Contents Offshore Engineer 2009

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COVER

start-up of integrated operations in September of the FPSO Dhirubhai 1 marked a major milestone in an inventive $2 billion development project for Reliance Industries'MA-D6field, located 50km off the eastern India state of Andra Pradesh in the Bay of Bengal (see feature 30). P H O T O G R A P H : R O L F E S T B N S E N , C O U R T E S Y AICER S O L U T I O N S .

Volume 34 Number 1

Sakhalin 2 set to stream; More from Moho-Büondo; Cossack prepares for new dance; Marlim Leste onstream... as Brazil feasts on pre-salt; JubUee glee club; Reindeer reined in; Didon delivers; Mozambique gas shows piques; Nova Scotia seeks bids . . . while Newfoundland and Labrador award. Prices are a thii-d of the heady $150s oil posted earlier this year, but even while prices are tumbling amidst a recession and credit crisis, some see potential for companies with a healthy supply of cash.

Jennifer Pallanich reports.

Technology may play a more crucial role in winning marine seismic business in 2009. That's Andrew MoBarnet's prediction for what's expected to be a year when the going gets tougher.

lOR/EOR experts gathered in Houston late last year to discuss how best to maximize recovery from the world's known hydrocarbon reserves. Jennifer Pallanich

joined them.

One of the authors of a new report on the potential pitfaUs for lOCs, NOCs and service providers during contract negotiations talles to Russeii IVIcCuiley about how to avoid them.

India's deepwater MA-D6 oil field was brought onstream In record-setting time through a fast-track, turnkey deal with Aker Solutions and Aker Floating Production. With exclusive access to key team members, Darius Snieckus looks at a development operator Reliance Industries envisages heralding a new 'world-class hydrocarbon hub' in the Bay of Bengal.

Sir, Just a quick note to let you know I

really enjoyed Andrew McBarnet's recent article on the fundamental drivers of the seismic industry in Offshore Engineer (G&G Notebook, OE October 2008).

It's very refreshing to see someone lookmg beyond the hype and exposing the underlying assumptions of industry expansion in light broader economic and financial conditions - in the US and worldwide.

Well done!

Larry M Scott, Vice President Worldwide IVlarine & Transition Zone, Global Geophysical Services Inc,

3535 Briarpark Drive, Suite 200, Houston, Texas, US

1 1 - 1 6 DIGEST 18/19 ANALYSIS • J 2 1 - 2 3 G&G NOTEBOOK 2 5 / 2 6 RECOVERY MODE ^ BUYER BEWARE 3 0 - 3 4 BENGAL BOUNTY w w w . o f f s h o r e - e n g i n e e r . c o m OFFSHORE ENGINEER I J a n u a r y 2 0 0 9 3

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3 9 / 4 0

3 8 - 4 7 ENERGY'S GOT TALENT

Productive

Under

Pressure

Pressure, psi 40/41 GEHING YOUNGER 4^ SIGNATURE TUNE RIGHT SKILLING 4 3 / 4 4 4 6 / 4 7 DP DASH

LEARNING THE DRILL

Welcome to productive drilling. A n o p e r a t o r

u s i n g t l i e S t e t h o S c o p e * s e r v i c e i n c r e a s e d r e c o v e r a b l e r e s e r v e s i n a N o i l h S e a w e l l a p p r o x i m a t e l y 1 5 % b y o p t i m i z i n g w e l l p l a c e m e n t i n o i l - f i l l e d c h a n n e l s a n d s . S t e t h o S c o p e f o r m a t i o n p r e s s u r e - w h i l e - d r i l l i n g s e r v i c e s e n d s m o r e r e a l - t i m e d a t a a n d q u a l i t y i n d i c a t o r s t o s u r f a c e f a s t e r w i t h • a c c u r a t e , q u a l i t y - c o n t r o l l e d m e a s u r e m e n t s • a u t o m a t i c m a x i m u m b a n d w i d t h • n o t o o l o r i e n t a t i o n . www.slb.com/stethoscope

Schlumbepger

4 8 / 4 9 ONLINE SERVICE

5 1 - 5 3 FPSO ON THE MOVE

I ;

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REGULAR FEATURES

RECRUITMENT & TRAINING Jobs may feel the

recessionary pinch in the short-term, but beyond the horizon Global Energy Talent's

Yagya Ahuja sees a 'very positive outlook' for energy sector professionals.

The growing number of twenty-somethings joining Britain's oU and gas worltforce has brought the average age

offshore down to 41. Darius Snieclius reports on ongoing efforts to pump new blood into the sector

Petrofac Training's IVIark Stagg sees the new 'Corporate Learning Signature' as a

fundamental addition to

his company's competency-led training model.

SheU global discipline leader for weUs David

Stewart explains how the company is making sure the 'right people with the right skUls are deployed and retained'.

The race is on to bolster the number and capabilities of qualified DP operators.

Russell IVIcCuiley reports from Houston. An oUfield service job

cull this time around could leave the Industry perilously short of the skills required to

operate today's sophisticated drilling tools.

Jon Symons soimds a note of caution. After tests in the Gulf of Mexico, hotel-style internet service has been deployed on dozens of rigs around the world, with service to be ramped up in coming months. Russell IVIcCuiley reports.

OPE's Xiaoping Yang, Steve Craig and Nico Vandenworm and ODL's Jim Orr discuss the design attributes and business case for the SSP 320 round floater design, now

progressing to detail engineering. The CNOOC/Unocal affair, subject of a new book, gave the Chinese a powerful lesson in double-speak. Professor Michael J Economides reflects.

OE contacts (8), Offshore data (54),

Products i n action (57-59),

Firms & Faces (61/62), Contracts (63), Diary (64), Display advertisers index (66),

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COVER

Despite delays caused by last year's hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico, Mariner Energy's Geauxpher development is set to begin production in the Garden Banks area less than a year after discovery. Pictured applying the finishing touches to the two-well subsea tieback are Diamond Offshore's Ocean Americas and Technip's

Deep Blue pipelay vessel (see page 19).

Volume 34 Number 2

DIGEST

1 9 - 2 2

A N A L Y S I S

A REMOTE MOTE; As the offshore oil and gas industry moves into deeper waters and harsher terrain - which may soon include deepwater exploration and production in the Arctic - energy companies are

increasingly turning to ROVs andAUVs to perform tasks and monitor developments.

The trend has created an explosion of new technologies and innovations over the past several years (see Triage

2 5 - 2 8 G&G NOTEBOOK

us moves to open virgin waters; Poinsettia blooms; Greenland icebreaker; No 'real surprises' in revised SEC guidelines; Etisong on song; Frigg decern deal softens Aker blow; Gas joins Sakhalin 2 flow; Oceanway runs aground; Hernando heralded; Knock Dee floats for Pinauna; Corvina on the climb; Gudron a go; Piper calls new tune.

Beset by high costs and meager energy prices, Gulf of Mexico operators have nonetheless provided some cheer in recent weeks as a handful of deepwater

projects came to fruition. But there are some ominous clouds on the horizon, as

Russell WIcCulley discovers In this month's roundup of the region's E&P prospects. The ups and downs experienced in the introduction of marine electromagnetic survey methods to the offshore E&P oü and gas industry make a compelling nai-rative.

Andrew McBarnet adds the malfings of a new chapter

A key task of a reservoir engineer, especiaUy one in an IOC, is to recover more oU, using the right new technologies responsibly Nanotechnology opens new doors because nano particles exhibit new and exciting properties. We're stiU in the early days, and nano itself is no sUver buUet, but it may hold some keys to meeting the world's energy needs responsibly That's the verdict of Willem Schuite, SheU's chief scientist for reservoir engineering.

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StetlioScope

3 5 - 3 8 FAIR TRADING

Productive

Under

Pressure

— -Ï f Ë m Pressure, psi Eco-Environmental Stewardship 4 1 - 4 4 EXPANDING HORIZONS 4 6 - 5 2 UNDER-CURRENTS 5 5 - 5 8 SAFE SIMULATION

u s i n g t i i e S t e t l i o S c o p e * service i n c r e a s e d r e c o v e r a b l e r e s e r v e s in a N o r t h S e a w e l l a p p r o x i m a t e l y 1 5 % b y o p t i m i z i n g w e l l p l a c e m e n t in o i l - f i l l e d c h a n n e l s a n d s . S t e t h o S c o p e f o r m a t i o n p r e s s u r e - w h i l e - d r i l l i n g s e r v i c e s e n d s m o r e r e a l - t i m e d a t a a n d q u a l i t y i n d i c a t o r s t o s u r f a c e f a s t e r w i t h • a c c u r a t e , q u a l i t y - c o n t r o l l e d m e a s u r e m e n t s • a u t o m a t i c m a x i m u m b a n d w i d t h • n o t o o l o r i e n t a t i o n . www.slb.com/stethoscope BACK?

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REGULAR FEATURES

Tasked by 'Engineers of the 21st Century' with demonstrating how engineers in the oil & gas industry can make a positive contribution to sustainable development,

Susan Rice took a long hard look at the industry's current procurement

procedures and what it would take to make choosing sustainable products an easier option. In this exclusive feedback for OE on the project, she outlines her thoughts and recommendations.

From its visionary use as an accessory in drUling applications, expandable technology has broadened into other environments as the industry sees just what the technology can enable or deliver

Jennifer Pallanich reports on what types of expandables the service companies ai-e offering as the applications for the technology spread, aU in the name of a larger hole size.

The line between ROVs and AUVs continues to blur, with 'smart' ROVs taking on more autonomous functions

and AUVs in the works that can perform light intervention. Russell IVIcCuiley talks to Industry experts about the current crop of underwater vehicles and how offshore demand is shaping the next generation. When it comes to flow assurance,

engineers wallc a tricky tightrope between completely preventing the formation of obstacles such as hydrates or managing when and where they form. Simulation technology that takes into account multiple phases and multiphysics provides flow assurance engineers with the tools they need to plan a project. Jennifer Pallanich

reports.

Thinking on offshore evacuation changed completely after the Uii North Sea's Piper Alpha disaster in 1988, leaving cranes largely out of the frame in emergency

down-manning operations. Reflex Marine's

Duncan Cuthiil makes the case for a re-examination of their use as part of a 'holistic' evacuation strategy

With an energy-invigorated Russian bear showing its claws once more, Professor

ivlichael J Economides foresees tough times ahead for its European and Asian neighbors.

Products In action (67-70), Firms & Faces (72-74), Contracts (75), Diary (76), Display advertisers index (77), Bookshop (79-81), Classifieds (81).

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COVER

The Songa Satiurn drillship conducts a drillstem test of the Jubilee field's Mahogany-2 appraisal well offshore Ghana. When Jubilee, a 200' discovery, comes onstream next year it will not only signal Ghana's admission to the ranks of West African deepwater producers but also, . the partners believe, open up a potentially

prolific new basin (see page 35). P H O T O : KOSMOS E N E R G Y / A N N A C L O P E T

Volume 34 Number 3

DIGEST 19/20 ANALYSIS 2 2 - 2 4 G&G NOTEBOOK O f i s now available in digital format replicating the printed version with many added features and benefits including: > early issue delivery > full search > archiving > PDF download > website > email links http://lnteractive.offshore-engineer.com 2 7 / 2 8 31/32 35-40 URUGUAY'S ROUND FLORENCE FOCUS JUMPING JUBILEE

Salazar slams predecessor; Mulva calls for coUaboration; Petrobras plots growth.. .as

P-51 produces; Banking crisis dampens UK

hopes; Gulf of Mexico deepwater discoveries; Subsea electric spice for Roncador III; Eni buUish on Longhorn. These dark days shaU pass: that was the overriding message coming from oil executives and industry analysts gathered in Houston last month for Cambridge Energy Research Associates' annual conference. Russell McCulley reviews the CERA Week talking points.

One of the most surprising recent developments in the marine seismic acquisition business has been the resuifaclng of interest In ocean bottom services using node technology inspired by a modest Norwegian outfit. Andrew McBarnet

says it's a CindereUa tale worth teUing. Little-explored Uruguay is hoping a stable government and shared geologic trends with prolific neighbour BrazU wUl attract foreign explorers. Jennifer Pallanich reports. TaUiing points at this year's GE OU & Gas conference in Florence included

Indonesia's deepwater push and Malaysia's EOR aspirations. Terry Knott reports. If the JubUee partners had published a want ad, it might have read: 'Seeking elephant offshore West Africa. Must be misunderstood; under-explored a welcome bonus.' Instead, they found something in the seismic that the big guys missed.

Jennifer Pallanich talks to Kosmos and TuUow about discovering and developing a field that could be the first i n a 'string of pearls' offshore Ghana.

w w w . o f f s h o r e - e n g i n e e r . c o m

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PIPING PEROIDC

RESEARCH ENGINE

Efficient m o d e l i n g ^

of complex reservoirs.

Broad integration. Deep science. Open architecture. P e t r e l * 2 0 0 9 g i v e s m e a n a d v a n t a g e n o o t h e r a p p l i c a t i o n c a n o f f e r — ^ t h e a b i l i t y t o h o n o r t h e f i n e s t r e s e r v o i r d e t a i l s u s i n g p a r a l l e l p r o c e s s i n g a n d a d v a n c e d g e o l o g i c a l p o p u l a t i o n m e t h o d s l i k e m u l t i p o i n t s t a t i s t i c s — ^ t h a t r e a l l y m a k e s t h e d i f f e r e n c e i n u n d e r s t a n d i n g t h e g e o m e t r i e s o f c o m p l e x f a c i e s . P e t r e l 2 0 0 9 . E m p o w e r i n g y o u t o d o m o r e . www.slb.com/petrel2009 SAFE LOADING 70/71 IVIAINTAINING MISKAR 7 8 - 8 2 OTC PREVIEW

90 EBB AND FLOW

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Operator Shell had some useful Gulf of Mexico experience to draw on when putting together its plans for the record-setting diverless subsea tie-in of its Perdido development to the HOOPS export line. Russell McCulley reports.

Malaysian-born civil engineer turned academic Yoo Sang Choo is in the vanguard of concerted efforts to establish the National University of Singapore as a key centre of offshore engineering research as well as education. The professor talks to David Morgan about his past endeavours and future hopes. For the Mediterranean, where gas production expenditure over the last five years has dwarfed oU production expenditure, many of the dire, oU-price focused prognoses made at global level are now becoming questionable. Infield's Roger Kniglit and Julian Callanan review regional prospects.

INTEGRITY MANAGEMENT

With oil prices hovering around the sobering $40/bbl level, some operators may be tempted to trim offshore maintenance budgets. Jennifer Pallanich kicks off OKs three-part integrity management review with some cautionary tales on brownfield maintenance from last month's Integrity Management Summit in Houston.

Offshore instaUations being replenished at sea are subject to fluctuating operational loads and a corrosive environment, potentiaUy leading to sti-uctural fatigue and material degradation over time. Frazer-Nash's lan Bottomley explains how reUabUity-based inspection can help. By aligning asset and maintenance management systems to sfrategic business objectives, BG is reported to be already seemg increased profitabUity production and maintenance efficiency on its Miskar gas field complex offshore Tunisia. EC Harris' Dr lan Kennedy explains why Weal? oU prices and slipping demand have changed the landscape since last year's Offshore Technology Conference. But the 40th annual Houston gathering hits back with an ambitious agenda for 2009. OE takes a look at this year's lineup. If the windswept UK isles can't make a convincing case for large-scale wind power generation, who in Europe can?, ask Professor Michael J Economides and co-contributor Peter Glover.

OE contacts (9), Offshore rig & field data (73),

Firms and faces (74-76), Contracts (77), Diary (84), Display advertisers index (85), Bookshop (86-88), Classifieds (89).

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1 j

-- l i

COVER

Heerema's giant Thialf c?-ane vessel is enveloped in rain and mist as it adds the finishing touches to Shell's remote Perdido

development - 80 miles from the nearest platform and, in 800(fft of water, the deepest spar installation to-date - and heralds the dawn of a new frontier for deepwater Gulf of Mexico oil production ("see pages 13, 56 and 96;. P H O T O : J A N B E R G H U I S

Volume 34 Number 4

semisubmersible crane barges have done more than their share of offshore record-breaking over the years, as have Dockwise's semisubmersible heavy-transport ships. OE opens its latest Dutch offshore industry review with reports on Heerema's instaUation challenges on Shell's Perdido spar and Dockwise's preparations for next year's Shtokman platform Uoatovers (seepp 96-108).

UK: A newly published study of UICCS weU abandonment requirements references nearly 5000 wells and estimates that new rigless technologies wiU need to be developed to handle a third of them. OE's UK sector update looks at the report's implications for North Sea service providers and the wider world of weU decommissioning (seepp 111-117).

SCANDINAVIA; The Asia Pacific region has become a key target for business growth among Norwegian drillers, contractors and equipment suppliers in recent years.

OE kicks off this month's review of

Scandinavian offshore developments and product offerings at home and abroad with reports on Aker Solutions' and Roxar's recent Asia Pacific inroads and how they see this market developing in the future (see pp 119-136).

3 3 / 3 4 WHAT'S UP DOC?

3 6 - 6 7 DEEPWATER ROUNDUP

Gulf lease sale reflects industry caution; Infinity eyes Nicaragua; first oU for Maiiim Leste; Akpo gets a jump on production; Aker team leads Shtolonan FEED; TuUow taps more Ghanaian pay; Gabon pre-salt survey; Norwegian double for StatoUHydro; Thunder Horse makes up for lost time; tanlcer 'finds' lost jackup; Woodside makes MarteU gas strU?e; oU sector's Trojan invasion; first Russian gas to Japan.

When the going gets tough, just how much can an industry association do to help? That's the question the International Association of Geophysical Contractors is currently grappling with. Andrew McBarnet

taUts to lAGC president Chip GUI. A Houston company has roUed out an enhanced telemedicine service, used in prisons and geographicaUy remote clinics, that aUows doctors, medics, instruments and patients to Interact in real-time. But wUl offshore oU companies go for it? asks

Russeii McCulley.

OE's popular and much

referenced annual deepwater sector review returns fuUy updated. Since our last project-by-project survey, 11 developments have come onstream. First production from another 10 of the 34 projects cm-rently under development is expected by the end of 2009. And three more projects in waters deeper than 1500ft are considered to be near final

sanction. Jennifer Pallanich walks us thro the global deepwater development

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Productrve

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Pressure

GULF TIEBACK TALLY

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

TECHNOLOGY STRETCH

as/.;:. HOT-TAP HOPES

8 5

8 7 - 9 0

SEE-THROUGH RISERS

NUMBER CRUNCHING

9 3 / 9 4 ACCESS A L L AREAS

ii.sing t h e S t R t h o . S c o p e * s e r v i c e i n c r e a s e d r e c o v e r a b l e r e s e r v e s i n a N o r t h S e a w e l l a p p r o x i m a t e l y 1 5 % b y o p t i m i z i n g w e l l p l a c e m e n t i n o i l - f i l l e d c h a n n e l s a n d s . S t e t h o S c o p e f o r m a t i o n p r e s s u r e - w h i l e - d r i l l i n g s e r v i c e s e n d s m o r e r e a l - t i m e d a t a a n d q u a l i t y i n d i c a t o r s t o s u r f a c e f a s t e r w i t h • a c c u r a t e , q u a l i t y - c o n t r o l l e d m e a s u r e m e n t s • a u t o m a t i c m a x i m u m b a n d w i d t h • n o t o o l o n e n t a t i o n . www.slb.com/stethoscope

1 3 9 - 1 4 1 SOLO SEMI SPEC

; 10 15 20 25

1 4 3 - 1 4 6 CHECK MATE

ScMumbepgep

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SUBSEA

At least six deepwater Gulf of Mexico subsea tiebacks have started delivering hydrocarbons to their host facilities over the past 15 months, with 21 more currently in development and expected to start producing between now and 2011. Jennifer Pailanich reports.

'What can we do differently this time?' Technip's Ron Cookson asked Subsea 09 delegates grappling with the latest industry downturn. IVleg Chesshyre reports. GE Oil & Gas is working on the

development of two technologies which could lead to new solutions in the subsea ar ena, each with the potential to have an impact on field development scenarios going forward. Terry Knott reports. Typical subsea pipeline intervention scenarios such as repair, bypass/

replacement and removal of blockages are performed frequently with the assistance of divers. That's about to change declares Subsea 7's John Mair.

Operator Hess presides over the successful in situ scanning of North Sea flexible risers using new technology

The marine seismic acquisition market may soon be hit by oü company exploration budget cuts, but the continuing demand for data processuig may provide a modest lifeline to some companies. Andrew McBarnet explains. In exploring the digital oUfield concept, Marathon OU developed an innovative method for unearthing upstream data and making it readUy avaüable to users. Russeii McCuiiey reports.

An OPTI-EX unü ordered speculatively wUl be the only new semisubmersible production facUity around when i t becomes avaüable for deployment in 2Q 2009. Exmar's Max Krekel and David Lim

discuss semi EPS benefits and drivers. A next-generation check valve design offers significant advantages for subsea pipeline design, operation and

maintenance, according to SMX International's Oene Roorda.

Big OU is between a rock and a hard place over potential massive new investment in Iraq, observe Professor Michael J Economides and co-contributor Peter Glover.

OTC products m action (150-152), Firms and faces (153/154), Contracts (155), Diary (156), Display advertisers index (157), Bookshop (158-160), Classifieds (161).

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COVER

Outfitted with enhanced video and sonar technology, micro and mini ROVs 'are finding a niche in the offshore oil and gas industry Proponents say the pint-sized swimmers, given their limits, can perform a lot of tasks more safely and economically when used tn place of or alongside work class ROVs or divers. And in an era of heightened cost-consciousness, operators are paying heed (see page 44j. P H O T O : C O U R T E S Y V I D E O R A Y

1 1 - 1 6 DIGEST

1 9 - 2 2 ANALYSIS

North Sea helicopters under the microscope; drilling Dzata; Santos pre-salt shines; Western Gulf up for lease; Cascade on track for mid-2010 flows; FPSO fires halt Vincent and staU Van Gogh; ESPs set for Statfjord;

Newfoundland's Mizzen marker; Anglo-German axis eyes Americas growth; Asia leads floaters flurry; Jacky joins the club. Operators and drilling contractors alike are counting on deepwater to pull them through tough economic times ahead.

Russell McCulley gets a look at the rig stats. Plus, on the recruitment and training front, a former BP deputy CEO calls for calm and commonsense.

2 4 - 2 6 G&G NOTEBOOK Seismic business was never going to be immune from a recession this deep.

Andrew McBarnet

detects some companies are more

troubled than others. Also this month: the latest stirrings in the EM saga.

2 9 / 3 0 THE Q CONTINUUM

O f i s now available in digital format replicating , the printed version with

many added features and benefits including: > early issue delivery > full search > archiving > PDF download > website > email links http://interactive.offshore-engineer.com 3 2 - 3 7 BIT PARTS 7>

The Helix-owned Q4000 has long focused on weU intervention and construction work, but a recent upgrade has opened up new possibilities for this niche vessel.

Jennifer Pallanicli gets an early look af the DP3 semi's new slimbore drilling package.

Continuing in the drilling hardware vein,

Jennifer Pailanich traces the evolution of the state-of-the-art bits designed for drilling in today's punishing and costly offshore environment and checks out how the top drill bit makers plan to keep their cutting edge.

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GALSI GEARIWG

High-qgantity,

high-reslolution

MWb/tWD

in real titn$

4 9 / 5 0 FLMG FILES 5 3 - 5 7 CONTROL A t a d r i l l i n g s p e e d o f 2 5 0 f t / h , a c l i e n t o p e r a t i n g a p e n t a c o m b o L W D service o b t a i n e d 6 0 curves a t 2 d a t a p o i n t s per f o o t in real t i m e . T h e large q u a n t i t y a n d h i g h r e s o l u t i o n o f t h e i m a g e s e n a b l e d b e t t e r d e c i s i o n m a k i n g a n d m i n i m i z e d d n l l i n g risk. Run w i t h M W D / L W D services, t h e O n o n I I * t e l e m e t r / p l a t f o r m c o m p r i s e s

• high-quality, noise-eliminating surface sensors

• u n i q u e surface acquisition h a r d w a r e a n d s o f t w a r e

• n e w d a t a compression m e t h o d s

• u p d a t e d signal m o d u l a t i o n t e c h n i q u e s . The p l a t f o r m supplies more r e a l - t i m e i m a g e s a t m o r e data p o i n t s t h a n ever before, a l l o w i n g y o u t o drill f a s t e r a n d f u r t h e r — w i t h t h e i n f o r m a t i o n y o u need t o l a n d y o u r w e l l in t h e best place, in less t i m e .

www.slb.com/0rion2oe

5 8 / 5 9 KRAKEN AWAKES

i

6 1 - 6 5 MOORING MATTERS

8 2 EBB & FLOW

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REGULAR FEATURES

Plans to lay the challenging new Galsl gas pipeline between Algeria and Italy, In up to 2880m of water, were among the regional talking points at the recent Offshore Mediterranean Conference (OMC) in Ravenna, Italy John Sheehan

reviews this and other conference highlights.

Sometimes smaller is better: so say the sellers of micro and mini ROV services, who maintain that the

smaller machines can do many inspection and light intervention jobs faster and cheaper than their work class cousins.

Russell McCulley reports.

With the oil & gas industry getting increasingly comfortable with the concept, floating LNG

is now coming into its own. Meg Chesshyre

reviews some of the latest FLNG developments.

With back orders aplenty Asia Pacific shipyards remain busy but warning signs of a slowing market are all

around. John Mueller checks the pulse of the region's rig and vessel builders. The first of

Seajacks'new Tit-for-purpose' jackup units targeting the shallow-water IMR and wind

turbine installation markets is heading for its first assignment offshore Canada. Meg Chesshyre reports.

First Subsea's Brian

Green discusses the need for mooring systems that better reflect the challenges

of deepwater instaUation. OE's Russeii

McCuiiey looks at SeaTrepid's innovative 'Creeper' mooring and riser inspection vehicle, due to undergo extensive trials this summer

H

Europe's $10 billion

Nabucco pipeline story reads like a Bourne-style political thriller Co-columnists Prof

Michael J Economides and Peter Glover thumb through some of the racier chapters.

OE contacts (8), Contracts (16), Offshore

data (66), Products hi action (68-72), Firms and faces (73/74), Diary (76), Display advertisers index (78), Bookshop (79-81).

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COVER

All-eleetric subsea systems will lay the groundwork for future long-distance and subsea-to-beach tiebacks. FMC

Technologies, which plans to deploy its first all-electric subsea tree in Norway's Tyrihansfield in 2011, says the tree is only one part of the vision. The firm is working to apply its all-electric technology to other subsea components (see page 34).

1 1 - 1 6 DIGEST 1 9 - 2 2 2 4 - 2 8 G&G NOTEBOOK LATIN LIFT-OFF O f i s now available in digital format replicating the printed version with many added features and benefits including: > early issue delivery > full search > archiving > PDF download > website > email links http://interactive.offshore-engineer.com 3 1 - 3 4 SEAWATER SWITCH 3 4 - 3 8 CHALLENGING TIMES

f

4 0 / 4 1 PARTNER FOR LIFE

Quick oU price rebound 'unlilcely'; MMS sees deepwater gains; Moho mojo working; Goliat gets green light; Cameron imveüs 20kpsi BOP; Tahiti tapped; subsea supply chain suffering; Statoil Bahamas-bound; Peruvian placement.

Andrew McBarnet looks at some of the directions marine seismic may take in a challenging market.

Petrobras started producing its massive Tupi field via an extended weU test in May less than three years after finding this pre-salt gem. Buoyed by strike after strike in the pre-salt, Brazil is setting a brisk deepwater drilling and development pace despite the current global economic jitters.

Jennifer Failanicln reviews recent offshore activities here and elsewhere i n Latin America.

Next candidate for the switch from surface to seabed faculties could be the treatment and injection of seawater for reservoir waterfloods. Terry Knott looks at the opportunities presented by this developing technology

Subsea irmovation is the order of the day as the industry rises to the HPHT and other chaUenges of exploring and

producing in deeper waters. Jennifer Pallanich

talks to FMC Technologies' Tore Halvorsen and Brad Beifler about what their

company's subsea division is bringing to the table.

Intent on becoming the industry's 'preferred subsea lifecycle partner'. Aker Solutions has expamded its Agotnes service base near Bergen. Meg Chesshyre gets an early look at the new faculties.

w w w . o f f s h o r e - e n g i n e e r , c o m

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74

Schlumbergep

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Bucking tlie deepwater trend, Houston's Maritech Resources found opportunities in decommissioning and targeting production in aging Gulf of Mexico fields close to shore. But a series of storms and the recession have forced the young company to rethink its business strategy,

as Russell McCulley reports.

With the 2009 hurricane season upon them, Gulf of Mexico operators are hoping that this year is much calmer than the last. 2H Offshore Inc's Hlmanshu Maiieshwarl, Peter Falconer and Mark Cerkovnik

discuss how a well-designed integrity management plan offers the tools to help operators survive the season intact. With the offshore operating model undergoing huge changes, 'important choices need to be made', says Maersk Oil chief executive Thomas Thune Andersen, chairman of this year's SPE Offshore Europe event in Aberdeen. He talks to

Meg Chesshyre about his aims and hopes for a show that looks ready and not for the first time, to fly in the face of global economic uncertainty

The inherent limitations in rigid riser emergency disconnect packages can be overcome using

a groundbreaking new EDP design approach. Lewis managing director

Drummond Lawson explains how.

Losing surface control of a subsurface safety valve usually requires installing a velocity valve and

accomimodating its costly disadvantages. BJ Services' Mark

Embrey describes

cost-effective technology that replaces the safety valve and restores surface control. The designers, owners and operators of dynamic position (DP) control systems are constantly striving to improve the availability, efficiency and reliability of their systems. Converteam's Dr Richard Stephens discusses his company's latest thinking in the area of flexible DP control system architecture.

The political posturing that accompanied 'four-doUar gasoline' in the US was classic demagoguery says Professor Michael J Economides.

OE contacts (8), Contracts (16), Products

in action (64/65), Fkms and faces (66/67), Diary (68), Display advertisers index (69), Bookshop (70-72) Classifieds (73).

(13)

COVER

Since the first units splashed down in the early 1960s, subsea production trees have been in a near-constant state of evolution as manufacturers attempted to adapt their systems for the challenges presented by deeper waters and harsher conditions.

The CameronDC-the world's first all-electric subsea production system - is pictured during installation last year for Total in the Dutch North Sea (see page 29). P H O T O C O U R T E S Y C A M E R O N

content

1 1 - 1 6

1 9 - 2 2

DIGEST 'Sense of urgency' over Ghana deeps; Tupi pre-salt trio true; beacons hack on North Sea choppers; YPF eyes Argentine 'fi-ontier'; Shtol^man pre-qualifications; Canada calls for bids; Thunder Horse at fuU gaUop; Vincent production resumes. ANALYSIS Pirates offthe Horn of Africa, guerillas in

Nigeria and seafaring criminals in other trouble spots are stepping up attacks. What, if anything, can vessel operators and crew do to protect themselves? Russell McCulley

looks for some answers.

2 9 - 3 4

2 9 - 3 9 F A M I L Y TREES

OE is now available in

digital format replicating

the printed version vi^ith

many added features and benefits

including:

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http://interactive.offshore-engineer.com 3 6 / 3 7 POWER SURGE 3 9 RAISING THE S T A N D A R D

The annual meeting ofthe European . Association of Geosclentists & Engineers (EAGE) is traditionally a useful barometer of how E&P sector seismic activities are faring worldwide. Andrew McBarnet reports from Amsterdam.

SUBSEA REVIEW

Some 800 subsea trees are expected to be ordered this year and next, with the Golden Triangle the major beneficiary. Jennifer Pallanich traces the evolution of subsea test and production trees over the decades and talks to the companies who manufacture them about today's updated designs and tomorrow's technological trends. There's a business case to be made for seafloor power generation at deepwater Gulf of Mexico oil fields. Now a Houston-based research team is looking at the possibUiües, along with fhe considerable challenges, as Russell McCulley reports. A leading joint industry project is expected shortly to release an update on API and ISO standards for flexpipe technology that have been the rule in the Gulf of Mexico since the mid-1990s. Jenniler Pallanich reports.

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4 0 / 4 1 FLOATING FORTUNES

4 2 / 4 3 A COLD HARD

4 9 - 5 1 OFFSHORE POWER POINTS

5 2 / 5 3 COMPOSITE PICTURE

66 EBB A N D FLOW

REGULAR FEATURES

Despite the current economic

uncertainties, total capital expenditure in the global floating production systems market is set to exceed $70 billion over the period 2009-13 - an increase of $26 billion on the previous five years. Infield

Systems' Yanina Pavlova and Katy Simpson

update OE's files on the dynamic floating production market.

Paraffin deposits can be a nuisance in any upstream operation, but as in most aspects of deepwater E&P, wax and other deposits present even greater challenges. Russell McCulley tall« to two service companies about effective means of controlling paraffin, and how a measure of prevention can save operators considerable costs down the line.

The main power quality issues

confronting offshore rigs and platforms, and the mitigation methods currently available, are examined in this article by lan Evans of Harmonic Solutions and Richard Keijser of DSE Oil & Gas.

While the ability of composite repair technologies to repair damaged pipelines without shutdown are now widely known, perhaps less well recognised is their high value in asset refurbishment and upgrade projects to extend asset life.

Furmanite's Dr Paul Hill discusses what composites can offer.

Is swine flu just the latest in a long line of scare stories fomented by the politicians and the press? Professor

MichaelJ Economides is m no doubt.

OE contacts (8), Contracts (16), Products

in action (56/57), Firms and faces (58/59), Diary (60), Display advertisers index (62), Bookshop (63-65).

Interest in shipping routes through the Arctic region spurred development of rules, regulations and guidelines for working in that harsh region. Now, oü companies want to get in on the area's bounty. In answer, classification societies are drafting ways to address issues specific to the E&P industry. Jennifer Pallanich reports.

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C O V E R

A North Sea marine operations crew prepare for the removal of Total's 12, OOOt Frigg DP2jdcket in a single lift using buoyancy tank assemblies rather than large offshore cranes or diving operations - one ofthe themes explored in OE's decommissioning review this month (see page 35).

P H O T O C O U R T E S Y A K E R S O L U T I O N S

comprehensive archive boasts year after year of required reading for the global offshore oil & gas industry. As well as accessing issues by publication date, readers can search by the keyword topic via the search engine. There is also a link to the digital version ofthe latest edition. Happy hunting! DIGEST 1 6 - 1 8 ANALYSIS 2 0 - 2 2 2 4 / 2 5 G&G NOTEBOOK RIGLESS, RISERLESS

OEis now available in

digital format replicating

the printed version with

many added features and benefits

including:

> early issue delivery

> full search

> archiving

> PDF download

> website

> email links

http.V/interacfive.offshore-engineer.Gom 26-28 SHIP-SHAPE INTERVENTION

Pricier oU could fuel recession... as weak demand clouds projects; Brazü's Frade, BC-10 go live; Tupi tests haUed; UKCS caU for investment incentives; Canada, Uruguay bid rounds progress; Thunder Hawk takes flight; Jubilee plan formally approved; Matan looking up; Mafumeira Norte online; Central Gulf bids are in; North Sea/Barents safety initiatives; Samurai sands yield pay; more for Murphy off Malaysia. As operators and service companies tighten their belts, even highly skiUed technical staff are feeling the pinch.

Russell IVIcCuiley takes a look at the US GuU Coast's market for engineers amid concerns that the industry may be repeating the mistakes of past downturns. Seismic companies do not usually resort to the law court to resolve their differences. Andrew McBarnet discusses a recent exception and its implications. Drawing on experience gleaned from remediating weU faculties downed by the Gulf of Mexico hurricanes of 2005, a group of oilfield service experts set their sights on rigless, riserless subsea intervention.

Jennifer Pallanich talks to the brains behmd the operation.

Continuing in rigless well intervention vein, TSMarine's technology manager Tom Leeson discusses the value and challenges of utilising

offshore support vessels for operations traditionally undertaken by drilling rigs and cites a recent instructive exercise in Australian waters.

w w w . o f f s h o r e - e n g i n e B r . c o m

I

/

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I

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OFFSHORE EUROPE

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i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i

EBB & FLOW

REGULAR FEATURES

DECOMMISSIONING ' Operators and contractors from

Europe and the US recently gathered in Newcastle at the mvltation of Oil & Gas UK to make a fii'st pass at assessing the emerging Southern North Sea decommissioning mai-ket. Wleg Chesshyre listened in for OE.

With the long-heralded North Sea decommissioning market at last approaching some kind of critical mass, industry attention is again focused on the various removal

options available for the region's lai-ger structui-es. Aker Solutions' Jan R0dseth

and Terge Olsen recall lessons learned from the use of buoyancy tanks for the 12,000t Fi-igg DP2 jacket's deconunissioning, completed last year.

An operator and a service company have paired two rock and fluid

characterization technologies to identify hydrocarbon-bearing zones in laminated reservoirs. Jennifer Pallanich describes how the technology yielded a better description ofthe reservoir in one of Chevron's West African fields. When it comes to evaluating formations, technology can help iUuminate the reservoir and provide insight on the reservoir's composition and contents. OE reports on the recent roU out of two tools that present a clearer picture ofthe reservoir mineralogy and fluid content.

India's NELP VIII offshore licensing round is under way, and the country is eager for investment. But in a cautious economic environment, will foreign companies take the plunge? Russell

IVIcCuiley reports.

Official magazine OE provides an early glimpse of some ofthe anticipated talking points and scheduled

product launches at September's biennial Aberdeen show, kicking off with the thoughts of OPITO's

David Doig on offshore skills development. China's recent oU demand stats may well have defied the doomsayers, observes Professor Michael J Economides.

OE contacts (6), Conh-acts (14), Offshore Data

(50), OE'09 products in action (56-60),Firms and faces (62/63), Diary (64), Display advertisers index (66), Bookshop (67-69).

(17)

C O V E R

An innovative fiber optic monitoring system, jointly developed by Shell and Baker Hughes, promises real-time detection of even the smallest of changes to downhole well tubular and- casing. Baker Hughes senior project engineer Carl Stoesz is pictured demonstrating the Real-Time Compaction Imager system in Houston (see feature, page 33).

Access all areas

11-17 DIGEST

A decade's worth oi Offshore Engineer (from January 2000 to August 2009) is now available online.

Simply go to www.offshore-engineer.com and check out 'The Magazine' section.

OE's newly constituted and

comprehensive archive boasts year after year of required reading for the global offshore oil & gas industry. As well as accessing issues by publication date, readers can search by the keyword topic via the search engine. There is also a link to the digital version ofthe latest edition. Happy hunting! 19-22 25,'26 29/30 33/34 G&G NOTEBOOK

GABON GETS GOING

SUBSEA TWIST

MONITORING STRESS

36-39 ENHANCING STMZ

OE is now available in

41-44

digital format replicating

the printed version with

many added features and benefits

including:

> early issue delivery

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hftp://interactive.offshore-engineer.coni CABLE GUYS ERSATILE VESSELS

Jones Act furore; SheU, Santos in FLNG deals; Marlim subsea firsts; Azurite delivers; hot tapping in depth; Vito power; vessel market consolidation; sunken semi returns; presalt partnership; Aseng's a go. The next big idea for the seismic business has not emerged yet. Andrew McBarnet

considers some possible reasons why. Extensive offshore seismic data-gathering and renewed licensing rounds could help Gabon boost declining production, reports Russell McCulley.

Twister technology looks to move subsea courtesy of a Brazil operator. Jennifer

Pallanich reports.

Casing deformation can create significant problems for operators, but early detection can help well monitors prevent more costly trouble ahead. Russell IVIcCuiley

looks at a recent fiber optic advance. HaUiburton's Ronnie Burger reviews the evolution of single-trip multi-zone completion systems and discusses the latest generation offering destined for Gulf of Mexico deployment.

Kicking off a three-part review of recent business initiatives across the offshore spectrum, Meg Chesshyre talks to JDR Cable Systems about the twin targets of its significantly enhanced subsea power cable market offering.

Versatility is the name ofthe game for the Sea Trucks Group, which is currently in the thick of an ambitious $1.6 billion newbuild vessel programme. John Sheehan

reports.

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MANUFACTURE

OF ENGINEERING

POIYWIERS FOR

OFFSHORE &

BIGGER I^J %Mm I f THERLANDS OFFSHORE

7 3 - 9 0

V(A OFFSHORE

93-110 112/113 115/116

MWECS ACTIVITY

W E T P L U G G I M G

FLUID T H I N K I N G

119-122

Z O N A L ISOLATION

125-130 COIVIBATING C O R R O S I O N 146

EBB A N D F L O W

REGULAR FEATURES

Aker Solutions has more than doubled its Indonesian manufacturing center's capacity for production and assembly of surface wellheads and trees. Jennifer Pallanicli was among the guests at the upgraded plant's official opening. OS's latest review ofthe Dutch offshore industry includes reports on two of the country's leading fabricators, a handling equipment specialist, a fast-expanding heavylift crane vessel operator and a company preparing to bring to more Chinese semisubmersible newbuilds onto the market. Reports by John Sheehan.

This month's review of current talking points on the Scandinavian offshore scene includes reports on StatoilHydro's astonishing exploration record off Norway this year, recent developments in the windpower market, the latest thinking on offshore robotics and safety-critical systems, and innovations in anchoring, visualization, platform abandonment, pumping, subsea monitoring, crane design, pressure sensors and Arctic support services. Reports by David Morgan and Meg Chesshyre. OEs popular annual guide to Northwest

European Continental Shelf oil & gas activity returns, fully updated. A new pressure-balanced fiber optic connector from Germany's GISMA can be plugged and unplugged underwater. Philip Kankelfitz discusses its provenance. Fluids specialist M-I Swaco's Fred Growcock outlines the thinking behind his company's I-BOSS strategy. We also have reports on Baker Hughes' new one-stop completion fluids service in the Gulf of Mexico and Halliburton fluids deals in Brazil, Angola and Norway.

Zonal isolation barriers withstood high differential pressures during fracture operations at Valhall field. READ'S David Blane and BP's Jeroen Nijhof explain how. Localized corrosion of stainless steel tubing on offshore platforms can have serious consequences. Swagelok's Gerhard Schiroky, BP's Anibal Dam, Shell's Akinyemi Okeremi and consultant Charlie Speed

discuss preventive measures.

Professor Michael J Economides contrasts the energy prowess of today's political leaders in Brazil and the US.

OB contacts (8), Contracts (14), Offshore data (131), Products i n action (133/134), Firms (137), Faces (138), Diary (140), Display advertisers index (141), Bookshop (142-144), Classifieds (145).

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W W W . I M Y L A C A S T C O M

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COVER

Samsung Shipyard worlters in South Korea secure the derricltfor thefirst of four ultra-deepwatei; sixth-generation drillships theyard is building for Pride International, underscoring the driller's clear commitment to the deepwater market these days (see page 39). PHOTO: MONEE PRODUCTIONS

http://interactive.offshore-engineer.com

Volume 34 Number 10

0£welcomes letters rellecling all shades of offshore industry opinion but reserves Ihe right to edit and condense.

letters to

the editor

S i r , I^ofessor Economides's article on Brazil

(OE September), and his comparison to the

poUcies ofthe new US administration, is right on target. Thanks for publishing!

Richard Bresler, VP Projects, Gulfsands Petroleum, Houston, Texas.

S i r , Having been involved since 1970 in engineering of platforms from which the magicians puU oil and gas out ofthe ground, I appreciate ai-ticles like Professor Economides' latest in the September issue in which he tells it Ulce it is. While his viewpoints might rUe feUow faculty members, that he is part ofthe UofH faculty has made me proud that my youngest is a graduate of that university.

John Sullivan, Foster Wheeler, Sugar Land, Texas.

S i r , hi what universe does [Professor Economides] exist? In 'Flyingpigs and other

media myths' (OE July), he used the very

real issue of media hysteria to contradict assertions of global wanning. That the US couid be the largest consumer of energy and one ofthe smallest polluters is a sham assertion and incredible fabrication. I agree that aU our energy needs cannot be met simply by wind and solar alone - and no one is saying that - but that does not excuse the necessity for the US to clean up its energy use.

Meredith Potyondy (by email)

content

DIGEST

16-19 ANALYSIS

G&G NOTEBOOK

131-33

TELEMARK TITAN

WUl more mergers foUow Baker/B J?; (3orgon go-ahead at last; Brazil's pre-salt shake-up... as Tupi test taltes two; Tombua-Landana onsh'eam; Trinidad twealcs lease terms; Venezuelan Pearl; Venus value; Total tees up Laggan-Tomiore; Gabon risk rising.

Jennifer Pallanich samples opinion at the recent Rice Global E&C forum. Also, Russell McCulley

checks out the Gulf of Mexico's latest, low-key Ucensing round and India's newly reinstated NELP road shows.

At this stage ofthe year the marine seismic business has given up on 2009 for any game-changing shift in market prospects and is lookiag ahead to 2010. But this time, as Andrew McBarnet observes, the sector seems strangely clueless.

As floating facUity design firms continue their quest for economic ways to meet operator needs m ulft-a-deepwater, Jenniler Pallanich taUcs to industry leaders about the latest solutions, chaUenges and trends. Also, Houston Offehore Engineeiing's

John Chianis and Philip Poll discuss the novelties and niceties of the Paired-Column Semisubmersible.

ATP Titan, tiie first MinDOC floating platform, is scheduled to leave ifs Texas graving dock this month destined for the deepwater (ïulf of Mexico's TelemarkHub.

Russell McCulley gels atook at fhe near-complete structure and talks tactics wiUi the operator and its design and conshTiction team.

With the speculative FPSO bubble weU and truly burst. Infield's Catarina Podevyn andDr

Roger Knighl discuss fhe relative attractions of leasing or owning.

(20)

A S R Y O F F S H O R E S E R V I C E S The one stop shop for

your rig repairs in the Arabi^h^Gulf

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. ,

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

four high-doUar ultra-deepwater driUstiips under construction, Pride hitemationat is meeting CEO Louis Raspino's goal of reshTicturing the company to step into Ure future. Jenniler Pallanich opens OE's rig uiailieL two-parter witli a look at üie di'Uler's transformation in just four years.

1

four high-doUar ultra-deepwater driUstiips under construction, Pride hitemationat is meeting CEO Louis Raspino's goal of reshTicturing the company to step into Ure future. Jenniler Pallanich opens OE's rig uiailieL two-parter witli a look at üie di'Uler's transformation in just four years.

DEEP POCKETS 48-50 GE WHIZZ SUPPLEMENT: REVIEW 53-59 LOUISIANA LOOKOUT M 60/61 IVIEXICO IN FOCUS I L J J ; ••••1.-. 1 m m l l l i l l i 1 H I Hill 63/64 LASER VISION 66/67 PIPELINES IN DEPTH

82 EBB & FLOW

REGULAR FEATURES

Ensco spent the better part of2004 contemplating how best to invest revenues it anticipated landing on the books between 2006 and 2008. After considering many options, the board voted to pursue the deepwater in a meaningful way. Jennifer Pallanich reports on how the Dallas-based di'iller's plans are starting to pay off GE Oil & Gas has now fuUy integrated the VetcoGray and Hydril Pressure Control brands into the gi-oup foUowing their acquisitions in FebruaiT 2007 and AprU 2008 respectively. IVIeg Chesshyre reports.

September's SPE Offshore Em-ope 2009 show drew record crowds, again demonstrating the biennial Aberdeen event's happy laiack of rising above prevaUing inauspicious mai'ket conditions. Jennifer Pallanich, Russell IVIcCuiley, John Sheehan and IVleg Chesshyre sample the show's sights and sounds.

Louisiana has seen its share of boom-and-bust cycles. WUl the 2008/09 crash be just another temporary dip, or wiU the state's role in the offshore industry emerge diminished when the recovery comes? Russell IVIcCuiley

taUts to local indushy leaders.

With the upcoming PECOM show focusing attention on today's chaUenges and oppoiiunities in Mexico, Russell IVIcCuiley harks back to the country's fascinating oU sector genesis with the aid ofa traveling photographic exhibit.

'Smart' laser vision sensors capable of reconciling today's higher pipe welding speeds with enhanced weld quaUty requirements should be on the market early next year, reports CRC-Evans' engineering vice president Shankar Rajagopalan.

With pipelines progressing into ever deeper waters over the years, Corns Tubes' technical manager Marlin Connelly pinpoints some ofthe enabling technological advances in pipeline manufactm-e and design.

By actually using its energy chaUenge, China can lead the world and tum a looming potential catash-ophe into an opportunity, believes Professor Michael J Economides.

OE contacts (6), Contracts (14), Offshore data

(68), Products in action (71/72), Firms (74), Faces (75), Diary (76), Display advertisers index (77), Bookshop (78-80), Classifieds (81).

(21)

COVER

•Engineers at Aberdeen's recen tly-enlarged Operation Support Center now provide directional drilling, measurement-wliile-drilling and logging-while-drilling support remotely to all Schlumberger operations in the North Sea (see page 53). PHOTO: COURTESY SCHLUMBERGER

http://interactive,offshore-engineer.com

Volume 34 Number 11

11-16 DIGEST

1 9 / 2 0 A N A L Y S I S

SPe ANNUAL TECHNICAL CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITION

4-7 Ociaber fti New Orieans, Louisiana, USA 4" Vfviw.spt.orq/slce

2 9 - 3 4 WEST AFRICA A W A S H

OE is now available in

digital format replicating

the printed version with

many added features and benefits

including:

> early issue delivery

> full search

> archiving

> PDF download

> website

> email links

hltpy/interactive.offshore-engineer.com 3 6 - 3 8 PHOENIX RISING

Gazprom warning; Dong doubles Nord Stream talce; Perla's prize; ATP defers Octabuoy costs; Vietnam drilling at the double; temporary solution for Siri cracks; Tornado ups West of Shetland tempo; OGX hits in Campos Basin; gas winner at AchitLes, PazQor pre-filtration; ROVs in demand. Speakers at a couple of SPE ATCE sessions in New Orleans last monfh suggested modes of collaboration while also cautioning companies to remember the old fields even whUe pursuing new ones. OEs Jennifer

Pallanicli listened in. The Bergen-based OCTTO Group last month launched the latest permanent reservoir moriitoring system for life of field seismic as part of its growing activity. Andrew IVlcBarnel

discusses the chaUenges ahead for this latest star in the Norwegian offshore firmament. Despite growing security concerns in some parts ofthe region, West Afiica's offshore hydrocarbon potential continues to attract investment on the grand scale. As weU as checking out recent developments and emerging tiends in the weU-estabUshed offshore plays of Angola and Nigeria, Jennifer Pallanich provides a country-by-coimtry guide to the latest E&P activities elsewhere in tiie region.

After delays that pushed the stai-tup date for the Phoenix deepwater project back more than a year, the first dynamicaUy positioned ship-shaped FPU to be deployed in the Gulf of Mexico is docked in higleside, Texas, and being readied for a 2010 saU-out. Russell McCulley gets an early look at progress on

Helix Producer 1.

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41-45 THE FLEET'S I 4 7 - 5 0 PRODUCTIOM PUSH 5 3 - 5 5 REMOTE OPS

5 G / 5 7

TRAVEL LOG 5 8 / 5 9 DISTANCE LEARNING 6 0 / 6 1 DON A N D DUSTED 6 4 ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ SAFETY FIRST

W'0-7 8 EBB & FLOW

REGULAR FEATURES

Fleet renewal Is the naine ofthe game among major offshore contractors as each fries to get a jump on the other in readiness for an anticipated explosion in subsea conshnction and pipelay work. Meg Chesshyre reviews progress at Technip, Subsea 7, Acergy and Bourbon.

As operators aim to recover more and more hydrocarbons from each reservoir, oUfield service companies are lining up the technologies to help them do so. Jennifer Pallanich looks at some ofthe latest production optimization offerings.

Continued progress in remote operations technology is making it possible to move more activities historically done offshore - including drilling optimisation, geomechanics monitoring, surveillance support and well placement - to onshore communication hubs. OS talks to

Schlumberger and client Nexen about recent achievements at the Aberdeen Operation Support Center.

With Aush-aUa's Gorgon project sending ripples of anticipation to all comers of the offshore world, Mentor MC's John Richards

opens OE's 'people and skills' feature with a look at one commonly overlooked factor standing between organisational harmony and havoc in such massive undertakings.

Also: OUennium's Kevin Keable discusses the trend toward Tilended learning'.

New technology to overcome the issues associated with the development of subsea long tiebacks is required to realize the ultimate 'subsea to beach' dream. ITF's

David Liddle kicks off this month's subsea technology two-parter by pinpointing the tieback challenges and opportunities ahead. A riser dehvery management service was employed to good effect by MCS on Petrofac's Don Southwest and West Don development in the North Sea. OE discusses the learnings fi'om this North Sea project with MCS's Andrew WyUe.

The next leap for offshore personnel transfer tumed out not to be a sfieamUned Frog, but rather a bullish new design. Jenniler Pallanich

hears how a speciaUst in marine crew transfer via crane came up with a different animal altogether.

For every 'green job' created per instaUed MW capacity, a real job is desfioyed elsewhere in the economy, argues Professor Michael J Economides. OE contacts (8), OUonLine.com (8), Contracts (16), Offshore data (62), Products in action (65-67), Firms & Faces (68-70), Diary (72), Display advertisers index (74), Bookshop (75-77).

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COVER

• JohnNamork, managing director of Norwegian naval architects Inocean, discusses the finer points of FPSO design with a colleague. The firm has been associated with 15 FPSO projects to date, including BW Pioneer, which will shortly become the first such vessel in US waters (see page 34).

http://interactive.offshore-engineer.com

Volume 34 Number 12

0£welcomes letters reflecting all shades of otfshore industry opinion but reserves the righl to edit and condense.

letters to

the editor

yaSWiïG S y B Ï L E T I E S

S i r , Andrew McBarnet's articles in OE are always a monthly landmark in my reading. The latest one ('Testing times for permanent reservoir seismic monitoring, 0 £ November 2009) does not contradict this evaluation.

Just two remarks: our company is Optoplan (and not üctoplan like Üctio!) and it is a Sercel one not a CGGVeritas one (it may be subtle to understand but semces and equipment are two separate companies owned by the same holding).

Denis IVIougenot, Chief Geophysicist, Sercel, BP 30439, Carquefou cedex 44474, France.

TWITTER PLEASE

S i r , Would you kindly look into possibility of posting Professor Economides' monthly 'Ebb and flow' colunms in OE on Twitter. Real-time postings wUl be a great help for fansUlceme.

Siddharth D Rananaware, Senior Engineer, Pegasus

International UK, Belmont Street, Aberdeen, Scotland.

OE Publisher Rob Garza responds: We're

glad to report that the Professor's colunm is now available on Twitter.

Please visit our Twitter page to foUow OE and the Professor -https://twitter.com/OILOnline Also, please take a moment and visit the NEW OilOnline, launched in November: http://www.oilonline.com

content

9-15 DIGEST 1 6 / 1 7 M O N T A R A INQUEST 1 9 - 2 2 A N A L Y S I S 2 4 - 2 6

r

G&G NOTEBOOK 2 8 / 2 9

B G P

PATIENCE PAYS

Pemex seeks deepwater partners; Angolan double play; subsea sector confidence shaken; US Gulf keeps on giving; Savonette on song; Tupi estimates confirmed; Hurricane hopes; Allseas takes the plunge; Malikai on the move; Akpo attention; GoM, Norway and Uruguay bid rounds.

Australia has been quick to establish a Commission of Inquiry into the oü leak and subsequent fire that devastated the Timor Sea's Montara weUhead platform and its attendant Wes^Aitos jackup i n November, as Rick Wilkinson reports. The recent buUding boom in jackups wUl peak i n 2010, with more than two dozen newbuilds, many without contracts, scheduled to enter a market stiU trying to dig out from under a global recession.

Russell McCulley reviews their prospects. Also, Jennifer Pallanich surveys recent • Middle East offshore moves.

Major players in the marine seismic market are playing it cool, but there must be some apprehension about the impact of recent moves by the Chinese contractor BGP. Andrew McBarnet reviews the plot so far.

Border disputes, pohtical upheaval and environmental concerns have helped keep offshore E&P in Central America mostly at bay. But, as Russell McCulley observes, activities offshore Nicaragua could signal a change in direction for some countries in the region.

s

] ,1

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A S R Y O F F S H O R E S E R V I C E S The one stop shop for

your rig repairs in the Arabi^h^Gulf

www.asry.net

31/32 CASE I N POIMT 3 4 - 3 6

F L O A T I N G F I R S T S

PIONEER

3 8 / 3 9

J A C K U P J O U R N E Y

4 0 - 4 2

S A F E L A N D I N G S

50-03-09 n 59Ln"C ; ; M B f t a r r f B c i V i m r i M M m l S P k l ^ f c l i . r u p i 1.1° D o w n 1 -0.4° stdb:; 0.8° Port i: i . r u p i 1.1° D o w n 1 -0.4° stdb:; 0.8° Port i: IU i . r u p i 1.1° D o w n 1 -0.4° stdb:; 0.8° Port i: i . r u p i 1.1° D o w n 1 -0.4° stdb:; 0.8° Port i: i . r u p i 1.1° D o w n 1 -0.4° stdb:; 0.8° Port i: i . r u p i 1.1° D o w n 1 -0.4° stdb:; 0.8° Port i: . • ^ •- • . ! 4 4 - 4 6

S O U T H P A R S

62

E B B & F L O W

R E G U L A R F E A T U R E S

Drilling with casing continues to draw interest for its ability to overcome troublesome formations. Jennifer Pallanicli looks at Weatherford's recent applications offshore Brazil and West Africa and checks progress on the development of a subsea system. Scheduled to arrive in ^ { US waters in January, the BW Pioneer wUl become the first FPSO to operate in the US Gulf of Mexico when it goes into service on Petrobras America's Cascade-Chinook

development, extending the FPSO operational water depth record to 8200ft in the process. IVleg Chesshyre gets an early look.

The Graha yard on Indonesia's Batam Island launched its first newbuild jackup driUing rigs earlier this year. Jennifer Pallanich talks to new owner Drydocks World about the reinvigorated yard's journey so far and its plans for the future. Fugro's Anthony Gaffney

discusses how a sophisticated helideck monitoring system on

BP'S Schiehallion FPSO

has measured up to the demands of its hostile West of Shetland location. South Pars in the Persian Gulf is one of the largest independent gas reservoirs in the world, so big i n fact that the Iranian part alone is being produced in 24 phases. The National Iranian Gas Company's Hedayat Omidvar charts the field's development progress.

Carbon capture and sequestration as a means of emissions management has been the

great hope of 'middle-of-the-road characters'. But it just won't fly, argues Professor Michael J Economides.

OE contacts (6), OUonLine.com (6),

Contracts (15), Offshore data (48), Products in action (50-52), Firms & Faces (54/55), Diary (56), Display advertisers index (58), Bookshop (59-61).