Offshore staff
(West Africa) - ExxonMobil Corp.'s affiliate, Esso E&P Nigeria Ltd. (EEPNL), has started production from the Erha deepwater development located approximately 60 mi (97 km) offshore Nigeria in 3,900 ft (1,200 m) of water.
The development includes Erha and Erha North, a satellite development due to come onstream in 3Q 2006.
This is EEPNL's first operated production from Nigeria's deepwater block 209.
Erha production is expected to ramp up to 150,000 b/d by 3Q 2006, and Erha North will contribute another 40,000 b/d by year-end for a total production output of 190,000 b/d.
Erha North will be on production within 30 months of discovery, setting a Nigeria deepwater record, says the company.
Associated natural gas production from the projects will be about 300 MMcf/d, which will be reinjected for reservoir management.
The Erha and Erha North developments consist of 32 subsea wells tied to an FPSO vessel.
A single-point mooring buoy, one of the world's largest, will be used for crude carrier docking and product transfer.
The facilities were constructed within budget and total cost for the two developments, including facilities and drilling, is approximately $3.5 billion.
The Erha developments included contract awards to several Nigerian companies for in-country fabrication services, logistics support, as well as training, development, and employment of Nigerians.
Activities involved fabrication of the mooring buoy, subsea manifolds, drilling unit pilings, and modules for the FPSO such as the flare tower, pipe racks, and riser protection frames.
Another example of helping to develop local business capability was the subsea system integration test conducted prior to the Erha startup.
This test, the first performed in West Africa, ensured all subsea systems and controls worked properly prior to installation.
It was held at the Willbros Yard in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, a facility that can now serve as a regional center for future subsea component testing for global deepwater development projects.
EEPNL is the operator of the Erha and Erha North developments and has a 56.25% participating interest in the block 209 contract area, with Shell Nigeria E&P company holding the remaining 43.75%.
Erha is the second major facility startup for ExxonMobil affiliates in Nigeria this year.
In February, Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited (MPN) started production from the full-field facilities of the Yoho project, with estimated recoverable resources of 440 MMbbl of oil.
Yoho is currently producing about 160,000 b/d of oil, and consists of a central production processing platform, 33 wells, living quarters platform, and an FSO vessel.
Like the Erha developments, the Yoho project also contained significant Nigerian content.
Approximately one-third of direct project costs, including engineering, procurement, construction, facility installation, and drilling were expended in the country.
05/02/06
