Offshore staff
FORNEBU, Norway – Lundin Norway’s recent Filicudi discovery in a previously unexplored part of the Barents Sea has de-risked other prospects in the area, according to partner Aker BP.
Filicudi contains estimated oil and gas resources in the range of 35-100 MMboe. Other structures on the Filicudi trend within license could collectively hold up to 700 MMboe.
The partnership is considering drilling up to two of these later in the year. One is Hufsa (285 MMboe) and the other is Hurri (218 MMboe).
Aker BP also works with Lundin in PL492, where the Gohta 3 appraisal well (7120/1-5) is currently drilling, 4 km (2.5 mi) north of the Gohta discovery well. The main aim is to delineate the field’s northeastern extent and to provide a calibration point for drilling of a horizontal well for a possible extended well test.
In the North Sea, Aker BP and partner Hess have taken the latest step in approving the Valhall Flank West project – concept selection gate (DG2) – with the final stage, DG3, likely to be approved toward year-end.
The project involves a development of the Tor formation at the western flank of the Valhall field, a chalk-type reservoir located in the southern Norwegian sector.
This would involve adding a 12-slot normally unmanned platform tied back to the Valhall field center. Six of the 12 slots would be allocated for producers, with the option to convert two producers to water injectors. This would leave spare capacity for additional future wells.
Another project is under way to expand water injection capability to the northern basin drainage area of the field through modifications to the Valhall Flank North platform, in 72 m (236 ft) water depth.
This would enable water injection to existing depleted producers and potential increase reserves recovery by 6-8 MMboe gross.
The project is in the concept selection phase with DG2 scheduled for the current quarter.
At the Valhall injection platform, the first drilling activity in two years started during 1Q. Elsewhere on the Valhall complex, coiled tubing activity has started ahead of a campaign of well P&A’ing by the jackupMaersk Invincible.
In the same region, Aker BP and its partners have approved further development of the Tambar field, 16 km (9.9 mi) southeast of Ula in 68 m (223 ft) water depth. This will involve drilling two additional wells and implementing gas lift, the aim being to extend production out to 2028 or beyond.
The partners will spend around NOK1.7 billion ($199 million) on the program, which will target reserves of around 27 MMboe.
During 4Q the jackupMaersk Interceptor will start drilling two producers. Drilling will also test the oil-water contact in the northern part of the Tambar field, helping to improve understanding of the reservoir.
In the Alvheim area of the northern Norwegian North Sea, theTransocean Arctic is currently drilling the Volund South tri-lateral infill well.
DG2 has passed for development of the Storklakken accumulation via a single multilateral producer well tied back to the Vilje field, using an existing pipeline from Vilje to the Alvheim FPSO. First oil is scheduled for 2020.
At Ivar Aasen, which came onstream late last year, production has performed ahead of expectations in the ramp up toward plateau. Going forward, the focus will be on initiating water injection and bringing one more compressor into operation.
TheMaersk Interceptor resumed development drilling of the remaining production and water injector wells last month, and the rig should switch to exploration drilling this summer.
Aker BP adds that the partners plan to develop the Hanz field as a subsea tieback to the Ivar Aasen platform via a flowline and umbilical system.
A phased development is in prospect for the tie-in ofSnadd to the Skarv FPSO in the Norwegian Sea. Phase 1 will likely call for three subsea wells tied in to the Skarv A template, with first gas scheduled for 2020.
Front-end engineering design will focus on technical qualification of the electrical trace heated pipe-in-pipe flowline system and selection of the optimal subsea production system. The project passed DG2 in 1Q, with the focus now on preparations for sanctioning (DG3) in 4Q.
Finally, Phase 1 of the Statoil-operatedJohan Sverdrup project is progressing as planned, Aker BP says, with pre-drilling of injector wells starting in February. At the end of March around, approximately 50% of the Phase 1 facilities construction had been completed, as had a four-well pilot/appraisal campaign for further improvement of reservoir definition.
Phase 2 will include 28 new production and injection wells into the peripheral parts of the Johan Sverdrup oil field, lifting the total number of wells from 36 to 64.
04/28/2017
