By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, July 16 -- Statoil restored production of about 46,000 b/d of oil when it brought the Gullfaks C platform back onstream after shutting down operations in May when a well became unstable during drilling.
All production from the platform was shut in on May 19 when the C-06 well encountered a pressure change and loss of drilling fluid. One pressure barrier was lost. Statoil said integrity of the other barrier was uncertain.
The company restarted production after plugging the unstable well with three cement plugs and one mechanical plug. It said it discovered a hole in the well’s casing at a depth of 1,400 m.
An investigation is in progress.
Production has resumed from Gullfaks South and Gimle fields. The Norwegian Petroleum Director estimates 2010 production of 41,000 b/d of oil, 3 billion standard cu m of gas, and 350,000 tonnes of NGL, from Gullfaks South and 5,000 b/d of oil from Gimle.
Gullfaks C also handles production from Tordis field, which has not restarted due to planned maintenance. NPD estimates Tordis oil production this year at 20,000 b/d of oil, 20 million standard cu m of gas, and 10,000 tonnes of NGL.
159458497 Aleksei Zakirov | Dreamstime.
Photo from Esso SAF.
