By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, June 21 -- Statoil ASA resumed production from Lufeng oil field off China in the South China Sea.
The field, idle for 11 months and originally scheduled to be shut in permanently in February 2004, resumed flow June 9. During the idle period, Statoil, operator, drilled sidetracks in three of the five production wells.
Due to pressure build-up in the reservoir, the field is producing more than 50,000 bo/d through the Munin floating production, storage, and offloading vessel. Output is expected to stabilize at 10,000-20,000 b/d and last until 2008.
Statoil expects to boost Lufeng's recovery factor to almost 40% from 32%. The field has yielded more than 37 million bbl since it came on stream in December 1997, 12 million bbl more than originally expected.
Statoil has a 75% interest in the field; China National Offshore Oil Corp. holds 25%.