SUBSEA SYSTEMS

Sept. 1, 2008
Sociedade Nacional de Combustíveis de Angola (Sonangol) has approved BP’s plan to develop a series of deepwater oil discoveries in offshore Angola’s block 31.

Gene Kliewer - Houston

Sonangol approves Angola block 31 development plan

Sociedade Nacional de Combustíveis de Angola (Sonangol) has approved BP’s plan to develop a series of deepwater oil discoveries in offshore Angola’s block 31.

The block 31 developments program is based on a standard development concept intended to reduce cycle time, optimize capital, and maximize efficiency through standardized design, fabrication, and commissioning.

The first project will comprise the Plutão, Saturno, Vênus, and Marte (PSVM) fields in the northeast sector of block 31, in a water depth of approximately 2,000 m (6,562 ft), some 400 km (249 mi) northwest of Luanda. Construction work is expected to start this year with first oil in 2011 building to a plateau of 150,000 b/d by 2012.

Operator BP has announced 15 discoveries in block 31 to date. Full development under this plan will consist of multiple hubs similar to the PSVM plans. The second development probably will be in the southeast area of the block.

BP Exploration (Angola) Ltd. as operator holds 26.67 %. The other interest owners are Esso Exploration and Production Angola (Block 31) Ltd. (25%), Sonangol EP (20%), Statoil Angola AS (13.33%), Marathon International Petroleum Angola Block 31 Ltd (10%), and TEPA (Block 31) Ltd. with 5%. Sonangol E.P. is concessionaire.

“Approval by Sonangol for the program of developments in block 31 supports BP’s production profile out to the end of the next decade and beyond demonstrates the scale of the resource base in block 31,” says Andy Inglis, CEO of BP Exploration and Production.

“This is the first time Sonangol has approved a program in this way, not just for PSVM but for subsequent developments in a block with great potential,” says Jose Patricio, president of BP Angola.

EnCana orders risers for offshore Nova Scotia

Claxton Engineering Services Ltd., an Acteon company, has won a contract exceeding £1 million ($1.86 million) by EnCana.

Claxton Engineering will supply subsea risers, interface connections, and personnel for drilling and completions operations for five wells on a high-pressure natural gas platform, in 44 m (144 ft) of water, 175 km (109 mi) offshore of Nova Scotia, in the Deep Panuke field.

During 2Q 2009, the equipment will be shipped to Halifax, where Claxton Engineering will prepare it for operations. The project is being conducted from a Rowan Gorilla class jackup rig and drilling is scheduled to begin 3Q 2009, with Claxton engineers on hand to help run and pull the riser. It is expected that the project will be producing by 2010.

Acteon’s sister company, 2H Offshore, will be providing riser analysis throughout the operation.

RPSEA announces ultra deepwater projects

The Research Partnership to Secure Energy for America (RPSEA) has chosen nine additional projects for negotiations leading to an award under the Ultra Deepwater Program (UDW)

“The 2007 Ultra Deepwater Program is designed to bring the resources of America’s leading universities, research institutions, and technology innovators to bear on reducing costs, increasing efficiency, improving safety, and minimizing environmental impacts of domestic production,” says RPSEA President C. Michael Ming. “Accelerating the time to first production and building the intellectual capability in the research community for these strategically important resources is vital to meet the nation’s energy needs.”

The selected projects will address the specific technology and architecture needs required in water depths greater than 1,500 m (4,921 ft).

The selected projects are listed below:

Wax control

Project Leader: University of Utah

Additional Project Participants: SINTEF Petroleum Research, BP, StatoilHydro, University of Tulsa

Ultra high conductivity umbilicals

Project Leader: Technip USA

Additional Project Participants: Duco Inc., NanoRidge Materials Inc., Rice University

Composite riser for ultra deepwater high pressure wells

Project Leader: Lincoln Composites Inc.

Additional Project Participant: Stress Engineering Services Inc.

Improved recovery: Phase I

Project Leader: Knowledge Reservoir LLC

Additional Project Participants: Louisiana State University, Anadarko Petroleum Corp., Schlumberger Ltd., Core Laboratories, CMG

Geophysical modeling for studying acquisition and processing methods in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico

Project Leader: SEAM Corp.

Additional Project Participants: 3DGeo Development Inc., Anadarko Petroleum Corp., BHP Billiton, CGGV Veritas Services (USA), Chevron Corp., ConocoPhillips Co., Devon Energy Corp., EMGS ASA, Eni S.p.A, Exxon Mobile Upstream Research, Geotrace Technologies, Hess Corp., ION; Landmark Graphics Corp., Maersk Oil America; Marathon Oil Corp., Petrobras America Inc., PGS Americas, Repsol Services Inc, Rock Solid Images Inc., StatoilHydro, TOTAL Exploration Production USA, WesternGeco, Nexen Petroleum USA Inc.

Effect of global warming in hurricane activity

Project Leader: National Center for Atmospheric Research

Additional Project Participant: Georgia Institute of Technology

Subsea systems engineering integration

Project Leader: GE Global Research

Additional Project Participant: GE/VetcoGray

Ultra deepwater dry tree system for drilling and production in Gulf of Mexico

Project Leaders: FloaTEC LLC

Additional Project Participants: Seadrill Americas Inc., GE/VetcoGray, 2H Offshore

Ultra deepwater dry tree system for drilling and production in Gulf of Mexico

Project Leaders: Houston Offshore Engineering LLC

Additional Project Participants: Keppel FELS, Kiewit Offshore Services Ltd.

Funding for the projects is provided through the Ultra-Deepwater and Unconventional Natural Gas and Other Petroleum Resources Research and Development Program authorized by the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Money comes from lease bonus and royalties paid by industry to produce oil and gas on federal lands. RPSEA is under contract with the US Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory to administer the program and has more than 130 members including research universities, national laboratories, major research institutions, energy producers, and energy consumers.

For more information on RPSEA and the UDW Program, visithttp://www.rpsea.org/.