Offshore staff

STOCKHOLM, Sweden – Development of the Noble Energy-operated Aseng field in block 1 off Equatorial Guinea is ahead of schedule.

Partner PA Resources (PAR) says start-up should now occur by the end of this year, having previously been estimated at 1Q 2012. Production should then build steadily toward the forecast plateau.

All the development wells have been drilled and completed, and subsea installation activities are ongoing. The FPSO should depart Singapore in September, arriving at the field early in October to begin hookup and commissioning.

Development of the Alen field, the second project in the block, also is progressing. Construction of the production platform has begun, and the wellhead jacket is largely complete.

Subsea development drilling and completions should start this summer, with the semisub Atwood Hunter due to drill and complete one gas injection well and complete two previously drilled wells for gas injection.

A second rig, the Atwood Aurora jackup, will arrive in October to complete one existing well for production and drill two new producer wells. First condensate production is scheduled for late 2013.

On the adjacent block O license, results from a recent appraisal well on the Diega-Carmen discovery suggests this field will be the candidate for a tieback to the Aseng/Alen infrastructure, PAR claims. Carmen-Diega also extends into block 1.

08/17/2011