E&P Highlights: Sept. 25, 2023

From progress at the Atlantis Field to contracts for projects, here is a compilation of the latest headlines in the E&P space.

Activity headlines

Atlantis FPSO Anchor Installation Underway

Enauta Participações S.A. announced on Sept. 20 that installation had begun on an FPSO for the Atlanta development offshore Brazil.

Atlanta Phase 1 remains on track to start delivering production to the FPSO by mid-2024, ramping up to 50,000 bbl/d, the operator said. Current offshore activities includes installing flexible risers anchors and torpedo anchors for the FPSO.

Contracts and company news

TWMA Wins Equinor Work

Equinor has awarded TWMA a contract to process its drilling waste, TWMA announced on Sept. 19.

The 10-year agreement includes bulk transfer, slop treatment, swarf treatment, skip and ship and TWMA’s RotoMill offshore processing technology.

Halliburton Launches New Measurements Service

Halliburton Co. on Sept. 18 introduced its GuideStar service, which uses high-resolution sampling to provide continuous, definitive survey measurements for more precise wellbore positioning.

The service improves the understanding of the centerline wellbore positioning and reduces survey time, the company said.

“The GuideStar service’s high-resolution sampling rate optimizes real-time drilling decisions and minimizes tortuosity throughout the wellbore,” Jim Collins, vice president, Sperry Drilling, said in a press release. “This allows for smoother casing runs, and it facilitates bottom hole assembly fatigue and wear calculations to ensure quality and reliability.”

McDermott Tapped for Wahoo Installation Work

PRIO has awarded McDermott a pipeline and subsea structure transportation and installation contract for the Wahoo field, offshore Brazil, McDermott announced on Sept. 21.

McDermott will transport and install approximately 19 miles of coated 10-in. rigid pipelines and associated subsea structures. Once installed, the pipelines will connect the Wahoo Field to the Frade floating production storage and offloading unit. The contract also includes an extension option for a second pipeline.

The Wahoo field is located about 19 miles (30 km) north of the already-producing Frade field in Brazil's Campos basin.

McDermott's team in Rio de Janeiro will oversee project management and engineering, and one of McDermott's rigid pipelay vessels will handle installation activities.

Santos Farms Down Alaska Acreage

Santos announced on Sept. 19 it was farming down its working interest in 148 exploration leases on the Alaska North Slope following an agreement with APA Alaska LLC and Lagniappe Alaska LLC.

The deal, which covers more than 270,000 acres, drops Santos’ working interest to 25% for the leases on the eastern North Slope with prospects in the late Cretaceous Brookian and Schrader Bluff formations. Under the terms of the farm-down agreement, initial activities during the exploration phase will be undertaken without cost to Santos.

Santos acquired the acreage as part of its merger with Oil Search in 2021. The farm-down is subject to customary government approvals.

KBR to Modify Pluto Train 1

KBR announced on Sept. 25 that Woodside Energy awarded it an engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCm) contract for modifications to Train 1 of Woodside's Pluto LNG facility in Western Australia.

The modifications will enable the processing of up to 3 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) of gas from the Scarborough Field offshore Western Australia through Train 1.

The Scarborough project will include the installation of a floating production unit with eight wells drilled in the initial phase and thirteen wells drilled over the life of the Scarborough Field. The gas will be transported for processing at Pluto LNG through a new trunkline about 430-km long. Approximately 5 mtpa of Scarborough gas will be processed through Pluto Train 2, with up to 3 mtpa processed through the existing Pluto Train 1. First LNG cargo is targeted for 2026. 

Pontiac 3D Survey in Midland Basin Expanded

TGS on Sept. 25 announced a northern extension to its previously announced Pontiac 3D survey in the Midland Basin. The extension increases the size of the Pontiac 3D survey from 167 sq miles to 267 sq miles and is located in Midland, Ector, Upton and Crane counties, Texas.

The Northern Extension of the Pontiac 3D sits on the western edge of the Midland Basin and encompasses historical production from Sprayberry and Wolfcamp intervals along with accumulations in deep-seated structures in the Devonian and Ellenburger formations. This project is supported by industry funding.

Halliburton Introduces Wellbore Sealant

On Sept. 20, Halliburton introduced its BaraFLC Nano-1 wellbore sealant, a nanocomposite suspension that boosts wellbore stability. The new sealant works with the company’s existing conventional and high-performance water-based fluid systems to create a tighter, more secure seal that decreases fluid loss into the formation.

The new BaraFLC Nano-1 sealant uses nanoparticles to reduce interaction between filtrate and reactive shale formations, preventing pore pressure transmission. This helps strengthen wellbore integrity, which can extend drilling time and efficiency, the company said.

DNV, Light Structures Team Up on Integrity Monitoring

DNV has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Light Structures AS, a supplier of fiber optic condition monitoring systems based on Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) technology, to cooperate on developing new methods for monitoring the health of assets using monitoring and digital twins, DNV said on Sept. 25.

DNV said the collaboration reflects the companies’ shared vision to advance innovative solutions in structural health monitoring and digital twin technologies to improve safety at sea while also unlocking operational efficiencies and potentially reducing asset lifecycle maintenance costs.

The cooperation will leverage the inherent value in structural integrity monitoring data acquired using Light Structures’ SENSFIB systems for complex marine and offshore projects. Under the MoU, DNV and Light Structures plan to collaborate on diverse areas including customer requested project and solution design, modeling, hydrodynamic analysis, hybrid twin databases, interfacing, instrumentation, installation and commissioning and co-marketing activities.

BP, Subsea Integration Alliance Sign MoU

BP has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Subsea Integration Alliance of Subsea7 and SLB company OneSubsea is aimed at developing a framework to enhance subsea project performance, the alliance announced on Sept. 25.

The agreement will combine the three companies’ skills, knowledge and experience across a global portfolio of projects. The agreement will combine BP’s experience to frame, build and execute projects with the Alliance’s capability to deliver integrated subsea production systems and subsea umbilical, riser and flowline systems. The team will work together, from concept development through the full-field lifecycle, to support project delivery through new ways of working and an innovative commercial model.

Shell Extends Aker Solutions Contract for Nyhamna

Shell awarded Aker Solutions a brownfield modifications services and maintenance support contract for the Nyhamna facility in Norway, Aker Solutions announced Sept. 19.

Shell, as technical service provider to Gassco, has executed an option to extend a framework agreement for another four years through September 2028. The scope of the contract includes maintenance and modification services on the onshore Nyhamna natural gas processing plant in Aukra. The plant serves the Ormen Lange Field and is connected to the Polarled pipeline in the Norwegian Sea.

Aker Solutions has, since 2007, delivered projects and provided services to the Nyhamna facility, where gas first arrives onshore before it transports to the U.K.

Halliburton Launches New Downhole Data Service

Halliburton on Sept. 25 introduced its new PulseStar service to provide operators with consistent, high-speed streaming of downhole data.

The automated mud-pulse telemetry system transfers high-resolution, real-time drilling and subsurface data at extended depth to provide more efficient and consistent well delivery, the company said.

It automatically adapts to environmental changes for optimal data rate and detection while artificial intelligence provides self-optimizing pulses to maintain high data quality across the reservoir and advanced signal processing allows downlink for two-way communication while drilling.

Regulatory updates

NPD, PSA Changing Names

The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) and the Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA) are changing their names effective Jan. 1, 2024, the NPD announced on Sept. 22.

The NPD's new name will be the Norwegian Offshore Directorate. The PSA's new name will be the Norwegian Ocean Industry Authority.

Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said the name changes are intended to better reflect the work the groups do.