Abstract
This article, written by Assistant Technology Editor Karen Bybee, contains highlights of paper SPE 118379, "Field Development Expansion of a Giant Oil Field in Abu Dhabi Using Artificial Islands as Drilling and Production Centers," by A. Modavi, SPE, Zakum Development Company/ExxonMobil, and W.W. Martin, SPE, A.H. Muflehi, J.V. Walters, and G. Ismail, SPE, Zakum Development Company, originally prepared for the 2008 Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference, Abu Dhabi, UAE, 3–6 November. The paper has not been peer reviewed. The current development plan for the subject field is based on drilling from numerous wellhead platform towers (WHPTs). The current production-buildup target would require many more new WHPTs and hundreds of kilometers of new pipelines connecting the new and current towers to the field central processing complex and its satellites. The full-length paper examines an alternative field-development strategy based on a few drilling/production centers (i.e., artificial islands and/or large platforms), instead of numerous new WHPTs. Introduction The giant oil field discussed in the full-length paper was discovered in the early 1960s and is offshore Abu Dhabi. This field stretches over some 1200 km2, and is one of the largest oil fields in the world, with a current expected operating life exceeding 100 years. Over the past 30 years, field development has been based on pattern producer and water-injection wells drilled from WHPTs located throughout the field. To date, 80 WHPTs have been installed, each capable of supporting as many as 14 producer/injector wells served by production-gathering satellite platforms connected by subsea trunklines and pipelines. An in-field central complex receives all production for initial processing and transfer. The field, operated by Zakum Development Company on behalf of its shareholder companies, has a strategic target to increase the production rate from the subject field reservoirs by approximately 40% by 2015, and to maintain the new plateau rate for 25 years. Initially the development plan to achieve these targets was founded on a continuation of the past surface development approach (i.e., to install additional WHPTs). It was estimated that more than 20 WHPTs would be required to cover the new production-/injection-well requirements, together with several hundred kilometers of flowlines. Major facilities upgrades on existing satellites and on the central processing platform also would be necessary. Inherent in these development plans was the added requirement to increase the jackup-rig fleet to achieve the necessary production-buildup rate.
Published Version
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