Mississippi Canyon

Transcription

Mississippi Canyon

Who Dat
Mississippi Canyon
503 / 504 / 547
Supplement to
Sponsored by
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CONTENTS
Who Dat
Mississippi Canyon
5
503/504/547
Prospect Plays
14
LLOG president/ CEO Explains
Operating Philosophy
Deepwater Equipment Choice
Crucial for Who Dat 18
Bold decisions bring LLOG, EOC together
Building it so they will come
22
Exmar CEO proud that OPTI-EXTM
was built ‘on spec’
Supplement to
VP, PennWell Custom Publishing,
Roy Markum
[email protected]
Managing Editor and
Principal Writer
F. Jay Schempf
[email protected]
Technical Writers,
Jerry Greenberg
[email protected]
Richard Cunningham
[email protected]
Contributing Photographers
Redding Communications, Bob Redding,
CEO [email protected]
Circulation Manager,
Tommie Grigg
[email protected]
918.832.9207
fax: 918.831.9722
Presentation Editor/Designer,
Chad Wimmer
[email protected]
PennWell Petroleum Group
1455 West Loop South, Suite 400
Houston, TX 77027 U.S.A.
713.621.9720 • fax: 713.963.6285
Production Manager,
Shirley Gamboa
[email protected]
918.831.9735
fax: 918.831.9415
PennWell Corporate Headquarters
1421 S. Sheridan Rd., Tulsa, OK 74112
P.C. Lauinger, 1900–1988
Chairman, Frank T. Lauinger
President/CEO, Robert F. Biolchini
®
Sponsored by
Drilling at Who Dat
Future infill wells to take torturous paths
27
‘Batch’ completions keeps drilling
rig at work for LLOG
30
OPTI-EXTM Placement signifies a
number of ‘firsts’
31
Seafloor production layout
designed for more expansion
Reservoir Engineering at Who Dat
Means ‘Constant’ Gardening
34
Monitoring field data, well performance helps
to determine optimum depletion plan
Growth Just Ahead for LLOG in the
Deepwater Gulf 38
Who Dat, three other new field additions
to more than double daily production
Company Profiles40
Company Profile Index54
4
LLOG/EXMAR W H O D A T F I E L D
Who
Dat
Mississippi Canyon
503 / 504 / 547
W
ith its truly unique semisubmersible FPS moored in
3,100 ft (945 m) of water now on station in the Gulf of
Mexico’s Mississippi Canyon (MC) Block 547, the Who
Dat field, operated by LLOG Exploration Co. L.L.C.
(and affiliate LLOG Exploration Offshore L.L.C.) is
awaiting hook-up for first oil and natural gas production to begin sometime in 4th Qtr 2011.
The field, discovered in December 2007 in adjacent MC Block 503
with Diamond Offshore’s 12-column, moored semisubmersible
drilling unit, Ocean Victory, was expanded during the next several
years to encompass Blocks 504 and 547, as well. And currently,
with three wells scheduled to go on stream in the project’s first
phase, Who Dat has let the offshore industry know in no uncertain terms, well, where it is, what it is, and who has it.
LLOG/EXMAR W H O D A T F I E L D 5
Tugs nudge OPTI-EXTM
during preparation for towing
the massive platform to its
Credit: Mustang Engineering
mooring site in Mississippi
As to its location, the field rests beneath a wide
deepwater area of the Gulf whose PlioceneUpper Miocene zones had been tested in
years gone by but hadn’t yielded commercial
quantities of hydrocarbons. In fact, all three
blocks covering the field had been leased to
other, larger companies at one time or another
and handed back, undeveloped, to the Minerals
Management Service, the Interior Dept.’s then
official offshore leasing organization.
But when the MMS held its OCS Lease Sale No.
194 in March, 2005, LLOG showed up with a
whole new take on MC 503.
After skillful crafting and molding 3-D seismic
records with other geophysical and geologic data, the privately held Covington, LA
company posted a $6,770,000 bid for MC 503 –
considered a relatively high offering at the time
for such “previously owned” acreage. However,
the bid out spanned those of seven other
companies or partnerships, including several
majors and large independents, all of whom
had the same access as LLOG to new seismic
acquisition records, well logs and improved
data processing and modeling software. There,
indeed, was more-detailed, amplitude based
information. And to LLOG geoscientists, the
amplitude anomalies revealed beneath 503
were sufficiently bright to suggest the presence
of significant hydrocarbon resources.
6
Canyon Block 547.
Stepping softly…but lively
Though rarely discussed in the general media or
trade journals, LLOG is no stranger to the U.S.
offshore petroleum industry. Founded in 1977,
it began developing onshore Gulf Coast oil and
gas reserves, moved into the inland lakes and
bays along the coast during the 1980s, and by
1996 had progressed into drilling in federal OCS
waters off both Texas and Louisiana. Six years
later, in 2002, the company had made its first
discovery in water depths of more than 1,000 ft,
followed the next year by a discovery in more
than 2,500 ft of water, and in 2005 posted its first
strike in water depths in excess of 4,000 ft.
Since that time, LLOG has become the premier
private exploration and production company in
the Gulf and one of the top 10 privately owned
oil and gas producers in the U.S. Currently it
holds interests in more than 147 Gulf leases,
of which 80% are undeveloped, and averaged
production of 23,000 net boe/day in 2010. Also
in 2010, the company asserted “2P” (proven +
probable) reserves of more than 220 million boe
(verified by qualified third party consultants).
The unit is designed
to withstand wind
and waves of a
1000-year storm.
Currently,
84% of LLOG’s reserves are located
beneath 1,000 ft.
of water or more.
Developing them
will require floating
drilling equipment,
Today, some 84% of the company’s reserves are
located in deepwater (more than 1,000 ft), and
its predominant areas of operation are the Mississippi Canyon, Green Canyon, High Island,
Main Pass and South Timbalier areas. What’s
more, the company forecasts production from
early 2011 to early 2012 to more than double
from fields already discovered.
mainly semisubmersible rigs.
But LLOG’s true strength is contained in what
it hasn’t yet done. With an inventory of nearly
90 exploration prospects, it could more than
double its reserves during the next several
years. This inventory includes a variety of highquality/low-risk targets, including conventional
amplitude-supported prospects in both deepwater and on the Shelf, low-contrast amplitude
LLOG/EXMAR W H O D A T F I E L D and sub-salt structural plays in deepwater, and
deep gas structural plays on the shelf.
No lucky hunch
But it was the 2007 MC 503 discovery and later
development of the Who Dat field that has
brought LLOG into truly big-league competition among leaders in deepwater Gulf E&P
operations. Some might attribute a measure
of the company’s continued success there to
plain luck, but like most prosperous companies, management believes the company
makes its own luck.
Drilling results and well log analysis associated
with LLOG’s MC-503 wildcat in 2007, coupled
with information gathered from competitors’
7
previously drilled wells in MC-546, suggested
that the unleased block immediately to the
south (MC-547) also held hydrocarbons.
Armed with this information, LLOG submitted the winning bid of $23,650,000 for MC-547
in the March 2008 Lease Sale 206. Then, along
with a trade with ENI for a portion of MC 504,
the company knew it had finally assembled all
the necessary pieces for the Who Dat deepwater development.
After first referring to the field by the block
number involved, LLOG officially named it
Who Dat shortly before the New Orleans Saints
‘…it’s a pretty unique
characteristic that our
senior managers are
also the ones on the
ground getting their
hands dirty working
seismic data.’
Jay Cole,
VP Deepwater
Exploration
won the NFL’s Super Bowl XLIV championship
in February 2010. The name derives from a local chant used by Saints fans: “Who dat? Who
dat? Who dat say dey gonna beat dem Saints?”
However the field name was conjured up,
LLOG’s staff of geophysicists and geologists
are credited with combining their shared
deepwater experience with the latest data
analysis and modeling tools to delineate the
multiple targets within the MC 503, 504 and
547 complex.
The company’s exploration team, most of
whom came with years of both Shelf and
deepwater experience with other companies,
have taken advantage of both their combined
experience in working on major deepwater
projects and of LLOG’s $150-200 million
inventory of 3D seismic data that covers
virtually the entire Gulf. The exploration team
has generated more than 300 prospects in the
Gulf, with nearly a 70% success rate.
The seismic advantage
Jay Cole, VP deepwater exploration, based in
Covington, is enthusiastic about the exploration team, which may be narrow in quantity
but doublewide in experience. “Being a geophysicist, having access to such a large seismic database and working with experienced
seismic interpreters are the things I enjoy
most about working for LLOG,” he said.
“We all have our role, and it’s a pretty unique
characteristic that our senior managers are
also the ones on the ground getting their
hands dirty working seismic data.”
8
Production test of
gas zone on the first
well in MC 503. The
collective deepwater
experience among
LLOG’s earth scientists
and engineers helps
assure that the potential for significant
discoveries is established long before the
drill bit penetrates
productive horizons.
He also emphasized that LLOG’s access to
high-end, pre-stack time-migrated and depthmigrated 3d seismic data, including wide
azimuth type data serves to level the technical
playing field with larger companies from an
exploration standpoint.
“We knew MC 503 had been leased in years
past by both Shell and British Borneo. It was
also public knowledge that several wells had
been drilled on adjacent blocks and that
hydrocarbons were present, but were declared
uneconomic at the time,” said John Doughtie,
VP exploration Houston. “Remember, they
‘recent…work by
LLOG geoscientists…
helped us unlock
and exploit the
previously hidden
economic aspect of
the 503 area.’
John Doughtie,
VP Exploration Houston
10
were working the area years ago, before new,
more detailed seismic data were available.”
“However,” he added, “recent geologic and geophysical work by LLOG geoscientists indicated
that most of the wells, drilled during the period
1985 to 1998, were not optimally targeted. It
was this work that helped us unlock and exploit
the previously hidden economic aspect of the
503 area.”
Geologist Eric Zimmermann agrees. “Although LLOG is a relatively small company,
many of its technical employees have prior
experience at much larger companies. It was
fortuitous that when LLOG started out into
deepwater, it had a veteran staff overseeing
the evaluation of its deepwater assets. From
the G&G side, this prior large-company experience allowed us to apply the most current
technologies to our seismic data evaluations
and has hastened the overall Who Dat Field
development.”
All characterized the team as a compact group
that can tackle the same sophisticated data
and interpretation software that larger companies deal with, but who can handle it with a lot
fewer people and, hence, are able to act much
faster – valuable assets when preparing for
lease sales, making the decision to drill a well
and getting the permit to drill it.
Putting it forward
So, while Who Dat, along with several other,
similar prospects, is bringing LLOG into the
current spotlight, the company continues to
work the 3D seismic data inventory in the
search for new targets of opportunity. And
while both exploration drilling and lease
sale moratoria require lead time, postMacondo, the LLOG exploration team is
actively engaged in planning for both to
open up soon.
“We’ve submitted several exploration plan
applications, and now recognize that both
the Industry and BOEMRE (the successor
to the now defunct MMS) are engaged in a
learning process,” said Zimmermann. “Clearly,
BOEMRE’s responsibility and visibility has
increased, and that motivates us to be more
vigilant, making triple and quadruple checks
of our plan and permit applications.”
LLOG/EXMAR W H O D A T F I E L D ‘It was fortuitous that
when LLOG started
out into deepwater,
it had a veteran
staff overseeing
the evaluation of its
deepwater assets.’
Eric Zimmermann,
LLOG geologist
11
LLOG EXMAR
LLOG uses the latest
in seismic processing
technology to map
productive reservoirs.
This slide shows a
cross-section of the
earth. In this field,
seismic bright spots
generally indicate
productive horizons.
A map view of one
of the productive
horizons is shown.
12
All geologic and
engineering data,
including seismic
properties, well
log data, core data,
pressure data and
fluid data) are used
to populate each grid
with expected rock
and fluid properties.
The model represents
the collective
knowledge of the
entire team in all
disciplines.
Being able to
visualize the fluid
movements in the
reservoir over time
allows the engineers
and geologists
to identify areas
where oil remains
(“unswept areas”),
which helps them
plan future wells. The
model will predict
water movement (in
light blue) as well as
changes in the gas
cap.
LLOG/EXMAR W H O D A T F I E L D LLOG can compare
production from
various development
scenarios, allowing
them to investigate
the reserve impact
of drilling more
wells, changing well
locations, changing
perforation intervals,
and changing
production rates. LLOG
has run more than
100 sensitivities on
the main Who Dat
reservoir alone.
13
Credit: Diamond Offshore
Prospect Plays
LLOG president/ CEO Explains
Operating Philosophy
‘…this is one of those
rare discoveries where
the more we work it,
the more we drill it,
and the more we test
it, the better it gets.’
Scott Gutterman,
CEO, LLOG
14
T
he fact that a relatively small offshore
operating company could drill a discovery
well in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico,
develop it progressively over a four-year
span and then mount a floating production facility to deliver oil and gas production in less than a year is an enviable record,
but to Scott Gutterman, president and CEO of
LLOG Exploration Co. – the company in question – isn’t particularly surprised by the feat.
Yet the Who Dat field, the offshore asset where
the aforementioned fast-paced development is
taking place, has taken LLOG to a new level of
competency, equipping it with the knowhow
necessary to take its place among today’s leading Gulf of Mexico exploration and production
companies, with the exciting promise of even
more growth in the near future.
Gutterman, who joined the company in 1993,
has more than 30 years of Gulf Coast onshore,
Shelf and deepwater exploration and production experience, chiefly with large independent
operating companies. A geologist by profession, he held various jobs in exploration at
LLOG before being appointed to his current
position in 2006.
“The Who Dat field is by a wide margin the
most valuable property we’ve ever been
involved in,” says Gutterman. “We’ve created
quite a bit of value onshore, on the Shelf and in
the Deepwater in recent years, but this is one
of those rare discoveries where the more we
work it, the more we drill it, and the more we
test it, the better it gets. It is truly a rare commodity in the Gulf of Mexico exploration and
production business.”
A point of particular pride for Gutterman is
that LLOG, a privately owned company, has
very little access to public sources of capital,
a luxury afforded chiefly to publicly owned
companies, large and small.
“We have tried to stay reasonably liquid over
the years and have fueled our growth with our
own internally generated resources,” he said.
“For the most part, everything we have done
we’ve done with our own money.”
Not that he bewails not having access to public
funds. Publicly owned companies, particularly
major companies, develop offshore assets on a
much broader scope, he noted.
LLOG/EXMAR W H O D A T F I E L D “Majors buy acreage across larger frontier
areas, and if they take on the expense and time
to develop a new trend or an extension, and it
works, they want to capitalize on that success.
So, ahead of new data volumes and before concepts are tested, they capture large amounts
of acreage with potential, and if successful,
they’ve got the expansion room at a much
lower cost. It’s the intelligent way to do it.”
LLOG, on the other hand, targets specific prospects, leaving the speculative acreage plays to
the larger companies, he said.
And while in the past LLOG has resisted the allure of going public, Gutterman doesn’t exclude
it as a possible way to go in the future. “We
have reached a point with these deepwater
discoveries that one of our biggest challenges
will be to determine the most efficient way to
fund their development.”
“We have sold pieces of some discoveries to
cover our development costs. The farther
downstream we can take a discovery, the more
we can receive for whatever we incrementally
sell,” he said. “It’s a conservative approach, but
it has worked for us up to now.”
He noted that LLOG has held leases full-term,
particularly on the Shelf, and has released them
without significant exploration. Too, the company has released some deepwater leases, mostly
because they were potentially natural gas-prone,
and currently the target for deepwater production is crude oil.
15
The seismic, always the seismic
In any case, a rich inventory of 3D seismic data
is essential to success for anyone operating in
the deepwater Gulf, particularly to a prospect
generator, said Gutterman.
Calling the Who Dat
field ‘a conventional
mini-basin amplitude
play,’ LLOG President/
CEO Scott Gutterman
says having a rich
inventory of 3D seismic data is essential to success for
anyone operating in
the deepwater Gulf,
particularly prospect
generators.
Scott Gutterman,
CEO, LLOG
16
“Who Dat, for example, is a conventional minibasin amplitude play,” he said. “It shows itself. You
can see direct indicators. It’s above the salt and it
images nicely. The Mississippi Canyon general area was the scene of one of the initial hot
deepwater plays in the Gulf. But that was years
ago. Today, however, when the industry gets new
data, whether it’s a new acquisition technique or
a new processing algorithm, it typically reveals
something that you couldn’t see earlier. That’s
how we developed the MC 503 prospect.”
LLOG currently has more than a handful of leases
in the ultra-deepwater Gulf, and isn’t hesitant
about exploring them in the future, he said.
“Processing techniques that allow you to manage velocities are now giving a much better
resolution below the salt,” he pointed out. “The
fact that we can image 5-6 miles below the mud
line, and do it with accuracy and in some cases,
precision, is simply amazing.”
Scientific data notwithstanding, Gutterman is
genuinely concerned about LLOG’s roster of
experienced exploration, drilling, production
and reservoir engineering specialists.
“We’re getting a little long in the tooth,” he observed. “Combined, our people have an average
of 30 years’ experience. At some point soon we
will have to address that, but there is some concern that we’re not seeing sufficient numbers of
graduates in petroleum-related sciences.”
Taking a realistic view of petroleum industry
employment, Gutterman said that from an exploration standpoint, it’s not a very glamorous
profession to consider these days.
Net MBOED, Thousands
2P Net Production
Forecast
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
2010
2011
PDP
PDNP
“Many of the people who are going into the
industry have been exposed to it through family
and friends. From an engineering viewpoint,
there are a good number of people coming into
the industry. But from a geological and geophysical perspective, the candidates are much
fewer than they were when I was in School
(Gutterman is a graduate in geology from the
University of Louisiana – Lafayette).
“But frankly, what we do is fun!” he said.
Offshore services threatened
As for the downturn in the industry spawned
by the Macondo disaster, Gutterman is troubled about the effects the permitting slowdown
is having on the offshore service industry.
“If they can’t work their equipment they can’t
exist. We fear that the lack of activity is dismantling the service infrastructure in the Gulf. Some
service companies can move their assets to
other regions onshore if need be, but marineonly service providers can’t re-deploy their
equipment domestically. However, the industry
is hopeful that the current challenges to gaining
access to drilling permits will be met and the
process will return to a more timely schedule.”
Finally, Gutterman is proud of LLOG’s close attention to detail in the health, safety and envi-
PUD
2013
Probable
ronmental aspects of Gulf offshore operations.
In 2008, the company won the Safe Operations and Accurate Reporting (SOAR) award,
granted periodically by the Minerals Revenue
Management (MRM) division of BOEMRE to
OCS lessees that are outstanding in the areas
of offshore operating performance and fiscal
responsibility.
SOAR recipients must be among the top 10
OCS lessees according to a formula that considers data on Incidents of Noncompliance and
accidents attributed to the lessee during the
previous calendar year. Also, the award-winner
must be among the 10 best-performing OCS
lessees in terms of royalty reporting and production reporting during the previous year.
“There’s not a person in this industry who
wouldn’t want their operation to be as safe
as possible,” he said. “As for the current drilling
permit slowdown, we’re going to reach a point
that permitting procedures are normalized
and both operators and regulators will be more
efficient. With that understanding, we can then
begin planning our business; knowing how to
budget for operations. Pre-Macondo, we were
spending $400 - $450 million annually in the
GOM and Louisiana and today, it’s only a fraction of that. We hope to soon get back on a solid
basis for planning our operations.”
17
Deepwater
Equipment Choice
Crucial for Who Dat
Bold decisions
bring LLOG,
EOC together
T
he old adage “fortune befriends the bold,”
has been confirmed time and again
through the ages.
Exmar Marine installed this Vapor Recovery
Unit (VPU) as part of the built-in production handling equipment aboard the OPTI-EXTM.
But it couldn’t be more apt than when
applied to how a privately owned offshore
producing company, LLOG Exploration Co.
(LLOG), managed to link up with the manufacturer of a unique semisubmersible production
platform, Exmar Offshore Co. (EOC) It took
boldness on both companies’ parts to come together to solve mutual challenges, and it worked.
LLOG, the aggressive discoverer of the Who Dat
field in the Gulf of Mexico in 2007, found itself
with a commercial oil and gas asset in Mississippi
Canyon blocks 503, 504 and 547, but faced with a
dilemma over how best to bring it on stream. The
subsea wells were located in fairly deep water
(2,600-3,100 ft), so subsea tiebacks to existing
platform infrastructure back on the Shelf, which
were quite some distance away, might be one
solution. It also could produce the field with an
18
These oil sales shipping pumps were among
equipment built-in to the OPTI-EXTM topsides
by Exmar Marine.
expensive floating production system of some
type, treating liquids and then offloading them
into shuttle tankers, with gas production tied
back to existing pipelines. Other options included
building a new fixed structure on the Shelf and
tying it back to Who Dat to gain closer proximity
to a transport pipleine back to shore.
The costs and construction times associated
with a brand-new floating system, be it a spar
or other semisubmersible, weren’t particularly
attractive. Sharing the use of a new floater with
another company also was discussed, but that,
too, was expensive and would limit LLOG’s
use of its topsides facilities. Too, purchasing an
existing system originally designed and built
for another field would place severe limitations
on what could be done with it at Who Dat,
particularly since topsides facility modification would have to be carried out offshore – a
serious problem in itself. Also problematic with
all these options was that lengthy negotiations
with other companies to settle fees for treating
and carrying LLOG oil and gas, and capacity
limitations of existing pipelines in the area,
most definitely would pose additional delays.
But LLOG management would have to decide
quickly in order to bring production on stream
to begin offsetting the investment already
made in acquiring the leases and drilling and
completing the wells necessary for full field
development. The company already had made
LLOG/EXMAR W H O D A T F I E L D other discoveries in deepwater, and had developed them mainly with subsea tiebacks, but
the reserve size involved at Who Dat was the
company’s first encounter with the probable
need for floating production equipment. And
this time it was warranted.
Enter the FPU
Meanwhile, EOC, part of the Europe-based Exmar LNG/LPG shipbuilding and tanker services
group, was engaged in building floating production facilities for deepwater fields around the
world. This included construction of floating
production, storage and offloading (FPSO)
vessels and the design of both drilling and
production equipment. A particularly attractive
market was the deepwater Gulf, where all sorts
of floating systems were in demand.
But EOC had a trump card to play in the
competition for deepwater equipment – the
deep-draft OPTI-EX semisubmersible production platform, boasting a unique hull designed
to improve motion performance and a flexible,
generic, single-deck topsides designed to accept modular skids specific to a user’s needs. It
also featured direct drive of main equipment.
Combined, these design features alone would
allow for rapid deployment and, perhaps more
importantly, re-deployment for early production
and marginal field applications – the first such
independently owned floating production unit
(FPU) with such redeployment capabilities.
TM
19
Exmar’s speculatively built floating production unit, the OPTI-EXTM, was the optimum size for
LLOG’s needs at Who Dat. The two companies
made their deal, and the FPS was on station in
the field in less than a year.
Eager to place a full-size example in front of the
industry, EOC got the go-ahead in 2006 from
the parent company to actually build an OPTIEX , convinced it would be scooped up almost
immediately for use in the deepwater Gulf. So,
EOC ordered the hull to be built by Samsung
Heavy Industries in Korea and the flexible topsides to be designed by Mustang Engineering in
the U.S. Exmar elected to build the topsides at
Kiewit Offshore Services’ shipyard in Ingleside,
TX, where it would be mated with the hull,
which was to be dry towed from Korea. The
actual mating took place in May 2009. The topsides were complete other than field specific
requirements, primarily production and export
metering equipment.
TM
The decision to build on speculation was
indeed a bold one, considering the vagaries of
the market for first-time equipment designs of
any kind. But EOC was sure that once potential
users witnessed the versatility designed into
the OPTI-EX with their own eyes, they would
lease it for use in deepwater fields, particularly
those with shorter life spans. And once used
to drain such a field, EOC could then move the
FPU back to shore for refurbishment and made
ready for new equipment skids and another
deployment.
TM
A chance encounter
Back at LLOG, as company managers tell it,
several months of meetings were held 2009 and
early 2010 to address LLOG’s options for floating equipment to aid in development at Who
20
Dat. At one such meeting, one of the company’s
engineers mentioned having picked up a onepage brochure on EOC’s OPTI-EX platform.
To that point, equipment like the OPTI-EX
had not been considered. But it looked attractive, particularly since it was already built and
there were indications that it could be fitted
with topside skids designed for a specific offshore field.
TM
TM
“Some of us went down to Ingleside and kicked
the tires a bit around the OPTI-EX ,” said
Bruce Cooley, LLOG VP of Facilities, who also
is project manager for the company’s subsea
and pipeline activities. “It was built out except
for the ins and outs. The name plate said it was
equipped to handle 60,000 b/d of liquids and 50
mmcf/d of gas. They hadn’t installed the measurement system or the LACT (lease automatic
custody transfer) and gas sales skids, among
other equipment, so we thought we could make
it work for us.”
TM
Negotiations began between LLOG and Exmar
in April 2010, based initially on a lease arrangement and later on, an outright purchase of
OPTI-EXTM is equiped
with an extra large
flare tower.
the FPU by LLOG. The companies agreed on
the latter arrangement and in August 2010 an
acquisition contract was signed, with payments
scheduled to be made in different milestones
over a period of 62 months after installation in
the field. The total outlay by LLOG for the FPU
would be more than $400 million.
Once the sales agreement had been reached,
LLOG ordered a high-pressure inlet production
module that incorporated what it needed for
primary separation.
“It didn’t have the gas dehydration capacity that
we needed, so we added a new contactor system that was good for up to 150 mmcf/d,” said
Cooley. “The as-built liquid-handling capacity
(60,000 b/d) worked for us.”
Construction of the Who Dat-related skids was
begun in August 2010, and the OPTI-EX was
towed to its pre-set location in MC 547 in July
2011.
TM
“The schedule was a big advantage for us,”
said Cooley. “We got the FPU on location in
less than a year, with first oil to begin in late
September-early October.” Any of the other options would have taken much longer, he added.
Call it serendipity or just plain luck, but it took
audacity on the part of EOC to build the OPTIEX on spec. And it took daring on LLOG’s part
to accept an untested FPU to develop one of its
most important deepwater assets.
TM
‘Some of us went
down to Ingleside and
kicked the tires a bit
around the OPTI-EXTM,…
we thought we could
make it work for us.’
Bruce Cooley,
VP Facilities, LLOG
But as the old saying goes, fortune does befriend the bold.
Building it so they
will come
Exmar CEO proud that OPTI-EXTM
was built ‘on spec’
‘…because of the EOC
team’s determined
focus and attention
to detail from the
start, the integration
sequence was even
smoother than we
expected.’
Nicolas Saverys,
Exmar Group CEO
N
icolas Saverys, chairman and CEO of the
diversified Exmar shipping and offshore
group headquartered in Antwerp,
Belgium, believes that designing floating
production equipment that is “shipyard
friendly” allows for overall lower use
of steel and more precise assembly of components. Also, by a simplified design of single-level
topsides deck space, attracts more interest by
potential customers, since they can add production and storage equipment modules to fit their
particular offshore field requirements.
Saverys is proud of the design team at the
group’s Houston-based Exmar Offshore Co.
(EOC) business unit and their series of deepwater semisubmersible offshore platform designs,
suitable for production, as well as for drilling
and well intervention applications.
The Exmar Group is set up as a fully integrated
shipping company that not only operates vessels commercially, but also builds, finances
22
Integration of the OPTI-EXTM topsides with the
Credit: Mustang Engineering
hull took less than 3 hours.
and manages vessels and platforms technically.
The EOC unit not only designs and builds such
equipment, but can lease, bareboat charter,
time charter, and enter lease-and-operation
agreements, as well as sell its equipment.
But Saverys is especially pleased that EOC led
the call for speculative construction of the
company’s OPTI-EX design floating production unit (FPU), which only a year and a half
or so after construction was sold for more
than $400 million to LLOG Exploration Co. for
the Who Dat field. The OPTI-EX is the first
speculative semisubmersible FPU in offshore
petroleum industry history.
TM
TM
As built, the OPTI-EX was designed to fill the
needs of producers with medium to large fields
in water depths up to 10,000 ft., which takes
in a majority of currently planned production
facilities in the Gulf of Mexico. It also would
qualify for similar-sized fields off West Africa and
eastern South America, among other areas with
similar water depths and weather conditions.
TM
LLOG/EXMAR W H O D A T F I E L D The devil’s in the changes
Typically, the design and construction of major
floating production units is often burdened by
major and minor design modifications, not to
mention myriad alterations during construction brought on by changes in field requirements.
“But over-design is THE problem in building
offshore production units,” said Saverys, noting
that the Exmar Group has a distinguished past
as both a ship designer and builder, and since
the 1980s has been a leading supplier of highcapacity LNG and LPG ships as well as floating
production, storage and offloading (FPSO)
vessels, which lends valuable experience to its
engineering staff.
He added that when offshore producers, particularly major companies, oversee the design
and construction of large deepwater production installations, field requirements change,
affecting the original design, often months or
years into the process. What’s more, he said,
different departments and changing project
management personnel often precipitates additional changes, once again affecting the original
design, even during construction. Such changes
inevitably add physical weight to the finished
product. Added weight, in turn, generates still
more changes, including even major fabrication
restructuring.
23
As CEO of the Exmar
Group, Nicolas Saverys
believes more units like
the OPTI-EXTM will be used
in the Gulf of Mexico
“And,” he said, “When you start changing the
design, it often perplexes the shipyard,” he said.
“They will obviously make the changes, but
there will always be a price tag attached.”
Exmar’s design for the OPTI-EX , he pointed
out, is purposely generic, making the FPU
versatile, since the producer – the lessee or the
owner – has the leeway to install his own production handling and storage equipment skids.
Added spare capacity makes it even easier to
do so, he added.
TM
“The design of the OPTI-EX™ deep draft ringpontoon hull is based on improved motion responses for a wide range of extreme sea-states.
These motion characteristics allowed the unit
to be installed in one of the most onerous areas
in the Gulf of Mexico. The ring pontoon and
large ballast capacity also allow for the easy installation of a large number of production and
export risers without the need for any internal
hull modification.”
“The ring pontoon acts very much like a foil,
similar to how, say, Boeing would design the
wing of a new aircraft concept.”
24
deepwater market…
Perhaps even in the near
future.
The single deck, he said, is designed to match
the top dimensions of the hull which, in the
case of the existing OPTI-EX , measures about
200 ft X 200 ft (over 3500 square meters). This
allows for maximum space to hold various sizes
of process equipment, storage and quarters
modules, which are added later by the user.
The large overhead cranes allow easy access to
each module and skid on the deck.
TM
Smooth integration
The initial design assumed a quayside integration of hull and topsides to avoid the risks and
costs associated with an offshore integration,
which often is necessary with float-out production facilities, said Saverys. It also allowed
the topsides to be fully pre-commissioned on
land. So, besides having designed OPTI-EX ,
the EOC team’s second big achievement was
matching the hull, fabricated at the Samsung
yard in South Korea, with the topsides, fabricated in the U.S., he said.
TM
The sequence of
integrating the OPRI-EX
topsides with its hull was
even smoother than even
Exmar expected.
“These two large pieces of equipment had to
match, which such equipment often does not
under similar circumstances,” said Saverys. “It
isn’t unusual to have to burn a bit of steel or
weld additional pieces on the spot, but because
of the EOC team’s determined focus and attention to detail from the start, the integration sequence was even smoother than we expected.”
The integration plan called for a period of up to
three days for mating the topsides to the hull,
he said. “But once the topsides were positioned
above the hull with the aid of the heavy-lift
crane at the yard, it took less than three hours –
two hours and 35 minutes, to be exact.”
A coming trend?
Saverys said the OPTI-EX is unique in many
ways, but won’t remain so.
TM
“We already have received interest in not only
a straight repeat of the unit sold to LLOG, but
also for bigger versions with more deck load
capacity. One prospective customer wants to
more than double the production-handling
capacity to120,000 boe/d or higher,” he said.
Although Exmar will eventually no longer own
the OPTI-EX , Saverys expects LLOG would
TM
LLOG/EXMAR W H O D A T F I E L D redeploy it when Who Dat field development is
complete and the reserves are fully depleted, or
when a larger FPU might be necessary.
“Of course, that’s LLOG’s decision to make,” he
said. “But by owning the equipment, they also
increase the value of their field assets. A relatively quick refurbishment, addition of different
process and storage equipment, and they could
conceivably move it to a whole new area.”
He said EOC is engaged in studies to determine
where, in an intelligent way, similar approaches
might work outside the Gulf.
“There’s been a very open relationship between
Exmar and LLOG’s teams,” he said. “Exmar is a
relatively small company in the industry, and so
is LLOG, at least for now. So our mutual goals
match to some degree. That helped in the decision process. Each team knew things the other
one didn’t and each had experience that was
valuable to the other. That resulted in a smooth
level of cooperation. We had an agreement in
principle in less than two months from our first
discussion, for example. And once we began,
everything fell into place, thanks to focus
everyone involved had to have to make this a
success.”
25
Courtesy: Noble
26
Drilling at
Who Dat
Future infill wells to
take torturous paths
T
he Who Dat field lies beneath an average water depth of 3,200
ft, with ten stacked reservoirs located between 10,000-17,000 ft
(3,048-5,182m) in Pliocene and Upper Miocene Age zones.
The field would appear rather simple to develop from the
standpoint of drilling and completions, but such is not necessarily the case, since several future development wells will be drilled
with rather torturous directional bores.
The discovery well, drilled in 2007, confirmed the presence of mainly
natural gas and condensate reserves in the MC 503 prospect. Diamond Offshore’s Ocean Victory drilled the well. Two years later, after
LLOG leased MC 547 just to the south, the company used the Noble
Lorris Bouzigard semisubmersible drilling two delineation wells – a
second well in MC 503 and a single well in the newly acquired block.
The company later replaced the rig with the Noble Amos Runner,
which is equipped with higher pressure blowout prevention equipment and is also better-suited for completion work.
The Noble Amos Runner
semisubmersible was used
to complete two wells in the
Who Dat field.
Combined, the three Who Dat wells penetrated seven of the field’s ten horizons. The
second and third wells were completed in
mainly oil zones, testing from 17 to 26 API
crude with gas/oil ratios (GOR) ranging from
400 to 1,300. Crude properties contain low
wax content and no asphaltene flocculation.
Reservoir pressures range from 6,000 to 12,500
psi, and flow tests delivered an average of up
to 10,000 b/d of oil and 60 mmcf/d of nonassociated gas.
All three wells drilled and completed thus far
apparently weren’t all that difficult, if you ask
Bob McMann, and Steve Stegeman, LLOG
drilling engineers who directed drilling operations at Who Dat and at a number of other
LLOG deepwater blocks in the same general
area.
The company plans to drill up to nine additional wells to fully develop Who Dat, they
observed. However, with the exploration drilling shutdown following BP’s fatal Macondo
blowout and spill in early 2010, coupled with
the subsequent long delays by BOEMRE in issuing new exploration drilling permits, it may
still be some time before they are drilled.
In any case, they said, recent installation of
the OPTI-EX FPU in the field, along with
subsea production infrastructure being put in
place to serve it, has made further Who Dat
drilling a moot point until the existing wells
go on stream, which is expected this fall.
Lots of drilling ahead
“We do have a number of infill wells to drill,”
said McMann, “In fact; the very next one will
penetrate six or seven targets, and will prove up
a lot of reserves.”
A new drilling rig will have to be found to drill
the wells, they explained, since the company’s
three-year contract for the Noble Amos Runner
recently reached its term.
TM
28
“We probably have more than 700 rig days in
the drilling and completions mode at Who
Dat alone,” said Stegeman. “And we’ve scheduled more than 700 rig days of exploration
drilling elsewhere. Also, there’s a tremendous
shortage of deepwater rigs in the Gulf these
days, so we’re actively looking for drilling
equipment, even though none of our exploration permit applications have been approved
by BOEMRE.”
neers to make certain the company’s offshore
projects come about as smoothly as possible.
The drilling engineers and geologists worked
closely together to allow all targets to be
reached from two drill centers. Stegeman said
most of the wells planned have azimuthal
changes in addition to inclination changes of
more than 30 to 60 degrees and in two or three
dimensions (3-D complex wells).
Courtesy: Noble
LLOG’s drilling record and number of wells
drilled is an admirable one, particularly for a
privately owned company (see related chart
below), the two engineers pointed out.
That being said, we are confident we can suc“Most of the top companies working both on
cessfully execute this drilling program because
the Shelf and in deepwater have big drillwe have previously drilled more complex
ing departments,” said McMann, “and that
wells. “And there are some potential horizonincludes both large and small independents.
tal wells ahead, which is unusual in this curWe have a very experienced staff of Engineers,
rent play,” he said. “But we’re confident we’ll be
which includes Steve Stegeman, Mike Kaberready to drill them.”
lein, myself, our consultants and field drilling
supervisors. We feel
Top 20 GOM Drillers
fortunate that we have
Number
OCS wells Drilled by Operator
this high qualified
TD from 1/1/2002 through 12/31/2010
staff.
900
LLOG/EXMAR W H O D A T F I E L D Number wells
800
700
600
LLOG Number 1 Private
LLOG Number 12 Overall
500
400
300
200
100
Dy
cM Eni
oR
an
na
GO m
M ic
Sh
el
f
AT
P
gy
er
M
I
LL
Pa OG
rt
ne
r
W s
al
te
Ne r
xe
n
a
XX
gy
En
O
en
Ar
er
nM
xo
Ex
En
BP
ob
il/
XT
l
T
el
&
Sh
W
G
ER
T
e
M
/K
ko
n
on
An
ad
ar
St
ro
in
Ch
ar
/M
he
ac
ev
er
0
Ap
Future challenges
Just prior to the Macondo mishap, LLOG
had one floating rig
with two jackups, McMann noted, adding
that as drilling engineers, he and Stegeman often work closely
with both completion
and reservoir engi-
Source: BOEMRE Database, LLOG Drilling Records
29
‘Batch’ completions
keeps drilling rig at
work for LLOG
One of the deepwater
If it weren’t for conducting completion work
on deepwater wells throughout most of 2010,
LLOG might today find itself quite behind
in development of several of its prospects,
including the Who Dat field itself.
The problem was that the company was
planning to drill a number of exploratory
wells in several deepwater prospects, and was
planning a fourth well at Who Dat, when the
federal government declared its moratorium
on deepwater drilling activity after the fatal
Macondo disaster and spill in April 2010. The
six-month moratorium, put in force in May,
was officially lifted the following October.
However, new regulations put forth by a
brand-new Department of the Interior kept a
tight lid on the process of approving deepwater drilling permits, a situation that remains
to this day. Like many other deepwater producers in the Gulf, LLOG has not yet gained a
single permit approval in the 10 months since
the moratorium was lifted.
But while some deepwater producers elected
to void drilling contracts early on by declaring
force majeure, LLOG managed to keep its one
deepwater semi-submersible rig on contract,
the Noble Amos Runner, completing the exploratory wells drilled before Macondo in the
vicinity of Who Dat.
30
According to Barney Paternostro, LLOG completions engineer, the company normally prefers
to drill exploratory and development wells in
batches to minimize rig costs, and then batchcomplete them at a later time. So everyone was
familiar with what the post-Macondo situation
dictated, during which the company conducted
seven completions before having to release the
rig at the end of its contract this past July.
horizontal trees supplied
by FMC Technologies for
one of the Who Dat field
wells meets the air-water
interface prior to installation on the sea floor.
The three subsea completions conducted in the
Who Dat field were very complex. Two of the
wells are equipped with Baker Hughes’ “intelligent well system” which enables the selective
production of multiple zones without future
subsea well intervention.
‘Perforating and installing frac packs are fairly
conventional for subsea wells, but adding the
installation of subsea trees and the intelligent well
system, along with flow-testing the wells back to
the rig, all add to the complexity,’ said Paternostro.
Fortunately, he said, LLOG was in the midst of
a multi-year alliance with FMC Technologies
for the supply of subsea tree systems for various
LLOG projects, including the Who Dat field.
These subsea trees typically have a long lead
time of over twelve months for delivery but were
already equipped and ready for subsea installation. So this allowed the company to start the
successive well completions very quickly.
OPTI-EX Placement
signifies a number
of ‘firsts’
TM
Seafloor production layout
designed for more expansion
I
n mid-July, when the OPTI-EX floating
production system (FPS) was attached
to its mooring system in 3,100 ft of water
in the southeast quarter of Mississippi
Canyon Block 547, service vessels and
barges began bearing down on the area to
complete the process of hooking up the FPS’s
topsides production handling facilities with the
seafloor production hardware in preparation
for first oil – and gas – from the Who Dat field.
TM
With little or no downtime after arriving at
the site, the FPS was successfully moored and
made ready for taking on production, scheduled for fourth quarter 2011.
According to Scott Gutterman, LLOG Exploration Co. (LLOG) president and CEO, the placement of the OPTI-EX was a significant milestone, since it was the first deepwater FPS to be
installed in the Gulf of Mexico after the Macondo
incident. Also significant, said Gutterman, was
that it was the first time the U.S. Coast Guard has
approved an existing FPS for installation.
TM
The OPTI-EXTM floating production system, along with its mooring
system, now installed in Mississippi Canyon Block 547, is designed to
withstand the wind and wave forces of a 1,000-year storm.
Installed in the Gulf during the
early part of the summer storm
season, the OPTI-EXTM awaits connection with the Who Dat field’s
subfloor infrastructure.
The OPTI-EX also is thought to be the first
privately owned FPS in the world.
TM
Rugged mooring system
The FPS is held on station with 12 chain-polyester-chain mooring lines connected to preset
80-ft. suction pile anchors. Both FPS and mooring system are designed to withstand the wind
and wave effects of a 1,000-year storm.
Two subsea wells in MC 503 and third in MC 547
denote the production kickoff for LLOG’s overall
development plan for Who Dat, which currently
is based on an eventual total of 12 wells.
Designed by Pinnacle Engineering, the Who
Dat seafloor layout features two well centers –
“A” and “E” – in Block 503, both about 12 miles
away from the FPS, with dual 6-in.D insulated
flow lines connecting each well center to the
FPS. The flow lines are round-trip piggable.
Each of the centers services existing FMC
horizontal subsea trees, installed earlier with
the assistance of equipment aboard anchorhandling vessels (AHV). They are serviced via
jumpers to multi-well manifolds, also designed
and fabricated by FMC. At the E center, two
4-slot manifolds are connected in series to
allow for up to eight wells. A single 4-slot
manifold serves the A center. The wells in each
center are connected to the flow lines back to
the FPS and controlled via two subsea control
umbilicals to each drill center with electrical
and hydraulic flying leads to every well, each
independent from the other, giving LLOG the
capability of continuing production in the event
flow from one center is interrupted or choked
back for any reason.
The MPS Vessel Olympic
Intervention IV, owned by Oceaneering International Inc., is equipped
with two work class ROVs rated for
4,920-9,840 ft (2,500-3,000m) water
depths. It is scheduled to make
subsea connections.
32
Each of the Who Dat seafloor well centers is linked to the OPTI-EXTM FPS by control umbilical. Here,
the umbilical is seen being reeled before being taken offshore for subsea installation.
All well center flow lines, as well as both oil
and gas export pipelines, are connected by
flexible risers to the FPU. Special adaptors
were fabricated to connect the risers to specific
points on the outside surface of the FPS’ lower
pontoon. This modification was accomplished
as the OPTI-EX lay afloat at the Kiewit yard
using a special coffer dam to expose dry welding points.
TM
from Shell production facilities as well as from
those owned by other producers in the Mississippi Canyon and adjacent areas.
For gas export, the FPS is connected via a 9.5in. flexible riser to a 17-mile, 10-in. pipeline to
a PLET connecting to the Independence Trail
pipeline operated by Enterprise Field Services,
L.L.C.
Export line tie-ins
A 5,000-ft., 11.5-in. flexible riser from the FPU
will connect to a 19-mile, 14-in. heavy wall
thick oil export pipeline culminating at a pipeline end terminal (PLET) that ties into Mars
pipeline system, which gathers processed crude
Reservoir Engineering
at Who Dat Means
‘Constant’ Gardening
Monitoring field data, well
performance helps to determine
optimum depletion plan
‘Today, the industry
has access to more
reservoir data than
ever before.’
Jerry Simms,
LLOG project
engineer
34
C
urrently, LLOG Exploration Co.’s
depletion plan for the Who Dat field
– with 12 wells tied back to the OPTIEXTM Floating Production System
(FPPS) – indicates an economic 30
year field life.
But that’s not necessarily set in stone, since not
all 12 wells have yet been drilled, new reservoir
learnings will be obtained, and changes in
development strategy probably will occur,
which would make the current depletion plan
moot. The surprises have been pleasant on both
reservoir quality and fluid type. With each well
drilled, questionable zones have been proven
and field reserves have gone up significantly.
This calls for reservoir engineers to be “constant gardeners.”
The job of the reservoir engineering staff is to
work diligently at combining static field data
with dynamic well and reservoir performance
criteria that, among other things, can possibly
change a field’s depletion plan to a significant
degree.
“It’s a living document,” said Gerard “Jerry”
Simms, LLOG Project Engineer, of the depletion plan at the Who Dat field. Simms, along
with Reservoir Engineer Mike Vercher, are
charged with using their knowledge of reservoir surveillance, geology and fluid mechanics
to monitor pressure changes and movement
of gas, oil and water in each of Who Dat field’s
producing horizons. Some of the sands are
thinly bedded and laminated while others are
thicker channel and sheet sands. All of the
sands have exceptional rock properties with
porosities of 25-35% and permeabilities of
200md to over a darcy.
“Each time you drill a new well, you get new
data that you have to enter into the reservoir
model,” said Vercher. “To respond to those
changes, you have to make adjustments
throughout the development process.” But it
doesn’t stop there, he added, since any change
in individual reservoir performance once
again alters the depletion plan.
Fortunately, he said, the data so far have
indicated larger volumes than expected of
hydrocarbons in each of the field’s 10 total
producing horizons. Much like the company’s
exploration and drilling teams, Simms and
Vercher are armed with the latest technology
for analysis of reserve viability. Additionally,
LLOG/EXMAR W H O D A T F I E L D ‘Each time
you drill a
new well, you
get new data
that you have
to enter into
the reservoir
model.’
Mike Vercher,
reservoir engineer
they are deepwater reservoir analysis veterans, both having come to LLOG from major
oil companies with significant deepwater and
ultra-deepwater field assets.
“Today, the industry has access to more reservoir data than ever before, enhancements in
Logging While Drilling, Open Hole Pressure
and Sampling and continuous downhole pressure monitoring are examples,” said Simms,
who with Vercher works closely with the company’s VP for deepwater projects, Rick Fowler.
“We can do things today we would never been
able to do 10 years ago.”
Wearing different ‘hats’
Because of the company’s lean but mean operations philosophy, both Simms and Vercher
sometimes play nontraditional roles for reservoir experts.
“When we began drilling the first well in
MC 503, we were required to put on our
petrophysical hats,” said Simms. “Mike and
I are involved in putting the downhole data
acquisition program together with the G&G
and Drilling teams before any drilling begins.
Among other things, that includes cores,
35
pressures and samples for optimum reservoir
understanding. Some fluids came in heavy and
some came in light, so we had to determine
how we would deal with that as it relates to
the Who Dat gathering and facility design.
“Integrating the geologic picture, the deeper
reservoirs were more typically sheet sand deposits,” he said. “As you moved up in the section, it became more and more amalgamated
sheet and channel sands. So, in general, you
would expect water drive in the basal sands
and less effective water drive in the shallower
sands. It actually worked in our favor, since
we had gas at the top, and you would prefer
volumetric drive for the gas, with water driving the oil.”
Mapping the water drive mechanism – the
active aquifer that displaces the oil in the
producing zones – is often difficult to do in any
reservoir or group of reservoirs, they noted,
though such information is crucial to determining when aquifer energy will be expended or
when wells eventually produce too much water
to be viable.
“The seismic data in the aquifer are often
sketchy since you often do not have that
sharp contrast between wet sands and shales”
said Simms. “You do the best you can to try to
map out the geologic variability that may reduce the aquifer influx into the reservoir, but
because the amplitude picture is less detailed,
there’s still some variability involved.”
However, he said, both his and Vercher’s combined knowledge of analog deepwater fields,
36
coupled with updated production recovery figures available from various public documents,
gives them the opportunity to better predict
the performance of the Who Dat reservoirs.”
“In the case of Who Dat, the subsurface team in
Houston and Covington put together a nice list
of at least a dozen analogs to help us support
what our recovery expectations were for the oil
reservoirs,” he said.
Flow line prediction
Optimizing the flow line specifications is
not usually a traditional job for reservoir
engineers; however, new modeling techniques
allowed Simms and Vercher to do just that at
Who Dat.
“We now work with the Petroleum Experts,
Inc. Integrated Production Model (IPM),” said
Simms, “which helps us understand how all
the wells interact with one another in a flow
line system.”
The Who Dat field development plan called for
four infield flowlines with an individual loop
system for each of the field’s two well centers,
he observed. With oil from wells at both
centers going up each flow line pair, the IPM
helped to determine the size and length necessary for each line.
“Our integrated model gives us a more realistic
view of our well and field production forecast
over the life of each well,” he said. “We build
LLOG/EXMAR W H O D A T F I E L D individual well models and link them together
in a field model to understand how each well
will perform in combination with the other
wells in the same flowline over the field life. It
is particularly important to have an accurate
field model if recompletes to new zones have
significantly different pressures than the other
wells in the same flowline.”
In the end, he said, reservoir engineering technology in deepwater today involves integration of the entire flow system that includes
optimization of the surface production system,
the flow line system and the export pipeline
system so that the company not only produces
the most oil and gas, but also maximizes the
field’s value.
37
Growth Just Ahead
for LLOG in the
Deepwater Gulf…
Who Dat, three other new field
additions to more than double
daily production
‘Once we have cash
flow from Who Dat,
we will amass plenty
of capital to use to
pursue our additional
exploration plans for
prospects we’re
very excited about.’
Rick Fowler,
LLOG VP, deepwater
projects
38
W
ith the Who Dat field nearing its
first phase of first production,
what’s next for LLOG?
Rick Fowler, vice president, deepwater projects, said that in addition
to further development of Who Dat, three of the
company’s deepwater discoveries now under
development, when put on line during the
remainder of the year and into 2012, will serve to
more than double the company’s daily production of both oil and gas.
In addition, the company in late July received
approval of its exploration plan for drilling an
exploratory well in its Son of Bluto II prospect
covered by Mississippi Canyon Blocks 387 and
431. Plan approval by BOEMRE anticipates subsequent issuance of a drilling permit.
This was LLOG’s first exploration plan to be approved since the Macondo incident more than a
year ago, Fowler said.
Grand canyons echo success
The ongoing development projects mentioned
are located in the Mississippi Canyon and
Green Canyon areas, he said
The Mandy project, located in 2,465 ft. of water
in MC Block 199, consists of three wells tapping
Pliocene zones, and when tied back to W&T
Offshore’s Matterhorn TLP production system
in MC 243, is expected to produce at an initial
rate of 15,000 b/d of oil and 12 mmcf/d of gas,
Fowler said, adding that gross recovery at
Mandy is expected to be 10-30 million boe.
“In June, the Condor prospect, in the form of
a single discovery in 2,949 ft of water Green
Canyon Block 448, was placed on production as
a single-well subsea tieback to ConocoPhillips’
Marquette platform on the shelf in Green Canyon 52,” said Fowler. The company owns a 25%
working interest in the field. Fowler noted, “The
well has been flowing at a gross rate of 6,000 b/d
of oil and 9 mmcf/d of gas,”
“The Goose prospect, which lies in 1,624 ft.
of water in MC 751 and was proved up by a
Pliocene discovery well drilled by Spinnaker Petroleum in the late 1990s, is being completed as
an intelligent well in time to become a subsea
LLOG/EXMAR W H O D A T F I E L D tieback to our own Valley Forge field manifold
in MC 707, with first production expected in
first-quarter 2012,” he said. LLOG acquired the
block during OCS lease sale 208 in March 2009.
The former operator had released the block
earlier after determining it to be stranded, at
the time, due to a lack of host facilities within a
reasonable distance.
The Goose well encountered gas/condensate
in three sands and flow tested at a combined
rate of 8,000 b/d of liquids and 28 mmcf/d of
gas, Fowler added. LLOG holds a 100% working
interest in Goose.
“Once we have cash flow from Who Dat, we
will amass plenty of capital to use to pursue our
additional exploration plans for prospects we’re
very excited about,” said Fowler.
More FPUs in offing?
Tim Lindsey, Senior Vice President of Operations, said the quick turnaround at Who Dat
will allow the company to fill out the OPTI-EX
name plate production capacity sooner.
TM
“We have a number of high impact deepwater
exploratory wells to drill and if we’re correct in
our assessments, the prospects should result in
significant production and could very well create
the need for one or two more floating production systems like the OPTI-EX . Of course the
drill bit is the final judge.”
TM
39
C o m p a n y p r o f i l e Exmar Offshore Company
Exmar Offshore Company Makes Offshore
Industry History
Offshore
nals located in Antwerp, Belgium. Exmar
Today, EOC’s office is staffed with
Company (EOC) provides engineering
also owns and operates accommodations
nearly 100 engineering professionals.
services related to the marine industry
barges and is developing further opportuni-
Its senior staff each has over 25 years’
including speciality vessels, ships and
ties to add assets to the offshore fleet.
experience in the offshore industry and in
Houston-based
Exmar
offshore units such as floating production
EOC’s genesis goes back to the late
their respective engineering fields. Their
systems, drilling rigs, accommodation
1980s when Exmar NV and a Swedish
experience and expertise lie in design,
units and floating storage units. EOC’s
investor
Offshore
construction management and operating
capabilities range from concept develop-
Company, which owned fourteen drilling
drilling and production vessels world-
ment through basic and detailed design
rigs at the time, and renamed the com-
wide. Among the specific services to the
to construction project management,
pany Arethusa Offshore. Arethusa was
offshore industry are:
start-up, commissioning and operations.
subsequently sold to Diamond Offshore
• Integrated solutions for floating
EOC is wholly owned by Exmar NV
in 1996.
acquired
Zapata
In 1997, a number of senior
structures, from concept design
(Exmar) of Antwerp, Belgium, a diversified
“Arethusa” employees left Diamond and,
to shipyard detailed drawings and
and independent shipping and offshore
with the backing of Exmar, founded EOC
technical specifications;
group of companies. Exmar’s shipping unit
as a design group initially focused specifi-
specializes in the ocean transport of gases,
cally on offshore drilling rigs.
• Structural and fatigue analysis
and design;
• Electrical analysis and design;
particularly LNG, LPG and ammonia. Exmar
In 2001 while Exmar’s Offshore Group
currently operates and manages one of
in Antwerp was making its’ re-entry into
the world’s largest LNG regasification fleets.
owning offshore assets, with the con-
Exmar’s offshore business units include
struction of a floating production, stor-
EOC in Houston; DV Offshore, an engineer-
age and offloading (FPSO) vessel and an
ing firm located in Paris, France; Exmar
accommodation barge, both for Total in
• Project management;
Offshore Services, a marine operations and
Africa (West and North Africa), EOC con-
• Construction management.
maintenance company providing staffing,
tinued growing and evolved into an engi-
In 2004, EOC became involved in the
training, and management of offshore instal-
neering design and consulting company
design and development of semisub-
lations such as FPSOs, FSOs, and gas termi-
for both drilling and production vessels.
mersible floating production systems
• Electronics and control systems
design;
• Hull marine and mechanical systems
engineering;
(FPS), and the following year Exmar made
a decision to focus its marketing efforts
as a provider of semisubmersible FPS,
primarily in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.
In 2006, Exmar moved full speed into
the semisubmersible FPS market and
without a contract or client commitment,
ordered its OPTI-EX™ design, the first
such speculative semisubmersible FPS
in the history of the offshore industry.
“It is a very competitive market, so we
had to do something very different,” said
Samsung Heavy
Industries built the OPTIEX™ hull at Geoje Island,
South Korea.
40
standards in the Gulf of Mexico. We will
not build another OPTI-EX™ on speculation,” he continued, “but we had to build
the first one to prove the concept.”
That concept is a flexible semisubmersible-based FPS that captures the
maximum number of potential developments in the Gulf of Mexico and other
deep water prospects worldwide. The
company approached it by answering
the question, “How do you design something that is suitable to produce almost
any field in the Gulf of Mexico with some
foreseen modifications?
“That was our solution,” Lim said. “We
do not need to build a specific production
facility for every development. We also
David Lim, Managing Director of Exmar
Offshore. “We had to take a position. It is
Transit time for the OPTI-EX™ hull
to Ingleside, Texas was fifty-two days.
realized there is an opportunity for early
production with a flexible approach.”
The
a significant paradigm shift for the indus-
OPTI-EX™
was
conceived,
try, as most semisubmersibles are built
OPTI-EX™ Concept
designed and built as a flexible and
for a specific operator with a specific field
Although the OPTI-EX™ hull and top-
generic deep water production facility.
in mind.
sides were built on speculation, the ven-
The OPTI-EX™ was delivered on time
“Our CEO was a firm believer in the
ture proved successful because Exmar
and on budget. The innovative hull is a
idea and stayed committed through the
stayed focused on the market in which
proprietary ring-pontoon design devel-
entire project,” Lim continued. “He was
they wanted to participate. “That helped
oped by EOC to improve performance
unwavering in what he believed the
quite a bit,” Lim said. “That criterion
and provide a large area on the pontoon,
value to be to the right operator even
enabled us to put forth an engineering
allowing for flexibility for production and
when we delivered the unit and did not
solution to specifically meet require-
export pipeline risers. The single deck,
yet have a contract.”
ments of the higher operating and design
modular equipment skids and direct
engine drive of main equipment allows
for ease of future expansion of the production facility’s capabilities. It also provides ease of maintenance and repair or
replacement.
The OPTI-EX™ is designed to be redeployable for field development and early
production operations, and incorporates
regulatory requirements implemented
following the 2004 and 2005 hurricanes,
Ivan, Katrina and Rita, as well as industry
lessons learned from the storms.
Kiewit Offshore Services
constructed the OPTI-EX™
topsides facility on land as
one unit.
C o m p a n y p r o f i l e Exmar Offshore Company
The topsides unit is
loaded on a barge for the
mating with the hull.
to maintain additional free space on the
deck for future equipment and to design
and install all equipment in modules and
skids for easy and quick replacement.
The single-level deck was designed to
allow the FPS’s overhead cranes to access
every module and skid on the unit. For the
modules that may be more than a single
level in height, the crew would not have to
remove equipment in order to reach the
module that might need replacing. This
Establishing the Concept
The result was that EOC developed
design allows the operator to easily add
and remove equipment on-site.
“We knew from the beginning that we
several design parameters that would
wanted the ability to capture as much of
permit them to capture most of the
“One of our scenarios was that EOC
the Gulf of Mexico market as possible,”
potential field developments in the mar-
would own the facility for the next 20 to
Lim said, “so we went to our partner,
ket. For example, the OPTI-EX™ FPS is
25 years,” Lim said. “We wanted to build
Mustang Engineering, because they have
capable of producing 60,000 barrels of oil
something that is suitable for the initial
a very large database and extensive expe-
and between 50 to100 million cubic feet
field development, and then adapt the
rience with floaters in the Gulf of Mexico.”
of gas per day. Other parameters were
FPS to another field, so we looked at this
The completed
OPTI-EX™ was
commissioned at
quayside.
42
flexible concept as a way to redeploy the
unit. That begins with initially procuring
production equipment for a wide range
of applications and a facility that anticipates the addition and removal of equipment during its life.”
Another significant difference in the
OPTI-EX™ when compared with other
semisubmersible FPS is the design and
performance of the hull. The hull is a
deep draft ring-pontoon with optimized
column shape for motions reduction.
The single-level truss deck requires no
bracing between the pontoon and deck,
eliminating structural obstacles, allowing
ual value risk is directly related to how
for a flexible topsides equipment and
easy it is to redeploy the unit.
OPTI-EX™ sailed from Port
Aransas to her new home on July 1st.
“With the OPTI-EX™ design, the oper-
global. “We have a very long presence
A major benefit with the OPTI-EX™
ator can configure and reconfigure the
in West and North Africa with regard to
concept is significant time savings. A
unit very quickly because of the modular,
floating production units,” he said. “We
purpose-built custom FPS has a typical
single level topsides,” Lim added.
have ambitions to further expand our
riser arrangement.
FPS and accommodations business in
design and construction timeline of three
to five years. The OPTI-EX™ can be built
EOC Looks Ahead
Asia and the Far East and in the offshore
within two to three years. And the opera-
“We are in the floating production busi-
segment in general.”
tor can complete the project in the same
ness,” Lim said. “We are not limited on
“Additionally, what we have done with
manner as LLOG Exploration Company,
the asset side to semisubmersibles,
the OPTI-EX™ and LLOG may change the
which spent the final nine months of the
and in that respect, we are not limited
way some companies view deep water
build customizing the unit and adding
to designs we produce internally. On
developments in the Gulf of Mexico,”
specific topsides equipment as necessary.
the asset side of the business, we are
Cotaya continued. “LLOG is the first pri-
EOC signed the contract with LLOG in late
not bound by our proprietary designs,
vately held independent E&P company to
August 2010, and less than a year later the
but with respect to us as an engineering
own a deep water FPS, and that should
FPS was complete and sailed to location.
group, semisubmersibles are what we
encourage other operators to examine
want to do.”
their development plans.
One reason for the extremely quick
topsides completion was that the unit
Lim confirmed that the company is
“I think the OPTI-EX™ is going to be
was approximately 80% complete with
very committed to the Gulf of Mexico.
a game changer for the industry world-
equipment based upon the Gulf of
Jay Cotaya, EOC’s Director of Marketing,
wide,” Lim added. “We have not seen any
Mexico field parameters supplied from
explained, “We see plenty of opportu-
deep water development in the Gulf of
Mustang. “The remaining 20% of equip-
nity in the Gulf of Mexico, as many of
Mexico or any other area for which OPTI-
ment is dependent on what field the
the Gulf’s deep water developments are
EX™ could not be adapted.”
operator will be developing,” Lim said.
larger production facilities that act as
When a field is depleted, the OPTI-
field hubs. As new fields are discovered
EX™ can be reconfigured quickly to
and developed, utilizing subsea comple-
move onto the next project. “Many
tions tied back to the larger hubs, much
floating production units that are leased
of that capacity will be filled.”
or owned are built to exact operator
While the company plans to maintain
requirements and are used for maybe
its commitment to the Gulf of Mexico
five to eight years,” Lim said. “The resid-
region, Lim stated, EOC’s business is
LLOG/EXMAR W H O D A T F I E L D Exmar Offshore Company
11511 Katy Freeway, Suite 200
Houston, Texas 77079
Phone: (281) 679-3900
Fax: (281) 497-3370
Website: www.exmaroffshore.com
43
C o m p a n y p r o f i l e B A K ER H U G HES
Baker Hughes and LLOG efficiently and safely
drill and complete in the Who Dat field
Through collaborative initiatives between
technology areas and LLOG’s operational
formation pressure-testing service. To
LLOG Exploration Co. LLC and Baker
knowledge. Together with LLOG, Baker
further define reservoir characteristics,
Hughes, a series of three wells in LLOG’s
Hughes devoted some of its most expe-
a post-processing technique for logging
Who Dat field were successfully drilled
rienced engineers and technicians, with
mechanical properties was used to aid
and
in determining reservoir compressibility
multizone
years of experience ranging from 11 to 43.
well architecture integrated with intel-
The Who Dat field’s first well, MC 547
ligent well systems. Optimization of the
SS01, was completed in June of 2010
The combined portfolio of technolo-
well architecture and completion design
and set the bar for subsequent expecta-
gies and services were implemented to
was achieved through a comprehensive
tions. Well MC 503 SS02 was completed
minimize the overall project risk. Baker
understanding of the reservoir require-
in September of 2010 as an intelligent
Hughes’ AutoTrak G3 rotary steering sys-
ments and long-term production goals of
well, and MC 503 SS01 was completed
tem combined with real-time MWD/LWD
LLOG’s Who Dat field. The overall technical
in January of 2011 with three frac packs
data enabled the rotary steering system to
and operational success of the project can
integrated with intelligent well systems.
drill complex well targets. TesTrak services
be attributed to a combined team using
The well designs included two intelligent
were used in the first well during the drill-
Baker Hughes’ expertise across multiple
well systems that enabled the operator to
ing phase to measure formation pressures
produce from separate zones or comingle
in an unknown pressure regime, as well as
production, resulting in optimal manage-
provide fluid gradients and reservoir fluid
ment of reserve recovery and well perfor-
mobility. The real-time formation pressure
completed,
including
SC-2™ Gravel
Pack Packer
Neptune
SCSSV
™
Premier
Packer
™
HCM-Plus™
Tie Back
Receptacle
mance. Despite the complexity and scope
testing provides data to update the geo-
SAF-1 Selectaflow™
Contol Valve
of technology, the wells were drilled and
logical model as well as improve wellsite
SLCMD Sleeve
completed with industry-leading efficien-
safety and enhance drilling efficiency. The
EXCLUDER2000™
Sand Screen
cy and safety performance while meeting
LithoTrak advanced LWD porosity service
the goals under the planned cost.
was used in all three wells in the 12 ¼-in.
SC-2 Packer
and 8 ½-in. reservoir sections. LithoTrak
CMP Isolating
Valve
Shrouded HCM™
with 2.81 and
2.75 R Profile
Precise wellbore placement
provides neutron porosity, bulk density and
Baker Hughes’ drilling and evalua-
acoustic caliper measurements. In addition,
tion team delivered precise wellbore
the bulk density measurement can be dis-
placement and critical formation data
played as a borehole image spanning 360°.
SC-2 Gravel
Pack Packer
integral to the success of LLOG’s Who
At the Who Dat field, essential porosity
Dat project by using the AutoTrak G3™
information was provided from LithoTrak
23/8-in. 4.6 lb
BTS-8 Tubing
rotary steerable system. In addition,
as well as a hydrocarbon-type indica-
an array of logging-while-drilling (LWD)
tor when the neutron and density mea-
services were implemented, including
surements were compared. Structural
Baker Hughes’ OnTrak™ measurement-
dip information and pay thickness were
while-drilling (MWD) service, LithoTrak™
determined from the borehole images.
LWD porosity service, SoundTrak™ LWD
The density measurement was also com-
acoustics service, and TesTrak™ LWD
bined with the compressional slowness
CMP Defender
Valve
SLCMD Sleeve
EXCLUDER2000
Sand Screen
SC-2 Gravel
Pack Packer
CMP Defender
Valve
EXCLUDER2000
Sand Screen
FS-1 Retainer
Production Packer
44
and its affect on recoverable reserves.
measured with SoundTrak LWD acous-
Deep water multizone
completion featuring
sand control and
intelligent well design.
tics to generate synthetic ties, which are
used to improve the resolution of surface
seismic and improve positioning within
the field. SoundTrak was used in all three
With reservoir pressures exceeding
10,800 psi, Baker Hughes’ BJ Blue
Dolphin™ stimulation vessel efficiently
executed the stacked deepwater
completions. The pressure pumping
team, working with the well completion
teams, performed the challenging highrate stacked frac packs.
pick up the perforating guns, resulting
in reduced time to rig up and rig down
the guns. Furthermore, well-control tools
were used during the perforating process
to minimize fluid losses, spot fluid-loss
control pills, and provide well isolation.
Critical to the success of the Who
Dat project was the installation of the
sandface completions. It was imperative
to establish well connectivity with the
reservoir to ensure high productivity and
to deliver a completion that maintains solids control over the life of the asset. With
reservoir pressures exceeding 10,800 psi,
Baker Hughes’ BJ Blue Dolphin™ stimulawells in both the 12 ¼-in. and 8 ½-in. res-
ventional stack packs with SC-2 frac pack
tion vessel was selected to efficiently exe-
ervoir sections to generate the synthetic
packers, SAF and CMP reservoir isolation
cute the stacked deepwater completions.
ties to surface seismic measurements
valves, HCM intelligent control valves for
Working with the well completion teams,
for improvement of positioning as well
reservoir control, a Premier™ remov-
the pressure pumping team executed the
as provide rock mechanics information,
able production packer, and a Neptune™
challenging high-rate stacked frac packs.
pore pressure indication, and inputs for
deep-set surface-controlled subsurface
The successful construction of the
amplitude variation analysis.
safety valve. Each of these technologies
Who Dat field’s wells illustrates the bene-
provides reduction in risk during the oper-
fits of collaboration, teamwork, planning,
Well completion
ational phase as well as reservoir control
technology selection to minimize overall
The complexity of completion design in
over the life of the asset.
project risk, HSE focus, and innovation
the Who Dat field required installation of
In each phase of the operation, initia-
that resulted in industry-leading execu-
multiple zones in a single wellbore with
tives were taken to optimize operations.
tion during both the drilling and comple-
approximate reservoir pressure ranges
During the tubing conveyed perforating
tion operations.
of 8,600 psi to 10,800 psi and use of a
operation, all well-control tools were
CaBr2 fluid with weights ranges from
pre-torqued to reduce makeup and
12.9 ppg to 13.7 ppg. Additionally, fluid
breakout downtime on the rig floor and
loss and zonal isolation were required
to eliminate the possibility of a wrong
during each completion phase as well as
connection in the tool string given the
the integration of intelligent well systems
pre-assembly. Additionally, this reduces
for optimal reservoir management.
potential health, safety and environ-
Technologies selected by LLOG to suc-
mental (HSE) issues due to a decrease
cessfully implement the completion of
in the handling of makeup and breakout
Who Dat‘s multizone wells included con-
equipment. Dedicated lifts were used to
LLOG/EXMAR W H O D A T F I E L D Baker Hughes
2929 Allen Parkway
Tel: 713-439-8135
Fax: 713-439-8280
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.bakerhughes.com
45
C o m p a n y p r o f i l e D O C K W ISE
DOCKWISE TRANSPORTS THE EXMAR OPTI-EXTM HULL
Realizing the Inconceivable
For good reason, Dockwise is the
Exmar and Samsung Heavy Industries
and motion monitoring system. Weather
contractor of choice for exceptional
- enabled a 16-hour, incident-free load-
forecasts from the Ship Performance
ocean transport, logistical management
out operation, not in the least due to the
Optimization System (“SPOS”) allowed
and installation projects. From our first
especially installed strand jack system
for
float-over project in 2003 – the TOTALELF,
anchors on the quayside preventing the
Predictions that exceeded the set-out
Amenam – to the recent involvement in
vessel from compressing against the
engineering limits allowed the Captain
the Vyborg project in Korea, Dockwise
quay. Another feature that aided the
to change course or adjust speed.
leads the way in remarkably challenging
incident-free load-out was Dockwise’s
and
pre-installed
successful,
never-seen-before
cribbing,
allowing
the
hull to float directly from the vesssel’s
execution of projects.
predicting
motion
responses.
Successful Float-Off
On December 15, 2008, the HTV Swan
arrived at Kiewit’s yard
Feats of
Engineering
in Texas where a successful float-off enthe
sued of the OPTI-EX™
OPTI-EX™
hull. The image of the
Transporting
Exmar
hull
turned
out
OPTI-EX™ hull’s four
to
be an extraordinary
columns
feat
over the Swan’s sides
of
engineering
suspended
2008,
shows that Dockwise
Belgium-based Exmar
literally goes beyond
contracted Dockwise
what is deemed fea-
to transport the 7500
sible. The successful
MT
hull
transportation of Ex-
from Korea - where
mar’s hull registered
ingenuity.
In
OPTI-EX™
Samsung
Heavy
Industries
fabricated
the hull - to Ingleside,
an impressive learning
The Dockwise Swan vessel on its way to the Gulf of Mexico with Exmar’s
four-columned OPTI-EX™ hull
curve for all parties involved that will benefit
Texas, where Kiewit Offshore yard would
skid beams onto the vessel’s cribbing
future projects, and, ultimately, will help
integrate the topsides. An astonishing
in a single, continuous maneuver. The
push forward the imagined boundaries
87% of the hull’s weight would have
temporary sea fastenings were removed
of heavy marine transport engineering.
to be suspended over the sides of the
after arrival at the anchorage where,
Dockwise semi-submersible heavy-lift
after pre-ballasting, the cargo was finally
vessel Swan after initial configurations
re-floated from the skid beams and onto
were abandoned. Exmar and Dockwise
the cribbing. During the Swan’s 16500
conceived the dry-tow transportation
nm long journey to the Gulf of Mexico
configuration where all four columns
that began on October 25, 2008, the
were to be suspended over the vessel’s
permanent sea fastenings and wooden
sides thereby eliminating the torsion
cribbing ensured proper restraining of
forces in the pontoons and the need for
Exmar’s valuable hull.
structural reinforcements of the cargo.
During the journey, a range of key
The exceptional skid beam and
data were relayed to the client on a daily
cribbing design - engineered by Dockwise,
basis by means of a decision support
46
DOCKWISE
PO Box 3208
NL-4800 DE BREDA
TEL: +31 (0)76 548 41 00
FAX: +31 (0)76 548 42 99
Website: www.dockwise.com
C o m p a n y p r o f i l e EXPRO
Expro provided subsea test tree, slickline
services for Who Dat project
Expro has been providing subsea and
slickline services for LLOG since 2005,
working together on numerous offshore
projects and fostering a strong relationship. The company’s experience, expertise and innovative technologies and
solutions are some of the reasons for
that relationship with LLOG and its Who
Dat project.
The subsea equipment used on the
Who Dat project was one of Expro’s workhorse 10,000 psi systems, and the ELSA
7000 Series subsea test tree (SSTT). This
system uses a direct hydraulic control
system and has a large bore, enabling the
pass through of large tubing hanger plugs.
The Expro landing string assembly (ELSA) and subsea test tree (SSTT) is being
prepared to be run into a well.
New developments for global
offshore industry
electro-hydraulic subsea control system
tion and provides wellbore isolation in the
event of a controlled or emergency dis-
Expro has over 20 years experience in
large bore subsea completions and in-
connect of the drilling riser. “It provides
deepwater well testing, providing the
terventions to be conducted safely in
an economical means of providing well
offshore industry with cost effective en-
water depths up to 10,000 ft. The system
control on an anchored vessel during the
gineering solutions that meet industry
is being developed specifically to meet
completion landing and flowback.”
The SSTT is an integral part of the comple-
(EXPRESS-HP) that allows high pressure
standards and client demands. The range
emerging demands of the deepwater
Expro provided slickline services on the
of the Expro landing string assemblies
high pressure subsea Gulf of Mexico.
Who Dat project that included pulling isola-
(ELSA) and subsea control systems (EX-
Expro can provide the latest innova-
tion sleeves and setting protective sleeves
PRESS) are specifically developed to mini-
tive technologies and solutions as the
for the completion phase, then pulling the
mize risk in subsea completion and inter-
global oil and gas industry continues to
protective sleeve and setting isolation
vention operations and achieve secure
drill deeper and more complex deepwa-
sleeves when the well was complete.
well status in the event of an emergency.
ter wells around the world. The compa-
The company also set hanger plugs as
The company also has more than 25
ny’s products, services, experience and
needed, with some completions requir-
years experience and is a leading global
expertise assure that those operations
ing setting two hanger plugs, which were
provider of mechanical slickline interven-
are performed in the most efficient and
then tested by creating a tested pressure
tion services. Slickline units and cables
safe manner possible.
containing barrier between the well and
are available in a range of styles to meet
open water. The Expro Wireline Supervi-
customer needs including Zone II rated
sor on all Who Dat completions has been
units. Surface computer systems record
involved in all of LLOG’s well work over
and store well information, line history,
the past few years, providing continuity
maximum pull and depth run for each job.
among all of the operator’s projects. As a
Expro continues to provide innova-
result of this relationship, there were no
tive solutions to the offshore industry.
equipment failures or missed runs record-
The company designed the industry’s
ed on any of these wells.
first 15,000 psi, 250°F rated large bore
LLOG/EXMAR W H O
47
D AT F I E L D Expro
738 Hwy 6 South, Suite 1000
Phone: 713-463-9776
Fax: 281-994-1154
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.exprogroup.com
LLOG/EXMAR W H O D A T F I E47
LD
C o m p a n y p r o f i l e FM C T E C HNOLO G IES
SUBSEA ON DEMAND
a Subsea Alliance in 2008 to enhance the
Enhanced Horizontal Subsea
Trees (EHXT®)
value of their business relationship by
Available in 5-inch x 2-inch for 10,000 psi
promoting Supply Chain Management
and 15,000 psi applications, the EHXT
principles in the development of global
has the best uptime performance in
subsea deepwater assets. The objectives
the industry. Options include multiple-
of this Alliance are to foster an open
tree chemical injection points, modular
relationship that is flexible and adaptive
downhole chemical injection, surface-
to changing needs and evolving technol-
controlled subsurface safety valves
enhances flexibility and reliability. The
ogy; to enhance hardware quality, perfor-
(SCSSV), smart-well functions and more.
Subsea OnDemand program offers SCM
LLOG and FMC Technologies established
Subsea OnDemand system manifold
mance, overall cost and cycle
MKII-series
time; to
planning
controls, with pressure/tem-
and forecasting; to enhance
perature transducers on the
standardization and inventory
production and annulus side
management; and to encour-
and configurable production
age safe working practices
and IWOCS MQC interfaces.
and responsible care for the
Options include a maximum 24
environment.
multi-pin hydraulic functions
improve
tree-mounted
FMC’s Subsea OnDemand
and up to six electrical connec-
program – a key element in the
tors. Topside controls incorpo-
fast-track development of the
rate design innovations and
Who Dat field – offers pre-engi-
re-usable software modules to
neered and field-proven equip-
meet customer requirements.
ment that will give subsea
tiebacks and revenue streams
a safe and healthy head start.
Enhanced Horizontal Subsea Trees (EHXT®)
Available Now
As the industry leader in sub-
Subsea OnDemand reduces field
Manifolds and Tie-In Systems
sea technology, FMC Technologies knows
development time by maintaining an
All FMC manifolds and tie-in systems
what it takes to deliver reliable subsea
inventory of standard configurations,
are based on field-proven components
systems on an accelerated schedule.
including deepwater wellheads, subsea
and
emphasize
FMC’s investment in field-proven inven-
trees, control systems, manifolds and
efficiency and reliability. The Subsea
tory to maximize availability, experience
tie-ins, and the experienced personnel
OnDemand program uses 5-inch and
and knowledge of subsea architecture
to install them. FMC’s goal is to make
7-inch valves (manual or actuated) in
ensures seamless execution.
proven subsea systems available for
both 10,000 psi and 15,000 psi pressure
quick delivery and installation, reducing
ratings and EE+ material trim. Options
the time to first oil.
include customizing the number of well
technologies
that
slots, MAX or KLV mechanical connec-
UWD-15 Wellheads
tion systems and a choice of either pile
Designed for drilling and production
or mudmat foundation.
applications up to 15,000 psi working
pressure, FMC’s UWD-15 Standard, Rigid
Control Systems
Lock and Large Bore systems are built
FMC’s subsea control systems are
for a complete range of shallow and
designed to meet the most challeng-
deepwater scenarios.
ing conditions. Their modular design
48
FMC Technologies
1777 Gears Rd
Houston TX 77067 USA
Phone: 281 591 4000
Fax: 281 591 4030
Website: www.fmctechnologies.com
C o m p a n y p r o f i l e G l o b a l I n du s t r i e s
GLOBAL REACH
As our customers continue pushing the
ects and look forward to assisting LLOG
range of new oil and gas discoveries,
in achieving a successful outcome for
Global Industries stands with them as
the ‘Who Dat’ project.”
a leading provider of offshore construction and installation services. If you can
Expanding Our Fleet
name it, chances are we’ve built it.
Global has increased the versatility of
its fleet, adding dynamically-positioned
Deepwater Expertise
multipurpose vessels, including new
Global has the technology and talent
generation DP2 vessels equipped with
to meet the offshore industry’s most
ROV and mission-specific equipment.
complex challenges. Working at depths
With a strong focus on technology –
up to 3,000 meters (10,000 feet), Global
built over many years of innovation that
has the in-house expertise to analyze,
has become industry standard – Global
design and install today’s most challeng-
Industries continues to combine exper-
ing deepwater systems.
tise with ingenuity to create complete
subsea solutions.
Global Industries, Ltd. is a leading
Global maintains offices in North
solutions provider of offshore construction, engineering, project management
pride in safe operations, ethical business
America, Mexico, Brazil, India, the Middle
and support services, including pipeline
practices, fairness and the highest stan-
East and the Asia Pacific region.
construction, platform installation and
dards of customer service.
removal, deepwater/SURF installations,
IRM, and diving.
Who Dat
As quickly as offshore technology
Global’s role in LLOG’s Who Dat project
progresses, we add capabilities to meet
includes installing 19 miles of 14-inch
our customers’ emerging needs. Global
export oil pipeline, 17 miles of 10-inch
attracts exceptional people who bring
gas pipeline, 10 miles of 6-inch insulated
critical skills and share the company’s
rigid flowlines, six flexible risers, nine
jumpers and jumper tie-ins, three subsea
manifolds and six PLETs.
Four Global vessels are doing the
work: the 485-foot DLB Hercules, a DP-2
equipped vessel with a crane capable of
lifting 2,000 tons; the Global Orion, a DP-2
equipped multi-service vessel; the Olympic
Challenger, a 347-foot, DP-2 multi-service
subsea construction vessel, equipped with
two 200hp Schilling UHD ROVs; and the
Chickasaw, a 275-foot reel ship.
“We are extremely pleased and proud
that LLOG Deepwater chose Global to
handle this deepwater project,” says
Global’s CEO John B. Reed. “We continue
our focus on execution excellence in
increasingly challenging deepwater proj-
LLOG/EXMAR W H O D A T F I E L D Global Industries
11490 Westheimer, Suite 400
Houston, TX 77077 USA
Offices Worldwide
Phone: +1-281-529-7979
Fax: +1-281-529-7980
Website: www.globalind.com
49
C o m p a n y p r o f i l e K IE W I T OFFSHORE SER V I C ES
Kiewit Offshore Services completes historic
offshore production platform
LLOG Who Dat semisubmersible platform at the KOS fabrication facility
Kiewit Offshore Services’ (KOS) fabrica-
floating production system (FPS) Exmar
tion experience and dedication to safety
had developed. KOS’ scope of work also
and quality fostered positive relation-
included the lift, set and integration of the
ships with two new clients while work-
topsides to the hull. KOS completed the
ing on the unique Exmar OPTI-EX/LLOG
Exmar OPTI-EX project by August 2009.
Deepwater Who Dat project.
When LLOG Deepwater acquired the
In July 2007, KOS began fabricating
platform, naming it Who Dat, KOS went
the topsides of the first floating produc-
back to work to make their preferred
tion platform built on speculation – a
modifications.
Lift and set of the Exmar OPTI-EX topsides
onto the hull using the Heavy Lifting
Device at the KOS fabrication facility
6,500 ton topsides capable of producing
KOS fabricated over 2,000 tons of
60,000 barrels of oil and 50 million cubic
structural steel, installed over 27,000
As an OSHA Voluntary Protection Pro-
feet of gas per day. Not only was this con-
lineal feet of piping on both projects
gram (VPP) site, KOS is recognized as
cept new to the industry, but the OPTI-
combined and installed over 3,000 tons
having one of the safest yards in the in-
EX was also the first semisubmersible
of equipment.
dustry, and successful projects like this
The upgrades were completed and
one provide the proof.
the platform sailed to its final location in
the Gulf of Mexico on July 1, 2011.
Throughout both contracts, KOS and
its subcontractors worked several hundred thousand manhours without any
significant incidents. In fact, the Exmar
Kiewit Offshore Services, Ltd.
fabrication yard, Ingleside, Texas
50
OPTI-EX/LLOG Who Dat project was one
of the safest projects performed at KOS.
Kiewit Offshore Services
2440 Kiewit Road
Ingleside, Texas 78362
Tel: 361-775-4300, Fax: 361-775-4433
Website: www.kiewit.com
C o m p a n y p r o f i l e Mu s t a n g
Topsides experience benefits OPTI-EX™
during all project phases
Mustang has a global reputation for
deployed. The study also identified and
innovation and technical excellence in
ranked viable candidates offshore Brazil,
the engineering and design of topsides
West Africa, Asia and Australia, validating
production facilities for many of the
Exmar’s intended global use of the facility.
industry’s most notable floating deepwater projects. In the past decade alone,
Essentially Two Projects
Mustang has provided more than 350,000
Since the FPU had no initial field assigned
metric tonnes of topsides worldwide, with
for its use, the topsides facility needed
an equivalent production of 1.5 million
to be modularized and extremely flex-
BPD oil. Mustang was integrally involved
ible, designed for a wide range of water
Designing for Specific Use
in all project phases, from pre-concept
depths, flow line temperatures, oil gravi-
With the purchase of the OPTI-EX™ by
studies through completion, for LLOG
ties, export pipeline length to shore or a
LLOG Exploration in mid-2010, the project
Exploration’s Who Dat field project.
hub facility, and hydrocarbon pressures.
became fast track for producing the Who
It was scalable in capability to be deploy-
Dat field after 1 ½ years of inactivity. Sales
Early Viability Defining
able for multiple early production oppor-
gas metering and custody transfer skids,
Mustang’s charge was to design and
tunities during its projected life-span. The
fit-for-purpose, high pressure production
engineer a generic topsides production
Exmar-designed deck largely determined
separation and dehydration equipment,
facility for placement on the deck and
the size of the basic process modules and
an inlet / HP separation module, and a HP
hull designed by Exmar for its OPTI-EX™
the location of quarters, helideck, and pro-
gas dehydration skid were designed and
deep draft semi-submersible floating pro-
cessing equipment in conformity with area
added. Gas driven engines were utilized to
duction unit (FPU). The first such indepen-
classification requirements.
operate the 4000 psig discharge pumps and
dently-owned facility to be re-deployable,
Weight had to be closely estimated and
compressor packages. Mustang’s design
OPTI-EX™ was ideal for use by multiple
allowances monitored for the FPU’s ulti-
experience helped the project adhere to
operators in marginal fields and on early
mate use in a defined field. Deck space and
its challenging timetable with quick design
production schemes. Mustang’s scope of
piping runs were carefully planned to fit
changes and updated drawings.
work provided conceptual study/pre-FEED,
the existing footprint while making accom-
FEED, detailed engineering and design, pro-
modation for expansion. Close interface
Accomplishments
curement services and vendor inspections.
and 3D software compatibility between
The design of the OPTI-EX™ proved to
Mustang‘s first assignment during
Mustang and Exmar designers, and clear
be successful and ready for deployment
the concept study/pre-FEED phase was
communication with deck (Kiewit) and hull
on a fast-track basis. Mustang is proud
to determine market viability for the
(Samsung) fabricators on weight and struc-
of its role in this unique project, providing
OPTI-EX™ concept, conducting a market
tural support issues were essential. To save
technical expertise and innovation that
analysis of Gulf of Mexico and interna-
space and weight, Mustang eliminated
contributed to its success.
tional fields with known reserves in pre-
large electrical power consumers, resulting
development stage and in reasonable
in power generated at only two megawatts
proximity to hubs or existing pipelines.
and 480 volts. This approach reduced pow-
The comprehensive study by Mustang’s
er control and distribution while eliminating
research department determined that
medium voltage switchgear.
there were a sizable number of prospects
Mustang’s massive historical topsides
within the proposed water depth, reserve
database and its experienced procure-
size and operating capacity range in the
ment professionals were used to provide
U.S. Gulf of Mexico, including the block
accurate cost estimates. The design and
in Mississippi Canyon where it is to be
construction were completed on schedule.
LLOG/EXMAR W H O D A T F I E L D Mustang
16001 Park Ten Place
Houston, Texas 77084, USA
Phone: +1 713-215-8000
Fax: +1 713-215-8506
Website: www.mustangeng.com
51
C o m p a n y p r o f i l e Oc e a n e e r i n g I n t e r n a t i o n a l , I n c .
Oceaneering International, Inc. has
supported Llog contracts for over ten
years leading to the Who Dat project
IWOCS
Oceaneering is the industry leader in providing rental equipment and service technicians for Installation and Workover Control
Systems (IWOCS) used with subsea oil and
gas wells. IWOCS allow operators to communicate and control subsea trees during
completion, workover, and plug/abandonment job phases. Controls can be direct
hydraulic, electrical, or a combination.
The critical components of an IWOCS
are the subsea umbilical and electric down-
ROVs
the first priority and a constant focus on all
line. When coupled with a topside hydraulic
Oceaneering is the world’s largest Work
jobs. Contract work is performed using ISO
power unit and injection pumps, the umbili-
Class Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV)
9001:2008 quality standards. Each proj-
cal and electric downline can provide real
operator and the leading provider of ROVs
ect integrates specialty subsea services
time functionality and monitoring of the tree
to the oil and gas industry. Oceaneering
for construction; installation; Inspection,
and well.
employs 250+ Work Class ROV systems
Maintenance and Repair (IMR); decom-
and more than 2,000 ROV offshore per-
missioning and abandonment; and diving
sonnel worldwide.
work. Experienced project managers coor-
Oceaneering IWOCS operates globally
from Houston, TX and maintains over 30
complete IWOCS systems. The group also
dinate each contract and provide a single
supplies other support equipment to assist
point of contact. Project teams include
with deepwater projects including:
engineers who develop the detailed plans
• Hydraulic Power Units
prerequisite for the fieldwork.
Oceaneering’s
• Chemical Injection Units
Multi-Service
Vessel
(MSV) fleet ranges from dedicated and
• IWOCS Deployment Systems
Oceaneering also leads the offshore
purpose-built Dive Support Vessels (DSV)s
• Calibrated Testing Equipment
industry as the largest manufacturer of ROV
to the 312 ft Multi-Purpose Service Vessel
• Deep Reach Winches
systems. The company’s ROV fleet includes
(MPSV) Olympic Intervention IV, equipped
• Launch and Recovery Systems (LARS)
2500-3000m rated Work Class systems,
with two Oceaneering ROVs. The alliance
• Umbilical Distribution Boxes
4000m rated Millennium Work Class systems,
with Fugro Chance offers the industry’s
• Flying Lead Deployment Frames
and 8000m rated Ultra Deepwater systems.
best-in-class ROV & Survey services team.
• High Pressure Testing Equipment
• Dive Carousels and Pallets for Steel
Tube Flying Lead (STFL) Deployment
Oceaneering’s ROV workforce is highly
trained. The company’s ROV Training
Live streaming video of projects is available on request.
Program invests over $10 million per year
preparing employees for all aspects of ROV
operations and maintenance.
Subsea Projects
Oceaneering International, Inc. executes
marine projects in the Gulf of Mexico
through offices in Houston, TX. Safety is
52
OCEANEERING International, Inc.
11911 FM 529 Rd
Houston, TX 77041-3000
Phone: 713-329-4500
Fax: 713-329-4951
Website: www.oceaneering.com
C o m p a n y p r o f i l e RS P l a t o u
A BROKER’S CRITICAL ROLE
The call came in April, 2010. Did we know
of a production platform for sale or lease
in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico?
We did.
“It was the call that brokers work for,”
says Bob Donley, Platou USA’s Houston
president. “A drilling engineer from LLOG
sion of the business…
8
Exploration wanted to know if we knew
where to find a deepwater production unit.
As brokers working many markets around
the world, we were aware of all the available equipment that met the requirements.”
Platou introduced the two parties and
EXMAR engineersOSLO
made a brief presenta188 employees
tion of the capabilities
of their company’s
Established 1936
EARLY WORK WITH EXMAR
MOSCOW
Platou USA began working with
EXMAR
4 employees
platform ready to go would save potential
buyers or lessees the long lead time for
OPTI-EX™ semisubmersible platform to
Established 2004
new construction.
in 2005, when the company expressed
an
LLOG.ABERDEEN
A date was set to inspect it.
interest in building a deepwater production
15 employees
“After
several hours, the LLOG inspecAcquired 2008
facility on spec – a bold move at the time.
“Once the project began, our role was
to continue marketing the unit to the indus-
tion team knew that the unit and process
“Our initial role was to assist in the
try,” Donley says. “We continued searching
system LONDON
would fit their needs,” Donley
development of the project,” Donley
for a customer with the right development
says. “EXMAR’s
flexible and expandable
Established 2009
explains. “We helped screen optimum unit
requirements, timing, water depth, and pro-
design allowed deck room for the testing
capabilities that would appeal to potential
cess capability needs throughout the con-
and metering skids and other GENEVA
equipment
18 employees
that LLOG required.”
lessees. Determining
possible deployPIRAEUS
struction and delivery phases of the project.”
5 employees
ment locations
was an important part of
10 employee
Established 2008
the screeningEstablished
process.”2009
Established 2007
GLOBAL REACH
Discussions began at once, and Platou’s
SHANGHAI
4 employees
experienced team facilitated the transac-
The traditional structure for a project
RS Platou, established in 1936, is a leading
tion by acting as a conciliator during the
like the OPTI-EX™ would have been to
international brokerage firm and invest-
Expansion of theACCRA
business…
negotiations. In just 15 months from the
design and build the unit for a particular
ment bank. Platou delivers chartering,
initial telephone call, the deepwater plat-
field, but that process typically takes years
purchase, sale, and contracting services
form was installed in LLOG’s Who
Dat field.
Established
2010
to complete. Having a generic deepwater
to the offshore industry worldwide. The
1 employees
OSLO
MOSCOW
188 employees
4 employees
Established 1936
Established 2004
ABERDEEN
15 employees
RIO DE JANEIRO
5 employees
SINGAPORE
company’s investment bank also provides
62 employees
corporate financial advisory services for
Established 1989
Acquired 2008
its global client base. Platou’s 340 employees staff offices in Singapore, Aberdeen,
Established 2008LONDON
18 employees
London, Houston, Moscow, Accra, Shanghai,
CAPE TOWN
Established 2009
Geneva, Piraeus and Rio de Janeiro.
3 employees
GENEVA
PIRAEUS
Established 2011
10 employee
5 employees
Established 2008
SHANGHAI
Established 2009
4 employees
Established 2007
HOUSTON
22 employees
Established 1978
RS Platou
ACCRA
1 employees
Established 2010
SINGAPORE
62 employees
Established 1989
RIO DE JANEIRO
5 employees
Established 2008
Expansion of the business
LLOG/EXMAR W H O D A T F I E L D CAPE TOWN
3 employees
Established 2011
363 N Sam Houston Pkwy E
Suite 125
Phone: 281-260-9980
Fax: 281-260-9981
Website: www.platou.com
53
Company profile
C o m p a n y p r o f i l e K NI G H T OIL T OOLS
Knight Oil Tools provides full range of quality
equipment and services to the industry
Knight Oil Tools, the world’s largest privately
ing and management, and surface equipment
held rental tools and fishing services company,
removal and salvage.
Safety and environmental concerns per-
is celebrating 40 years in business in 2011.
The company’s contribution to the Who
meate the company’s operations in each
Dat field included rental of 19,500 ft. of 5 ½-in.
project and region in which the company
O.D. Grade S 24.70# drill pipe with HT 55 con-
operates by identifying the safety needs of its
nections and TD-8 casing-friendly hard band-
clients and employees and providing funda-
ing applied. QA and maintenance procedures
mental safety training and task-specific train-
were conducted and each joint of drill pipe
ing through its Advanced Safety business unit.
was hard banded and inspected by Knight
Knight Oil Tools’ commitment to qual-
Oil Tools’ Tri*Drill Services business unit to
services including open- and cased-hole fish-
ity equipment and personnel and its highest
ensure that they met all LLOG specs. Knight
ing, casing exit systems, cutting and milling
regard for safety results in successful, efficient
Oil Tools also supplied crossover, pump-in
services and thru-tubing services.
and cost-effective operations for every project.
subs and handling equipment for the Who
The Manufacturing business unit provides
Dat project. All handling equipment was
pipe cleaning machines, thread protector and
inspected and certified using Knight Oil Tools’
parts cleaning machines, pipe conveyors and
proprietary KIP™ quality assurance inspec-
handling equipment, pipe straighteners and
tion program prior to shipment.
threading services.
Knight Oil Tools
In addition to rental tools and services,
Well Services provides plug and abandon-
Knight Oil Tools’ Fishing Services business
ment services, removal of wells and struc-
unit offers a complete line of fishing tools and
tures, sidetrack preparation, project engineer-
2727 Highway 90 East
Lafayette, LA 70508
Phone 337.233.0464
Website www.knightoiltools.com
Company Profile Index
BAKER HUGHES 54
44
KIEWIT OFFSHORE SERVICES
50
DOCKWISE46
KNIGHT OIL TOOLS
54
Exmar Offshore Company
Mu stang51
40
EXPRO47
Oc eaneering International, Inc.
52
FMC TECHNOLOGIES
48
RS Platou
53
Global Industries
49

Mississippi Canyon

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