Floating early production systems*
H. Marcollo A and C. Carra AAMOG Consulting.
The APPEA Journal 51(2) 671-671 https://doi.org/10.1071/AJ10051
Published: 2011
Abstract
Floating early production systems (FEPS) are becoming more important to the successful exploitation of Australia’s deep water oil and gas. Importantly, FEPS help oil and gas operators reduce deep water full field development risk, as uncertainty in the reservoir characteristics are reduced by obtaining dynamic data (that is, partially producing some of the reservoir). This paper will present a review of existing FEPS that are now in use or have previously been in use worldwide and will discuss where they are headed in the future. The paper focuses on:
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The selection of the floating and subsea-vessel, mooring, riser, mechanical connection, etc.;
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Technology presently available; and,
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Addressing the requirements in situations where new floating and subsea technology is needed.
The qualification limits of existing technology will be discussed in the context of what systems are ready and off-the-shelf for operators to make use of now. The choice of appropriate FEPS will be discussed as a function of: proximity to pipeline infrastructure, potential production rate, capability to re-inject associated gas, prevailing variation in year-round environmental conditions, waterdepth, and, geotechnical description of sea bottom. A high level conceptual case study showing typical costs for the implementation of a deep water FEPS will be presented as a way of understanding the potential upside and downside exposure for an operator considering undertaking a deep water FEPS program.
Hayden Marcollo is a principal engineer at AMOG (field development group), and is also manager of research and development. Hayden has a PhD (offshore engineering), and held a postdoctoral research position at MIT, which included physical and numerical modelling of deep water riser systems. He was recently contracted to prepare industry guidelines for DeepStar on VIV prediction and provide support to ABS for verification of an SCR and TTR analysis. In 2007, Hayden co-presented an ASME short course on vortex-induced vibration. He has experience in the design of riser and mooring arrangements and early field conceptual work. Recent experience includes work with Woodside on its technology portfolio, assisting the selection of a marine natural gas transportation system between Columbia and Panama, and working on a FEPS in GOM. |
Christopher Carra is director of major offshore projects for AMOG Consulting with 20 years of offshore experience. Prior to starting with AMOG in 2002, Christopher held senior positions at BHP Billiton in the petroleum division (BHPB) in the project engineering and strategic planning areas. Christopher has had wide exposure to the international oil industry through BHPB. In particular, he has made major contributions to the conceptual design of BHPB’s floating production systems, being involved in major projects such as Challis, Skua, Griffin, Dai Hung, Neptune and Buffalo. More recently Christopher has held management roles at AMOG for conceptual, FEED and detail design of riser and mooring systems where he has been involved in the Crux, Basker Manta, Maari, Woollybutt, Pyrenees, Stybarrow, Montara, Audacious, Angostura, Cabrillo Port and Mutineer/Exeter FPSO projects. |
References
GE Oil and Gas, 2010—Reinjection plant—what is it? Accessed 14 March 2011. http:/www.geoilandgas.com/businesses/ge_oilandgas/en/applications/reinject_plant.htm.Melo, J.R.C., Bassetto, M., Camargo. C., Camiza, D.D., and Svaiter, M.A., 2009—SS early testing—Jabuti extended well test. Offshore Technology Conference, Houston, Texas, 4–7 May, OTC 20087.
Offshore Magazine, 2010—Deepwater production riser systems and components. Penwell Publications.
