This month Infield Systems reviews the emergence of ultra deepwater (>1,500 m) fields while highlighting some of the key features, implications, and trends within the subsea market of this relatively new sector.
The bar graph depicts the number of wells onstream by water depth. The increasing dominance of the deepwater (>500 m) wells is obvious. However, simultaneously wells in ultra deep waters are expected to account for a minor but significantly new share of total wells onstream in the years ahead. While only 12 ultra deepwater wells were brought onstream in 2002, 2006 looks set to be a watershed as a record 58 wells should come onstream. Between 2007 and 2011, the number of ultra deepwater wells brought onstream is forecast to rise year-on-year and expected to equate to a cumulative total of 391 wells by the end of 2011.
The steep increase in the number of ultra deepwater wells to be brought onstream between 2007 and 2011 is attributed to the combined deepwater developments in Latin America, the Gulf of Mexico, West Africa, and Asia.
The regional share of the total global ultra deepwater subsea completion capital expenditure forecast for the period 2007-2011 calls for offshore Brazil to be dominant, accounting for 48% of future global ultra deepwater capital expenditures. Brazil is followed closely by the GoM with 38%.
Ojus Palathingal and Howard Wright, Infield Systems
