International Edition
Volume 73, Number 8
August 2013
Celebrating Over 50 Years of Trends, Tools, and Technology
CONTENTS
NORTH SEA
BP looking to maximize production
from Shetland area felds................... 32
Some large-scale projects are under way
throughout the UK North Sea, reminiscent
of the early days in the 1970s. None, though,
are as coordinated and wide-ranging in scope
as BP’s programs on its felds in the far-north
Shetland area.
Norwegian Sea trunkline
to offer new outlet for ‘stranded’
gas accumulations ............................. 40
Norway’s parliament (Storting) has approved a
major new subsea pipeline to export gas from
felds in the Nor wegian Sea. The Polarled
system calls for investments of NOK 25 billion
($4.2 billion).
Apache fnds new opportunities
at Forties feld..................................... 44
This year marks the 10th anniversary of
Apache’s entry into the North Sea with the
acquisition of the Forties feld from BP, at a
cost of roughly $667 million. Original plans
had called for the feld to cease production by
2013 with decommissioning to follow. Technology and considerable capital investment have
extended that date by at least a generation.
GEOLOGY & GEOPHYSICS
Full waveform inversion
improves subsurface models............. 48
Full waveform inversion is providing the E&P
industry with ever-more detailed images
and models of the subsurface that can make
exploration, development, and production more
effcient and reduce drilling risk.
DRILLING & COMPLETION
MWD/LWD offers faster,
more complete real-time
data technology .................................. 55
The annual Offshore magazine MWD/LWD services directory is packed with details about the
latest downhole technology currently available
in the market. MWD/LWD providers highlight
their latest advances and a broad spectrum of
responses demonstrates the growth of applications for real-time information.
58
2013 MWD/LWD
Services Directory .............................. 58
Get the latest information on measurement-while-drilling (MWD) and logging-while-drilling (LWD) tools and services for 2013.
ENGINEERING,
CONSTRUCTION,
& INSTALLATION
Italian fabricator responds to HP/HT
North Sea project demands................ 79
Most northern European fabrication yards
rely on work from offshore projects at their
own doorsteps. The same used to apply to
yards in Italy, until environmental legislation
brought the country’s offshore activity to a
virtual standstill. However, Rosetti Marino,
based in Ravenna on the Adriatic coast, has not
depended on the domestic sector alone.
Water jet cutting an option
throughout structure’s life ................. 82
Oil and gas developments have progressed
signifcantly in the last several decades. This
progress has been aided by the development
of abrasive water jet technologies, which can
be used for a variety of applications from the
cradle to the grave of a structure.
Safety, feasibility highlight
platform removal plan ........................ 88
Even high oil prices cannot sustain depleting felds forever, so CNR International has
decided to end production on the Murchison
feld in the UK northern North Sea. Last oil is
scheduled for early 2014. One notable feature
of the decommissioning program is the recommendation to seek derogation (exemption)
from the usual requirement to recover the
jacket to shore in its entirety.
ALE sets jacking record
with Berkut topsides lift..................... 94
After years of technology development and
project planning, heavy-lift specialist ALE has
completed the successful lift of the 42,780-met-
ric ton ( 47,156-ton) topsides for the Berkut
platform, an operation that the UK-based company claims is by far the heaviest such jacking
operation in history.
PRODUCTION OPERATIONS
Flexibility in performance and feld
development propel FPSO market ..... 96
The FPSO feet has been steadily growing since
the frst facility was activated more than 35 years
ago. Today, there are more than 200 global FPSO
installations. Since the FPSO market is certainly
growing, efforts are being made by all industry
participants to cater to this growth.
SUBSEA
Study explores all-electric subsea
HIPPS reliability and maturity ............ 97
Recently, research was undertaken to assess the
Safety Integrity Level (SIL) achievable for an all-electric subsea High Integrity Pressure Protection
Systems (HIPPS). The work showed that an SIL 3
is achievable for an all-electric subsea HIPPS. This
is in the same range as that of electro-hydraulic
systems for similar architectures.
Subsea stations could
reduce cost, loads
of long-distance umbilicals ............. 102
Total and Doris are proposing that subsea
stations be located at various points along
the route of a tieback, for chemical storage
and injection. The main goal is to locate these
functions close to the subsea processing equipment in which the chemicals are to be injected.
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