Offshore staff
PERTH, Australia – Woodside Energy has provided an update on various LNG/oilfield development schemes off northwestern Australia.
At the Pluto A platform for the Pluto LNG project, subsea gas wells were ready for start-up earlier this month. Gas from the Pluto reservoir is now flowing through the platform into the trunkline where it will be contained until the onshore plant is ready to receive it.
Last month a deepwater exploration well was spudded in the Exmouth Plateau area, Cadwallon-1 in the WA-434-P permit. The well intersected a gross hydrocarbon column of 27 m (88 ft), although initial evaluation suggests this is sub-commercial.
Woodside plans a further five exploration wells between now and mid-2012 as it pursues further equity gas to support a Pluto LNG expansion. Discussions continue with other parties concerning additional trains at Pluto.
As for Browse LNG, invitations have been issued to two contractors for construction of the onshore LNG and condensate production plant, port and export facilities, and associated infrastructure.
This follows invitations to tender in September for construction and installation of the Browse Central Processing Facility (topsides and jackets), dry tree units, and subsea pipelines. FEED and design studies are nearing completion.
A 3D seismic survey over the Torosa field was completed in early November. Data is being analysed and should assist in providing further definition of Torosa’s volumes.
Elsewhere, Woodside says the A$5-billion ($4.96-billion) North Rankin redevelopment, designed to recover low pressure gas from the North Rankin and Perseus gas fields, remains on schedule and budget for completion in 2013.
In September the North Rankin B (NRB) jacket was launched and positioned 100 m (328 ft) from the existing North Rankin A (NRA) platform. Piling continues to secure the jacket to the seabed.
Load-out of the NRA-NRB bridges has been completed at the yard in Indonesia, while in South Korea, commissioning continues and the NRB topsides have been raised in preparation for load-out.
The first phase of the Greater Western Flank gas development remains on track. A final investment decision is targeted for early 2012. Woodside says this will be the next major development for the North West Shelf.
Woodside’s Seraph-1 exploration well successfully acquired data through the Angel gas field while drilling towards a TD of 4,892 m (16,050 ft). The well encountered two additional thin gas columns within secondary objectives and a 26-m (85-ft) gross gas column within the primary objective, the North Rankin Beds formation. However, reservoir quality was poorer than predicted and commerciality has yet to be determined.
The Tidepole East-1 well was spud in mid-November, targeting gas 13 km (8 mi) south-southwest of the Goodwyn A platform.
Finally, Woodside has been awarded seven new permits offshore Western Australia. Three are in the Rowley sub-basin, two in the Lambert Shelf, and two in the Exmouth sub-basin.
Commitments include acquisition of seismic in 2012-2013 and eight exploration wells during 2013-2014.
11/28/2011
