The 24,000-tonne topsides for the Aasta Hansteen gas platform was floated over and connected to the floating vertical hull in December 2017. (Photo by Olaf Nagelhus/Worldcam, courtesy of Statoil)
After three years of contending with formidable market conditions, upstream companies have begun the arduous task of getting back to what they do best: finding and producing oil and gas. While the offshore sector certainly felt the impact of the price crash, it did not leave it comatose. One need only look at the last months of 2017 to see the promise of 2018.
Take, for example, new discoveries announced off the coasts of Equatorial Guinea, Guyana, Russia and Trinidad, which show that exploration is not dead. A flurry of field development proposals were submitted to the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) for consideration. The seven plans submitted to the NPD represent a total value of more than $12.5 billion in greenfield capex, according to a report from Rystad Energy.
In December 2017 a 46,000-tonne floating vertical hull received its topsides crown to become the world’s largest spar FPSO unit. That spar will be located in the Aasta Hansteen gas field located in the deep waters of the Norwegian Continental Shelf about 300 km (186 miles) from Bodø.
Subsea will play a significant role in the success in these future or current fields. Like all in the industry, subsea players face a new future where lessons learned from previous projects and standardization are helping to ensure long-term growth.
This month E&P takes a step back to the basics with a look at how operators are identifying the best locations to place subsea equipment during the field development phase. Other stories include a dive into the considerations made during the design and selection process of subsea production systems. Also covered is a new digital platform that integrates robotics, artificial intelligence and original predictive analytics to advance subsea inspection services. The section wraps up with an overview of how operators are bringing together current infrastructure with future subsea projects.
Read each of E&P magazine's February cover stories:
Back to basics on seabed surveys
Optimizing system design and field architecture
Recommended Reading
Tethys Oil Suspends Kunooz-1 Well in Oman
2024-12-13 - The decision to suspend its Kunooz-1 exploration well comes after flow testing failed to confirm the presence of commercially-viable hydrocarbons, Tethys said.
Aris Water Solutions’ Answers to Permian’s Produced Water Problem
2024-12-04 - Aris Water Solutions has some answers to one of the Permian’s biggest headwinds—produced water management—but there’s still a ways to go, said CEO Amanda Brock at the DUG Executive Oil Conference & Expo.
TGS Launches Advanced Imaging Centers for Petrobras
2025-01-21 - TGS' 4D technologies will provide enhanced subsurface clarity in basins offshore Brazil for Petrobras.
QatarEnergy Joins Joint Venture Offshore Namibia
2024-12-17 - QatarEnergy acquired a 27.5% stake in petroleum exploration license 90 offshore Namibia.
Analysis: Middle Three Forks Bench Holds Vast Untapped Oil Potential
2025-01-07 - Williston Basin operators have mostly landed laterals in the shallower upper Three Forks bench. But the deeper middle Three Forks contains hundreds of millions of barrels of oil yet to be recovered, North Dakota state researchers report.
Comments
Add new comment
This conversation is moderated according to Hart Energy community rules. Please read the rules before joining the discussion. If you’re experiencing any technical problems, please contact our customer care team.