Gene Kliewer • Houston
Australia hotbed of offshore subsea activity
The Greater Gorgon gas fields are estimated to hold 40 tcf of reserves within 200 km (125 mi) of the northwest coast of Western Australia. It is being developed as a source for feed to an LNG plant and touted as featuring one of the largest-ever CO2 sequestration projects. Gorgon is operated by Chevron (47%) with partners ExxonMobil (25%), Shell (25%), Osaka Gas (1.25%), Tokyo Gas (1%), and Chubu Electric (0.417%)
Gorgon takes giant steps
GE Oil & Gas: In its most recent announcement, GE Oil & Gas will supply five 130-MW Frame-9 gas turbines for power to the Barrow Island gas treatment and liquefaction plants. Further, GE Oil & Gas Drilling and Production will supply a subsea production system to be installed between 60 km and 140 km (37 mi and 87 mi) offshore Barrow Island in 200 m to 1,350 m (656 ft to 4,429 ft) of water.
GE previously was awarded a $400-million contract to supply Gorgon’s LNG refrigeration and CO2 reinjection components. That plus the recent contract bring the value to more than $1.1 billion.
GE will supply Chevron with equipment to produce gas from the offshore Gorgon and Jansz fields, as follows:
- 20 subsea trees – 7-in. (18-cm) VetcoGray subsea trees with retrievable choke modules to control and manage the production of gas from subsea wells
- 20 subsea wellheads – VetcoGray systems
- Production controls to monitor and control the complete subsea infrastructure remotely from Barrow Island
- Five pipeline termination systems with five manifolds, 34 pipeline end terminations, and several other structures, including pig launchers/receivers and umbilical distribution assemblies, 45 spools, and 18 multi-bore well jumpers.
GE says the complete scope will total approximately 10,000 tons (9,072 metric tons) of structures.
First deliveries are planned for 2Q 2011.
BJ Services: Chevron Australia Pty Ltd. has awarded a $80-million pipeline precommissioning contract for work on the Gorgon project offshore Western Australia to BJ Services (Australia) Pty Ltd. Engineering and planning began in January and first mobilization is scheduled for the fourth quarter of this year.
Emerson: VetcoGray, in turn, has awarded Emerson Process Management a contract to supply Roxar subsea wet gas meters for the Greater Gorgon fields. The Roxar subsea Wetgas meters will provide Chevron Australia with real-time measurements of hydrocarbon flow rates and water production, as well as the online detection of formation water breakthrough.
Delivery of the meters is scheduled for the third quarter of this year.
New technology on display
Triton Group is showing a trio of new developments. It has released the Mojave ROV and the first demonstration of VisualDVR HD, a newly developed advanced digital video recording underwater software system. Triton also provided some new information regarding its Rovdrill remotely operated seabed sampling/data acquisition rig.
Kongsberg Maritime is demonstrating its new Seapath 300 series of products that combine GNSS signals and inertial measurements for precise heading, attitude, and positioning. Possible applications include hydrographic surveying, dredging, oceanographic research, seismic work, and offshore construction where accurate compensation of multi-beam echo sounders, hydro acoustic positioning systems, and ADCPs or vessel motion monitoring is required.
North Sea’s Marulk to get subsea production hardware
Statoil has agreed with FMC Technologies to use FMC’s subsea production equipment at Marulk field in the Norwegian Sea at 1,200 ft (365 m) water depth about 18 mi (30 km) southwest of the Norne field. The $62-million deal includes the manufacture of two subsea trees, one manifold, one template, subsea control modules, and associated topside controls and connection equipment.
The initial development will consist of two wells tied back to the Norne FPSO.
The systems will be manufactured and assembled at FMC’s operations in Kongsberg, Norway, and Dunfermline, Scotland. Initial deliveries are scheduled to start in 2Q 2011.
FMC scores with Total off Angola
FMC also has signed an agreement with Total Exploration and Production Angola to manufacture and supply subsea production equipment for Total Angola’s block 17 development offshore Angola. The award has a value of approximately $65 million.
FMC’s scope of supply includes the manufacture of subsea trees, controls, and associated equipment. The systems will be manufactured and assembled at FMC’s facilities in Dunfermline, Scotland; Kongsberg, Norway; and Luanda, Angola. Deliveries are scheduled to start 1Q 2011.
ERRATUM
The March issue ofOffshore referred to this year’s Subsea Boosting and Processing poster as the second in the yearly series. It actually is the third version of the poster.
