Statoil’s cheaper subsea intervention
Posted: 23 November 2003
A cost-cutting new technology for light well intervention in subsea
wells has been qualified this autumn by a maintenance campaign on
several Norwegian fields operated by Statoil.
Statoil has qualified a pioneering new technology for light intervention
in subsea wells.
This solution allows downhole tools to be deployed under pressure
directly from the seabed, without the need for a drilling rig and
a riser.
It has been developed by Statoil in cooperation with drilling contractor
Prosafe and manufacturer FMC Kongsberg Subsea on the basis of a
research project.
That in turn formed part of Norway's Demo 2000 programme, initiated
in the autumn of 2000 to help enhance the profitability of Norwegian
offshore operations.
Applying this technology will reduce the cost of subsea intervention
to a third of today's level, says Øivind Reinertsen, senior
vice president for the Tampen area of the North Sea.
"That'll help to cut operating costs, extend producing life
and improve recovery from subsea fields. The resulting increase
in activity will help to safeguard jobs for the future."
This autumn's campaign was pursued with the MSV Regalia light intervention
rig owned by Prosafe.
Operations on the Statfjord satellites and Visund in the North
Sea, and on Åsgard in the Norwegian Sea, have confirmed that
the technology represents a world-class breakthrough.
Statoil's ambition is to improve the average recovery factor on
Norwegian subsea fields from today's 43 per cent to 55 per cent
– equivalent to more than a billion barrels of oil overall.
Cutting the cost of drilling and production is important in reaching
this target, and the adoption of light well intervention will make
a big contribution to boosting subsea profitability.
For more information see www.statoil.com.
Posted by Richard Price,
Editor Pipeline Magazine
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