Abstract
Abstract A study was completed in early 2008 (IMVPA, 2008) for the US Minerals Management Service (MMS) with the objective to deliver an assessment of oil and gas technology that may be applied to cold regions of the United States Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). An overview of this study and its results are presented in this paper. This study assessed the current state of offshore technology in arctic and sub-arctic regions. The results of this assessment were used to provide insight and guidance into existing/future exploration and development technologies that might be applied on the US OCS, in particular those areas in the Beaufort, Chukchi and Bering Seas. The work covers exploration structures, bottom-founded and fixed production concepts, floating production concepts, terminals, pipelines and subsea facilities, and also touches on other technologies that might be relevant to Alaskan OCS exploration and development. Advances in harsh environment offshore exploration and production technology have made it economically and technically feasible for some projects to proceed in ice-covered waters, and additional projects may be possible in future. This study drew on a review of current state-of-practice and state-of-the-art used in, or proposed for, arctic and sub-arctic offshore development areas. Assessments of exploration and production options were primarily based on technical feasibility. As appropriate, other aspects were also considered including constructability, capital costs, environmental considerations, operations, maintenance and repair, abandonment and decommissioning. Introduction Offshore hydrocarbon exploration and production requires a bottom-founded platform, an artificial island, or a floating structure plus subsea equipment including pipeline/riser systems. Transportation of produced hydrocarbons to market is also an essential aspect of any development. An added complexity when hydrocarbon resources are located in arctic regions is the presence of first-year and/or multi-year ice during a significant part of the year. Global climate changes may also result in longer open water seasons in the future, which may lead to more significant storm events that must be considered in the design of full-field offshore development concepts for arctic regions. A number of " cold regions?? offshore developments have been carried out or are planned worldwide, including the east coast of Canada (Hibernia, Terra Nova, White Rose), Sakhalin Island (Russia), Kashagan (Caspian), Shtokman (Barents Sea) as well as in the Beaufort Sea (Northstar, PanArctic Drake). An understanding of these analogue projects, as well as those already operational or planned for the United States (e.g., Northstar and Oooguruk), can provide insight and guidance into potential exploration and development technologies that might be applied to cold regions of the United States Outer Continental Shelf (OCS).
Published Version
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