Cal Dive announces first production at Gunnison
Posted: 12 December 2003
Cal Dive International, Inc. announced the Gunnison field in the
deepwater Gulf of Mexico achieved first production from the first
of three subsea wells.
The other two subsea wells are expected to begin production by
year-end, with daily production from all three subsea wells projected
at approximately 5,000 barrels of oil and 125 million cubic feet
(MMCF) of gas by mid-January 2004.
Production is expected to ramp up to a peak daily rate of approximately
30,000 barrels of oil and 180 MMCF of gas by year-end 2004 as seven
dry-tree wells are completed. The Gunnison field covers Garden Banks
blocks 667, 668 and 669, with the truss spar facility moored in
3,150 feet of water in block 668.
Cal Dive has a 20 per cent working interest in the Gunnison field. Kerr-McGee
Corp. (NYSE: KMG) operator, holds a 50 per cent interest, while Nexen, Inc.
(NYSE: NXY), holds a 30 per cent interest.
The Gunnison spar has daily production capacity of 40,000 barrels
of oil and 200 MMCF of gas per day. The facility was designed with
excess capacity to accommodate production from satellite prospects
in the area. The Gunnison partners are currently participating in
an initial satellite prospect, Dawson Deep.
Owen Kratz, Cal Dive International chairman and chief executive
officer, stated, "First production at Gunnison achieves a significant
milestone in the history of Cal Dive International. Our deepwater
Production Partnering strategy, designed to align the interests
of the oil company producer and marine contractor, relies upon the
reservoir engineering expertise of our oil and gas personnel and
utilization of CDI construction vessels. Production at Gunnison
involved three CDI deepwater vessels: The Intrepid laid the flowlines
and umbilicals while also setting flying leads and jumpers. The
Q4000 provided logistical support after setting the mooring piles
earlier in the year. And the Northern Canyon provided ROV and survey
support in addition to setting jumpers."
Martin Ferron, Cal Dive International president and chief operating
officer, noted, "A second prong of our deepwater strategy is
the ownership of production facilities in hub locations where there
is potential for significant subsea tieback activity. In addition
to production from the Gunnison reservoir, Cal Dive will receive
ongoing revenues from its 20 per cent interest in the production facility
as satellite prospects are drilled and tied back to the spar.
Deepwater Gateway, Inc., our second such endeavor, involves a 50 per cent
ownership position in the tension-leg platform (TLP) being installed
at Anadarko's Marco Polo field at Green Canyon block 608.
The Marco Polo TLP has capacity of 180,000 barrels of oil equivalent
and, at 4,300 feet of water, will mark the world's deepest TLP installation
when commissioned in the first quarter next year."
Cal Dive International, Inc., headquartered in Houston, Texas,
is an energy service company specializing in well operations and
subsea construction.
CDI operates a fleet of technically advanced marine construction
vessels and robotics worldwide and conducts salvage operations in
the Gulf of Mexico.
Energy Resource Technology, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary, acquires
and operates mature and non-core offshore oil and gas properties.
For more information see http://www.caldive.com.
Posted by Richard Price,
Editor Pipeline Magazine
Information supplied by companies
or PR agencies who are responsible for content. Send press releases
to info@pipelinedubai.com |
