Shell to add gas-lift flowline to Princess field

May 29, 2009
Shell Offshore Inc. awarded Technip a contract for installing a gas-lift flowline to the Gulf of Mexico Princess oil field's subsea completed wells in Mississippi Canyon Blocks 765 and 766.

Guntis Moritis
OGJ Production Editor

HOUSTON, May 29 -- Shell Offshore Inc. awarded Technip a contract for installing a gas-lift flowline to the Gulf of Mexico Princess oil field's subsea completed wells in Mississippi Canyon Blocks 765 and 766.

The three producing subsea wells in Princess tie back to the Ursa tension-leg platform on Mississippi Canyon Block 809. Water depths are about 3,650 ft at Princess and 3,800 ft at Ursa.

Shell began water injection for pressure maintenance of the Ursa and Princess reservoirs in July 2008. The main reservoirs of the two fields are in pressure communication.

Production from the subsea wells started in December 2003.

The contract with Technip includes project management and engineering; weld, nondestructive examination, and fatigue qualifications; fabrication of a 4.5-in. flowline and a steel catenary riser (SCR); installation of the flowline, SCR, and pipeline end termination (PLET); and pre and post lay surveys.

Technip's Houston operating center will execute the contract with the flowline and SCR welding taking place at the Group's spoolbase in Mobile, Ala.

Technip's Deep Blue deepwater pipelay vessel will do the offshore installation.

Shell with a 45.39% interest operates the field. Partners include BP Exploration & Production Inc. 22.69%; ExxonMobil Corp., 15.96%: and ConocoPhillips Co., 15.96%.

Contact Guntis Moritis at [email protected].