E&P Highlights: Oct. 17, 2022

From a drill stem test library partnership to the U.S. government seeking comments regarding decommissioning offshore California, below is a compilation of the latest headlines in the E&P space within the past week.

Contracts and company news

Petrofac for Somerville, Anning study

Petrofac announced it will conduct an engineering study to define the Phase I offtake route from Hartshead Resources’ Somerville and Anning gas fields in the U.K. North Sea.

The study aims to make the most of Shell’s existing Corvette and Leman A platforms in the southern North Sea. It will provide a basis for the design and cost estimate, as well as the brownfield modifications needed, to tie in Hartshead’s proposed new facilities to Shell’s platforms. From there, the gas will be transported to Bacton for onshore processing and delivery to the U.K.’s transmission system.

The scope of Petrofac’s study includes offshore construction support for the subsea pipeline tie-in activities on the Corvette to Leman Alpha export pipeline, communication connections, pipework for system control and export route options and control room integration.

Hartshead plans to make a final investment decision on the development, including new platforms, in 2023, with first gas expected in late 2024.

Partnership integrates DST library with log, well data

TGS announced a partnership with AIFE to jointly provide an analyzed library of commercial historical drill stem tests (DSTs) in the US alongside TGS’ log and well data library. 

AIFE’s library of 170,000 DSTs dates back to the 1930s. The AIFE library will be integrated with TGS’ geological and well data.

The combination, TGS said, will help the industry answer questions about reservoir and basinal conditions. It will also help companies reduce the uncertainty of predicted reservoir properties and conditions and uncover previously missed investment opportunities, according to TGS.

Equinor contracts for 6 PSVs for NCS work

Equinor has awarded six contracts valued at a total of more than N$2.5 billion, including options, to five shipowners for platform supply vessels (PSVs) to work on the Norwegian Continental Shelf.

Simon Møkster Shipping AS manages the Stril Luna and Stril Mar, while Island Offshore Management AS manages the Island Crusader. Eidesvik AS manages the Viking Avant, Remøy Shipping AS manages the Rem Hrist, and P/F Skansi Offshore manages the Kongsborg. 

The contracts begin later this year and have a three-year firm period and three one-year options. 

Additionally, Equinor extended a contract with Island Offshore Shipholding LP for four years for the Island Clipper, which is a combined PSV and walk-to-work vessel that has supported the Oseberg field in the past and is scheduled to also work on the Hywind Tampen offshore wind farm.

HalVue now includes wireline visualization

Halliburton introduced its HalVue service for real-time wireline data visualization to expand current features on the platform. The HalVue real-time data monitoring application provides a consistent view of data across operations as it comes in from the rig to help maximize asset value, the company said. 

Previously, the application allowed customers to visualize mudlogging, MWD/LWD and cementing, but Halliburton recently updated HalVue to incorporate wireline data visualization.

Weatherford partners with Kwantis for Centro platform

Weatherford International will enter a strategic agreement with Kwantis to strengthen the Weatherford Centro well construction optimization platform with multi-well benchmarking and drilling key performance indicator analytics.

With automated and predictive capabilities, the Centro platform makes dynamic adjustments using real-time well engineering to optimize well delivery results, the service company said. Algorithms, smart alerts and real-time engineering models simulate downhole conditions and anticipate issues before they become hazards, the company said. Integrating Kwantis' ID3 advanced analytics with the Centro platform strengthens performance management capabilities by enabling asset teams to enable well planning in real-time and post-well analysis while foreseeing downhole drilling issues and identifying opportunities to reduce cost and emissions.

Regulatory updates

BSEE seeks Pacific OCS decommissioning feedback

The US Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) has invited comment on the drafted programmatic environmental impact statement (PEIS) for Oil and Gas Decommissioning Activities on the Pacific Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). 

The PEIS will inform decisions on decommissioning applications for offshore oil and gas platforms in federal waters off southern California. 23 California OCS oil and gas platforms installed between the late 1960s and 1990 are subject to eventual decommissioning. 

The drafted PEIS analyzes the proposed action to authorize decommissioning applications for complete removal of platforms and other facilities, including pipelines, and clearing the seafloor of all obstructions created by oil and gas development operations on an OCS lease or right-of-way off the southern California coast. In addition to the proposed action, the PEIS analyzes a No Action alternative, as well as alternatives for partial removal of platforms and associated facilities and pipelines. Various decommissioning tools and removal techniques are evaluated in the PEIS draft.

Bruce Hesson, BSEE Pacific Region Director, said the environmental analysis “will help provide critical information we need to inform our decisions on future decommissioning applications.” 

During the comment period, BSEE and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) will host virtual public meetings on the PEIS on Nov. 10 and Nov. 15. Written comments can also be made regarding BOEM-2021-0043 at http://www.regulations.gov or by emailing BOEM.PAC.decomm.PEIS@boem.gov through Nov. 28.