Eni starts Nikaitchuq oil flow

Offshore staff

MILAN, Italy – Eni has started oil production from its Nikaitchuq field in 3 m (10 ft) of water offshore Alaska’s North Slope. Upon completion, Eni says the field will produce as much as 28,000 b/d from recoverable reserves estimated at 220 MMbbl.

Development plans call for 52 wells (26 oil producers, 21 water injectors, and 5 water source/disposal wells), 30 of them offshore and 22 onshore. The processing facility has been completed and 12 onshore wells have been drilled with the remaining wells to be drilled by 2014.

The Nikaitchuq wells combine a vertical depth of 4,000 ft (1,219 m) with a horizontal reach of up to 20,000 ft (6,096 m).

The offshore facilities are connected to the onshore facilities by a under sea bed pipeline bundle, which is the heaviest bundle ever installed in the Arctic. The two process and utilities modules of 4,000 tons each built in Louisiana. The remaining facilities comprise 22 modules all built in Alaska.

02/09/2011