Use of innovative technology to manage impacts in a sensitive environment
Samantha Jarvis A , Cameron Grebe A and Richard Lively AWoodside Energy Ltd 240 St George’s Terrace Perth, WA 6000
The APPEA Journal 49(2) 566-566 https://doi.org/10.1071/AJ08039
Published: 2009
Abstract
In 2008 Woodside Energy Ltd, as operator of the Browse LNG Development, completed the Torosa–6 appraisal well in the south lagoon of Scott Reef, which is about 425 kilometres north of Broome, Western Australia. The well was drilled with the Wilcraft jack-up rig (Fig. 1) and was part of the appraisal program for the Torosa gas field. About half of this field lies beneath the shallow-water coral atolls of Scott Reef.
The well involved a number of innovative technologies to minimise the environmental footprint while achieving the appraisal objectives. The approach adopted a custom-built riserless recovery system to collect the cuttings and mud from the riserless section of the well, combined with a purpose built cuttings containment and slurrification system to recover the cuttings and mud from the well for disposal away from Scott Reef. This well represents a significant demonstration of the industry’s responsible approach to operating in sensitive areas. The drilling of the Torosa–6 well provided a number of challenges due to the environmental sensitivity of the area, requirement to obtain regulatory approval at both the state and Commonwealth levels and the need take stakeholder expectations into account.
keywords: Drilling, appraisal, drill mud, drill cuttings, cuttings containment, riserless mud recovery, zero discharge, environmental impact assessment, Scott Reef, Woodside, Browse Basin, coral reef, monitoring
Samantha Jarvis works for Woodside as the environmental approvals coordinator for the upstream component of the Browse LNG Development. She commenced working for Woodside as an environmental adviser for the drilling and completions department and in this role was responsible for the environmental approval and support for over 60 wells.Prior to joining Woodside, Samantha spent 10 years in the mining industry as a site environmental adviser specializing in the closure and rehabilitation of mine sites. Samantha has a degree in biology from Murdoch University in Perth. samantha.jarvis@woodside.com.au |
Cameron Grebe has worked in sustainability roles in the resource industry since 1995, including positions with Shell, Woodside and BHP. Cameron’s experience covers environmental, health and safety and social management in LNG, upstream oil and gas, and mining projects in Australia and overseas. He has been involved in a wide range of impact assessments and approvals in sensitive areas including the Niger Delta, European coastal waters and most recently off the northwest coast of Australia. He is currently the environment manager for Woodside’s Browse LNG Development and has a BEng (Hons) in environmental engineering from RMIT in Melbourne. cameron.grebe@woodside.com.au |
Richard Lively is a drilling superintendent with Woodside in Perth, Western Australia. He has 15 years experience as a drilling industry professional in the operation, supervision and management of mobile offshore drilling units as both a drilling contractor and operator. He has worked in the North Sea, North Africa, the Middle East and Australia with a variety of rig types in exploration, appraisal and the development of well construction. He has implemented a variety of total containment drilling solutions from purpose built platform CRI packages, retrofit skip and ship cuttings transfer equipment, cuttings drier, and slurrification technologies to meet the tightest environmental requirements. Richard has an honours degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. Member: SPE Richard.lively@woodside.com.au |
