptian sector in the offshore Gulf of Suez, Dragon plans to acquire 100 sq km (38.6 sq mi) of 3D seismic and reprocess all available 2D data over the shallow-waterEast Zeit Bay concession, which it was awarded last May.
Additionally it plans to drill two wells during the initial four-year exploration period of four years.
Offshore Tunisia, the company and its partners have rescheduled appraisal drilling on the Hammamet West field until 2016, after securing an extension to the current exploration phase.
02/19/2015
