Jeremy Beckman - London
IKM to conduct Skanled studies
Norwegian gas distributor Gassco has contracted IKM for studies for a proposed trans-Scandinavian offshore/onshore pipeline system. Skanled would transport gas from the Kaarsto terminal in western Norway to Rafnes on the east coast, before meandering southeast to Sweden and Denmark through the Skaggerak and Kattegat regions.
The landfalls in Sweden would be either at Lysekil, Stenungsund, or Varberg, while the options in Denmark are Saeby or Frederikshavn. One of the 10 Skanled partners, energinet.dk, plans to take its share of the gas through a new 120-km (74.6-mi) onshore line to a storage facility in central Jutland.
IKM Ocean Design in Stavanger and Trondheim, Norway, will perform most of the design work for the 853-km (530-mi) pipeline system, including associated subsea structures and receiving/metering stations. Gassco estimates the overall project cost at around NOK10 billion ($1.84 billion). It expects an investment decision in October 2009, leading to first gas deliveries in December 2012.
Route of the proposed Skanled gas pipeline.
Paper work is under way for another proposed long-distance gas trunkline in the Mediterranean Sea, taking supplies from Algeria to Sardinia and Tuscany in western Italy. Sonatrach and Edison are the main partners in Galsi, the company established to build and operate this line.
Recently, Galsi filed an application with Italy’s Ministry of Economic Development for construction in the 596-km (370-mi) Italian segment, requesting permission to initiate environmental impact studies. A first submarine section would make landfall at Porto Botte in Sardinia, followed by a 272-km (169-mi) overland stretch through the island, and a further submarine segment to Piombino on the mainland, where it would connect to the country’s transmission network. Galso would have an overall length of 900 km (559 mi), 600 km (373 mi) of this offshore, with an initial transmission capacity of 8 bcm/yr.
Providence takes blocks in Kish basin
Irish independent Providence Resources has secured a three-year licensing option over eight blocks in the Kish basin off eastern Ireland, in partnership with Star Energy. Star is a subsidiary of Petronas. It has a 50-50 joint venture with Providence to develop gas storage initiatives offshore Ireland.
However, Providence’s immediate priority is finding oil. Early last month the semisubGlobal Arctic II began drilling an appraisal well on Hook Head in the North Sea Celtic basin, 60 km (37.3 mi) offshore Wexford. Providence successfully re-entered this structure last year, following a gap of three decades since Marathon’s discovery wells – but downhole mechanical conditions prevented a flow test.
After completing the new well, the rig will move 20 km (12.4 mi) north to appraise Dunmore, an oil accumulation in much shallower water, discovered by Gulf Oil in 1986.
Off the west coast in the Porcupine basin, UK-based Chyrsaor Holdings has farmed into 30% of the Providence-operated gas-liquids field Spanish Point. Chyrsaor will fund a planned program of 3D seismic acquisition, which could lead to drilling of up to two appraisal wells.
Jordbaer result warrants further wells
BG Norge’s Jordbaer oil find in the Norwegian North Sea is “significant”, according to partner Revus Energy, and could lead to further discoveries in the area. Well 34/3-1S, drilled by the semisubBredford Dolphin in 400 m (1,312 ft) of water, northeast of the Snoree field, encountered a light-oil column in the Jurassic Cook formation.
The structure comprises two main segments, Jordbaer East and Jordbaer Central. The well was drilled into the central segment to a TVD of 4,057 m (13,310 ft), and during a subsequent production test flowed at 7,500 b/d of oil. Production rates and reservoir quality were better than expected, said Revus, although the wellbore did not find the oil-water contact. A side track was planned into the central fault compartment to aid assessment of in-place reserves.
Revus believes the results have de-risked nearby exploration prospects such as Plomme to the north and Blaabaer to the west. It expects further drilling in this area during 2009.
Satellites boost Britannia throughput
ConocoPhillips has brought onstream its Britannia Satellites development in the UK Central North Sea. Callanish, an oilfield in blocks 15/29b and 21/4aN, and Brodgar, a gas/condensate field in block 21/3a, both are tied back to a new platform (BLP) bridge-linked to the Britannia complex which started production in 1998.
Callanish, which comprises two accumulations, has been developed via four subsea horizontal wells exporting oil through a 25-km (15.5-mi), 12-in. (30.4 cm) pipeline. On arrival at the BLP, fluids undergo partial separation before transferral to Britannia for additional processing, and commingling with Britannia’s condensate.
The Britannia Satellites bridge-linked platform (left) with Britannia on the right. Photograph courtesy of ConocoPhillips UK.
Brodgar produces through two subsea horizontal wells and is tied back to the BLP through a 41-km (25.5-mi), 12-in. line. This undergoes continuous monoethylene glycol injection to avoid hydrates formation. Fluids are partly separated again at the BLP, while the gas is commingled on the Britannia platform for delivery through the SAGE trunkline to St. Fergus.
According to field analysts Britboss, start-up was originally scheduled for early 2007, but the project suffered delays related to commissioning of the BLP. The jacket and topsides, built by Heerema at its yards in Vlissingen and Hartlepool, UK, both were installed by the crane bargeThialf in August 2006. Acergy’s Seaway Falcon laid the pipelines, while Aker Kvaerner Subsea provided the subsea controls.
Britboss estimates the Callanish/Brodgar reserves at 55 MMbbl of oil and 75 MMboe of gas/condensate. It adds that the Alder, Enochdu, and Finlaggan accumulations are under consideration for a second-phase development.
