Page 53: of Offshore Engineer Magazine (Mar/Apr 2013)

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About 4000ft below the oil price, an increase in global seabed, Hurricane’s drilling demand and the introduction of has passed through a number new technology and innovation of oil-bearing fractures.

which are leading to more

SubseaSubsea developments becoming viable.

The fastest growing segments in subsea are inspection, repair and maintenance, integrity and reliability, decommissioning and offshore wind.

Gordon commented: “Subsea continues to be the unrecognised jewel in the crown of British industry. The sector is one of, if not

The challenge of the Lancaster basement reservoir the, fastest growing in the country

EPC Offshore has just completed how many wells were needed so a and these ? ndings will come as no a reference case for a phased phase development approach was surprise to the oil & gas industry development approach for Hurricane adopted. One of the schemes involves as whole. Several respondents

Oil’s Lancaster ? eld, in UK block a small, new DP FPSO, which would anticipate growing by over 75% 205/21a, West of Shetland, to have to be pretty robust because of in 2013 and many of our small, demonstrate that it is commercially the West of Shetland environment. entrepreneurial companies focused viable, and the project is about to enter This could drill one or two wells initially on niche products and services are the next stage of its development. EPC to prove productivity prior to the full set to double or treble in size.”

Offshore CEO Keith Wallace discussed ? eld development. The biggest challenge facing the some of the challenges and the “This small DP FPSO doesn’t exist sector is recruiting and retaining possible ways forward at the Subsea today, so we’ve been working with skilled people with 88% citing this

UK meeting. a contractor on a solution.” The DP as their foremost constraint. Other The Lancaster ? eld is one of the FPSO concept is not a commonly used challenges reported by 15% or more biggest discoveries in the UKCS in solution; there has really only been one respondents were access to ? nance

Seillean recent years. Containing an estimated so far, the , used by BP as its and working capital in particular, 200 million barrels of recoverable oil, SWOPS vessel, and now in Brazil. Due ? nding suitable premises, with a further 200 million barrels of to the severe weather conditions West controlling costs and managing 2C contingent resources identi? ed in of Shetland it can only produce up to growth.

operator Hurricane’s nearby Whirlwind 75% of the time, although it has to be The main international markets asset, it has the potential to be a key paid for all of the time. Another option for UK subsea companies are strategic resource for the UK, but as a is an initial tie-back prior to full ? eld

Norway, Brazil, US, Southeast fracture basement reservoir it poses development to gain an understanding

Asia, Australia, West Africa, and particular challenges. of the ? rst couple of wells. Various the Middle East. Respondents were Hurricane Exploration was created other scenarios are also under review. asked to rank their overseas markets in 2005 with the vision and purpose The next stage is to bring in a rig to in order of priority. Norway came of ? nding oil in fractured basement drill a further well to do more testing. out top with 25% of those surveyed reservoirs – a ? rst for this approach in Hurricane has secured one rig slot indicating it was their ? rst focus the UK. this year and two slots next, subject to over the next few years, followed Wallace explained that EPC has obtaining further funding.

by the US (24%) and then Brazil been working with Hurricane on Wallace is pleased with the way (20%). Less than 12% said that the

Lancaster for about 20 months. “What the project has gone so far: “EPC

UK North Sea was a priority.

we’ve been doing is going through the Offshore’s skill sets are all really “This underlines the increasing concept selection process and that’s geared around the facilities that you importance of overseas markets,” really looking at all the viable solutions would deploy into each scenario to added Gordon. “Well over 50% that could be deployed West of make it happen. Hurricane’s expertise of UK subsea output is already

Shetland to develop the ? eld fully, and is around basement oil reservoirs, exported and that is set to increase.” what kind of investment that would exploration, the mechanisms, require for each viable solution.” the modelling. So the two parties

Apache’s success story He said that there were a number complement each other very well, in

Apache’s success story on the UKCS of challenges on basement oil at this the thought processes, in the trying was spelt out at the conference by stage. The ? rst thing was really being how to de-clutter this, and get to a

Apache North Sea project group able to be con? dent that the wells solution that can be commercially manager, Mark Richardson. He were full consistently, and, therefore, backed.” oedigital.com March 2013 | OEMarch 2013 | OE 5555 oe_SubseaUK_rev2.indd 55 27/02/2013 11:57