By Guntis Moritis
Production Editor
HOUSTON, Mar. 24 -- To standardize well completions in its deepwater Pluto, Saturn, Venus, and Mars (PSVM) oil fields' development on Block 31 off Angola, BP Exploration (Angola) Ltd. has awarded Expro International Group PLC a multiyear contract to deliver its proprietary completion landing-string technology.
The design will aid BP's completion installation, enabling it to employ the well barrier philosophy implemented on the Greater Plutonia project on Block 18, which BP also operates (OGJ, Aug. 4, 2008, Newsletter).
The Expro technology allows the control of the isolation valve, eliminating the requirement to set and retrieve wireline plugs; Expro's Express electro-hydraulic control system will control the valves. Deployment of dual-bore completions with a monobore landing string allows flow-testing of the wells to the drilling rig prior to installation of subsea production trees.
Completion operations are scheduled to commence in early spring 2010.
The PSVM fields development is in the northeastern section of Block 31 in 2,000 m of water, about 400 km northwest of Luanda.
BP started construction work on the development in 2008. The company plans to begin production in 2011 and reach a plateau rate of about 150,000 b/d in 2012.
PSVM is the first of four developments planned for Block 31.
BP in July 2008 described the PSVM project as consisting of a converted-hull floating, production, storage, and offloading vessel with 1,600,000 bbl of storage capacity; 48 production, gas, and water injection wells plus infill wells; 15 manifolds and associated subsea equipment; 170 km of flowlines; and 95 km of control umbilicals.
Operator BP holds a 26.67% interest in Block 31. Other interest owners in the block are Esso Exploration & Production Angola (Block 31) Ltd. 25%; Sonangol EP 20%; Statoil Angola AS 13.33%; Marathon International Petroleum Angola Block 31 Ltd. 10%; and TEPA (Block 31) Ltd. 5%. Sonangol holds the concession.
