LAM/Zhdanov overhaul program lifts production off Turkmenistan
Jeremy Beckman
Having secured financing loans from international banks and major shareholder ENOC, Dragon started development drilling from the revamped LAM 22 platform in June 2001, using the modified land rig Rig 40 owned by the company and operated by Deutag. Over the next 18 months, it fulfilled its target of five wells, in the process raising total oil output above 15,000 b/d.
Then as now, production in this landlocked region was sold under swap arrangements. The oil is shipped in tankers to the Caspian Sea ports of Neka in Iran and Baku. The associated gas is brought onshore to provide energy for the local community and industry at Cheleken, and the balance is flared offshore.
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Drilling operations from LAM22.
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During 2002, Dragon completed studies relating to refurbishment of the LAM 21 platform, ahead of the next planned development campaign. The topsides were refurbished the following year, to allow production from the planned four new platform-based wells to flow through both an existing subsea pipeline, and a parallel line, 8-in. in diameter. The latter was installed in 2004.
For the drilling program, Dragon contracted the jackup Astra from Lukoil Shelf. According to a company spokesman, “We went for a jackup this time because of the reduced refurbishment time and costs, and also due to the different subsurface targets.” The rig was also contracted provisionally to drill wells from LAM 10, the next scheduled upgrade project.
In the meantime, Dragon decided to up the pace of oil recovery by commissioning engineering studies for a brand-new wellhead and production installation, LAM A. It also raised further equity to fund a 3D seismic survey over the contract area, the twin aims being to clarify the reservoirs’ internal architecture, and to identify new drilling targets.
The seismic was acquired early in 2005 using an ocean bottom cable spread with a 4,750-m maximum offset, 50-m cable spacing and a 25-m group interval. Altogether, 654 sq km of new data were compiled, subsequently processed by CGG and interpreted in-house by Dragon. Some of the processing/interpretation was fasttracked, to select the optimum location for LAM A. The full interpretation/re-mapping exercise should be completed later this year.
Development drilling from LAM 21 started in November 2003. In all, five wells were drilled, completed, and put on production by December 2004. Of these, the most productive was LAM 21/109, which tested oil at a combined rate of 5,330 b/d from six zones. It was also the first well to penetrate zones 10 and 11, with a total depth of 4,670 m. Another well, LAM 21/108, encountered over 80 m of gas/condensate reservoirs in zone 4.
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Volume 66 Issue 3
March 2006
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