Nina M. Rach
Drilling Editor
ST. JOHN'S, NEWF., June 3 -- ExxonMobil Canada Ltd. faces significant challenges in the frontier Orphan basin off Newfoundland, Alex Dodds, president of ExxonMobil Canada, said Thursday at the Newfoundland Ocean Industries Association's 20th annual international petroleum conference in St. John's, Newf.
Working in 1,200 m of water, which is 17 times deeper than the nearby developments on Grand Banks and considerably farther from shore, the ExxonMobil unit is examining the logistics of supply chain and iceberg management, and plans to begin a seismic survey, Dodds explained.
In December, ExxonMobil acquired a 25% interest in the licenses for 8 parcels in the Orphan basin with venture partners Imperial Oil Resources Ltd. (25%) and Chevron Canada Resources Ltd. (50%) (OGJ Online, Dec. 18, 2003).
ExxonMobil has a 22% stake in the Hibernia project, 315 km east-southeast of St. John's, in 80 m of water. The project is operated through Hibernia Management Development Corp. HMDC drilled 7 wells in 2003, totaling 50,000 m. This included the world record OPA-1 well drilled on Hibernia A Block, with 9,400 m total reach, 7,200 m horizontal reach, and 4,000 m TVD.
Nova Scotia project
Off Nova Scotia, ExxonMobil is involved in the Sable Offshore Energy Project (SOEP) with production from multiple stacked pays in the Sable delta complex. The company is currently drilling at Cree field, between the Alma and Thibaud fields, using the Rowan Gorilla V heavy duty hostile environment jack up rig. The Cree I-34 well was spudded May 15 in 57 m of water. Dodds said the company expects to reach TD of 3,962 m in August.
The jacket for the South Venture field (also part of SOEP) was set using a heavy lift operation on May 22, and the topsides will be installed later this year. Dodds said that drilling at South Venture will start later this month from the Galaxy 1 jack up. The company plans to have compression facilities in place by 2006.
ExxonMobil is the largest nongovernment producer of oil and gas in Canada, pumping 1.6 billion bbl in 2003.
Contact Nina M. Rach at [email protected].