E&P Highlights: June 26, 2023

From a project sanction to the submission of a new development plan, below is a compilation of the latest headlines in the E&P space. 

Activity headlines

Neptun Deep Gets Green Light

OMV Petrom sanctioned the $4.4 billion Neptun Deep natural gas project in the Romanian Black Sea, the operator said June 21. 

Final investment decision (FID) on the deepwater project encompasses the Domino and Pelican South natural gas fields in the Neptun Deep offshore block. The development plan, which projects first gas in 2027 and targets recovering 100 Bcm of reserves, is subject to approval by the Romanian National Agency for Mineral Resources. Plateau production is expected to average 140,000 boe/d for nearly a decade. 

Neptun Deep is in waters of 100 m to 1,000 m. The first discovery in the block was in 2012.

Infrastructure required for the development of the Domino and Pelican South offshore natural gas fields includes 10 wells, three subsea production systems and associated flow lines, an offshore platform, the main natural gas pipeline to Tuzla and a natural gas measurement station. The platform will generate its own energy. The entire infrastructure will be operated remotely through a digital twin, according to OMV.  

OMV Petrom operates the block with 50% interest on behalf of 50% partner Romgaz.

Atlanta Field Resumes Production

Enauta Participações SA announced on June 22 that production at its 100% operated Atlanta Field in block BS-4 in the Santos Basin offshore Brazil had resumed following preventive maintenance at the FPSO Petrojarl I.

Production from the wells will gradually resume following the scope of the early production system of the FPSO Petrojarl I, designed to collect data and confirm the potential of the Atlanta reservoir, which enabled the development and optimization of Phases I and II of the Atlanta FPSO, scheduled for mid-2024.

Hartshead Submits Anning, Somerville Plan

Hartshead Resources NL has submitted its Phase I field development plan for the Anning and Somerville gas developments to the North Sea Transition Authority, the company announced on June 21.

FID for the U.K. Southern Gas Basin project is expected in the third quarter with first gas expected in 2025. The development plan calls for six production wells from two wireline-capable, normally unmanned installation platforms at Anning and Somerville. The platforms will then connect subsea to infrastructure for onward transportation and processing for entry into the gas network. 

Hartshead also issued an invitation to tender to four pre-qualified fabricators for the two platforms.

Hartshead holds 40% interest in the fields, and RockRose holds 60%. 

Contracts and company news

Suncor Hit by Cyber Attack

Suncor said on June 25 it experienced a cyber security incident and was “taking measures and working with third-party experts” to investigate and resolve the situation. Suncor has notified appropriate authorities, but said the company is not aware of any evidence that customer, supplier or employee data was compromised or misused.

New Danos Center Puts Trainees on the Ropes

Danos said June 20 it had opened a training center at its Amelia, Louisiana, facility that provides rope access training and certification through the Society of Professional Rope Access Technicians (SPRAT). Services are available to any individual or company that has an interest in rope access and includes initial certification, recertification, advancement and refresher training.

Training consists of four 10-hour days, followed by a one-day certification assessment from an independent SPRAT assessor. SPRAT certification is required for all rope access technicians. 

Honeywell Introduces Performance Solution

Honeywell said on June 20 its new Upstream Production Performance Suite will help eliminate unplanned downtime, prevent failures and recover autonomously from known failures.

The company said its new three-tiered suite automates and digitalizes operations from the well head to the control room and provides operators different levels of control and monitoring options. Honeywell said the suite enables oil and gas companies to improve production efficiency and asset reliability while reducing operating costs with intelligent controls and predictive analysis. 

Acoustics Tool Launched for Well Flow Diagnostics

TGT Diagnostics announced on June 21 it was launching a new diagnostic resource designed to locate and characterize flow in oil and gas wells. 

The ChorusX acoustic platform enables energy companies to find and map fluid flow throughout the well-reservoir system with greater ease and precision, TGT said. An array of eight nano-synchronized sensors records high-resolution flow sounds across a range of intensities and frequencies. A phase analysis workflow combines acoustic field modeling with a waveform-matching algorithm. This combination delivers radial distance to acoustics and flow diagnosis, according to TGT. 

Ken Feather, TGT’s chief marketing officer, said in a press release that ChorusX is designed to extend spatial and audible reach to record the lightest, quietest and furthest flows; recognize different types of flows; and pinpoint flow sources in depth and radially. 

SBM Finds Funding for Mero Field FPSO

SBM Offshore said on June 20 it had signed the project financing for the FPSO Alexandre de Gusmão for a total of $1.615 billion.

The FPSO Alexandre de Gusmão, which will be deployed at the Petrobras-operated Mero Field in the Santos Basin Offshore Brazil, features SBM Offshore’s Fast4Ward newbuild multi-purpose hull. It will have a processing capacity of 180,000 bbl/d of oil and 12 MMcm of gas. 

The FPSO Alexandre de Gusmão is owned and operated by special purpose companies that are in turn owned by affiliated companies of SBM Offshore with 55% interest. SBM’s partners control the remaining 45% interest. 

KCA Wins U.K. North Sea Work

KCA Deutag said June 21 existing clients have signed $70 million in contracts for drilling and maintenance services in the U.K. North Sea.

The contracts range from two years to five years in duration and cover four offshore platforms. 

Perenco’s Training Barges In

Perenco announced on June 22 that it has created a barge-based mobile training center to meet training needs in Central Africa. The Jean-Robert-Ippet-Letembet Barge Training Center allows Perenco employees to take part in training more easily while remaining close to their workplace.

It was named in honor of a former senior executive who died in 2020.

The barge, converted from a stone transport vessel, comes in-country to deliver training. All educational facilities and trainers are transported to the barge.  

The barge can accommodate up to 40 learners per day, comprising 30 for basic training and 10 for specific training.

Halliburton, Nabors Collaborate on Well Construction

Halliburton Co. and Nabors Industries announced on June 19 they are collaborating on technologies for well construction automation.

Covered technologies include the Halliburton Well Construction 4.0 digital surface and subsurface drilling technologies, the LOGIX Autonomous Drilling Platform and the Nabors SmartROS universal rig controls and automation platform and RigCLOUD high-performance digital infrastructure platform.

Initially deployed in Iraq, the companies’ technologies automate well construction services from planning to execution across both subsurface and surface equipment and environments. Halliburton and Nabors will engage on further opportunities to expand projects for other customers across the globe

New IWS App Connects Users to Data

Intelligent Wellhead Systems Inc. introduced the inVision Mobile App to connect users of the IWS inVision Technology Platform with wellsite operational data, the company announced on June 22.

With inVision Mobile, users can view key data from a cell phone or tablet. They can inspect pad progress and current well activity, a live frac tree and live valve positions. When running frac and wireline data through IWS safety and efficiency controls, users can analyze frac and wireline plots remotely, as well as a pre-set frac and wireline plots with the most pertinent data. 

“By giving operators even greater, easier access to operational data at the wellsite, they can respond immediately to changing conditions,” Bill Henn, vice president of business development for IWS, said in a press release.  

ABS, A&M Start New Research Projects

ABS and Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station kicked off a batch of new, funded research projects with the signing of a research agreement at the Zachry Engineering Education Complex on the Texas A&M University campus, ABS announced June 22.

Included research topics include ammonia as fuel, ship electrification, carbon capture and sequestration, trusted artificial intelligence and safety of industrial wearable visualization technologies. 

"These projects seek to adapt, as appropriate, emerging techniques and technologies to enhance the safety of the maritime industry and bring about a smooth transition to clean energy,” Dr. Sharath Girimaji, head of the department of ocean engineering and ABS ocean engineering department chair, said in a press release.

Petrobras Picks Aquanaut for Subsea Inspection

Petrobras awarded Nauticus Robotics Inc. a contract to deploy the company’s Aquanaut, an autonomous subsea robot, Nauticus announced on June 23. 

Under the contract, the Aquanaut will operate using supervised autonomy for infield deepwater inspection services. The contract consists of approximately two months of subsea inspection time.

Legacy Sarawak Data to be Reprocessed 

PGS and TGS announced on June 26 that the companies, along with their joint venture (JV) consortium partner SLB, have signed a multiclient reprocessing agreement to expand multiclient 3D coverage in the Sarawak province offshore Malaysia.

The partners will reprocess legacy datasets to complement and merge with newly acquired data.

The reprocessing addendum enhances a multi-year contract awarded initially by Petronas in August 2020 to acquire and process up to 105,000 sq km of multiclient 3D data in the basin over a five-year period. The second phase of the Sarawak acquisition program is underway in blocks ND-3 and SK-3B and will be merged with 6,700 sq km of reprocessed data.

Seadrill Selling Units, in Talks to Sell Jackups 

Seadrill Ltd. announced on June 21 it will sell the West Vencedor, T-15 and T-16 tender-assist units to affiliates of Energy Drilling Pte. Ltd. for aggregate cash proceeds of about $85 million. The transaction is subject to customary conditions and is expected to close early third-quarter 2023. 

Seadrill announced on June 26 it was in “active discussions” to sell the West Castor, West Telesto and West Tucana jackups. The jackups are are bareboat chartered to Gulfdrill LLC, a 50/50 JV between Seadrill and Gulf Drilling International. Seadrill holds a 50% equity interest in Gulfdrill. Seadrill has not reached agreement yet on material terms, including price, with any potential purchaser. 

PXGEO Wins Brazilian 3D OBN Contract

PXGEO announced on June 23 that Petrobras had awarded it a contract for a 3D ocean bottom node (OBN) survey in the Campos Basin offshore Brazil. The survey is to be acquired in 2,300 m water depth and take approximately 10 months.

Portal for the Birds Draws Interest

Xodus said on June 21 that 51 platforms have signed on to the not-for-profit Offshore Bird Portal (OBP) the company launched in January.

Oil and gas operators from the U.K. Continental Shelf have signed up to aid in recording and safeguarding offshore species that visit offshore assets in the U.K. North Sea.

Interest in the OBP has grown to include offshore wind developers and seafarers, Xodus said.

“With more than 50 platforms signed up to contribute bird sighting data to the wider energy community, interest in the OBP has expanded to sectors beyond oil and gas,” MacNeill Ferguson, ecological specialist at Xodus, said in a press release. 

The OBP was established to improve the long-term gathering of relevant geographic and seasonal data relating to seabirds and migrants (passerines) on offshore platforms and structures. The database and toolkit are aimed at bettering scientific understanding, and ecological awareness across the energy industry.