By the OGJ Online Staff
LONDON, Nov. 28 -- Simpson oil field, part of the Harriet Group of offshore oil and gas fields in Australia's Carnarvon basin, has started up at a level almost twice as high as original estimates.
Harriet partners are Apache Energy Ltd., the operator with 68.5%, Kufpec Australia Pty. Ltd. with 19.2771%, and Tap Oil Ltd. with 12.2229%.
The Simpson-3H horizontal well was producing 14,000 b/d vs. the predicted 8,000 b/d.
The other two production wells, Simpson-1 and Tanami-4, are expected to be brought into production this week at 5,000 b/d, the partnership said in a statement issued to the Australian Stock Exchange. Production from the three wells will be limited by processing capacity constraints on Varanus Island of 17,000 b/d until later this year.
Early next year, Simpson will boost Harriet fields output to 25,000 b/d. When the South Plato and Gibson oil fields, discovered earlier this year 4 km southwest of Simpson, come on flow in May 2002, output will rise another 10,000 b/d.
Simpson field is produced via two remotely controlled mini platforms with a pipeline bundle back to the Varanus Island production infrastructure.
The development has pipeline capacity of 50,000 b/d, designed to accommodate rising production from Gibson and South Plato oil fields and future discoveries. The $30-million (Aus.) Simpson development was marginally over budget because of design changes to the production platform.