E&P Highlights: Jan. 29, 2024

From a subsea infrastructure installation at the INPEX-operated Ichthys Field to a host of contracts, below is a compilation of the latest headlines in the E&P space. 

Activity headlines

Ichthys Subsea Infrastructure Installed

McDermott and Baker Hughes have installed the subsea infrastructure at the INPEX-operated Ichthys field offshore northern Australia, McDermott announced Jan. 25.

The McDermott and Baker Hughes consortium won the project in 2019 to handle engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI) of umbilicals, risers and flowlines. The project also includes a subsea production system comprised of a new 7-in. vertical Christmas tree network, which form a subsea well gathering system tied back to the existing Ichthys Explorer central processing facility. The consortium’s scope also included an in-fill umbilicals, risers and flowlines EPCI involving the development of new subsea wells tied into existing gathering systems.

Contracts and company news

Yinson Taps TMC for Agogo FPSO Equipment

TMC Compressors will supply a large-capacity marine compressed air system to Yinson Production for the Agogo FPSO.

TMC announced Jan. 29 that the scope includes compressors for control and service air on board the Agogo FPSO. Equipment will be manufactured and assembled in Europe before being delivered to the conversion yard.

Azule Energy operates the West Hub Field in Block 15/06 offshore Angola, where the Agogo FPSO will be moored. Azule is a 50/50 joint venture between BP and Eni. 

Longitude Wins Burullus Engineering Work

Longitude Engineering will handle detailed design and engineering services for the subsea development of Phase-X in the Burullus Field in the West Delta Deep Marine (WDDM) concession offshore Egypt.

The firm announced Jan. 24 it will cover various phases of the project starting with the vessel assurance for cable laying operations, the detailed design of cable routing & crossing, jumpers design and the development of the project’s related safety studies to support the cable and jumper installation. Longitude will also provide the verification and development of fabrication and assurance drawings and reports in connection with mud mats and a new jumper design.

Longitude, part of ABL Group ASA, will deliver the services as subcontractor to the awarded EPIC contractor and vessel owner Petroleum Marine Services.

Burullus Gas Co. is expanding the WDDM facilities in the northwestern part of the Nile Delta in the Mediterranean Sea. The current expansion is Phase-X, which includes bringing three subsea wells online to supplement the existing 70 wells currently in production, in water depths ranging from 450 m to 660 m.

Imrandd Snags CNRI Optimization Work

Imrandd will deliver a late-life inspection optimization program for pressure systems on CNR International U.K.’s North Sea producing platforms, Imrandd announced Jan. 23.

Industrial data scientists and engineers from Imrandd will use existing data from the Ninian Southern, Ninian Central and Tiffany platforms to identify where inspection requirements could be removed or modified. Evaluating the risk, probability of failure and integrity status of current safety-critical equipment, they will deliver management plans to reduce operational costs without compromising on integrity.

Imrandd’s EXTRACT software, which digitizes legacy asset information, will be used in the initial phases of the project. A large language model feature will be deployed in the third stage to enhance the insights available from Ninian Central and Tiffany.

CNRI plans to decommission the two Ninian platforms while Tiffany will remain on production.

Pan American Extends Archer Drilling Services Contracts

Pan American awarded Archer’s Argentina subsidiary $125 million in additional drilling services, Archer announced Jan. 24.

One contract, valued at $100 million, is a two-and-a-half-year extension through the fourth quarter of 2027 for three rigs working in Pan American’s Cerro Dragon Field.

The other contract, valued at $25 million over two years, is for one additional drilling rig in Vaca Muerta. The rig will mobilize in the first quarter of 2024.

GATE Wins Shenandoah Commissioning Work

GATE Energy said Jan. 29 it won the commissioning execution contract for the U.S.’ portion of Beacon Offshore Energy’s Shenandoah project in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico (GoM).

GATE's scope includes final pre-commissioning and commissioning planning and execution following sail away from South Korea.

First oil to the production semi from the field in the Walker Ridge area of the GoM is expected in late 2024.

CGG Reimaging Trinidad-Tobago Blocks

CGG announced Jan. 24 it will reimage vintage 3D seismic data for four blocks offshore Trinidad. 

CGG expects to deliver early products in late February under the deal struck with the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries of Trinidad and Tobago.

Covered by the agreement are more than 5,500 sq km of 3D seismic data in the complex eastern Columbus Basin of deepwater blocks 25a, 25b, 26 and 27.