Chinguetti oil flow down 40% since start

May 17, 2006
Production from Woodside Energy Ltd.'s Chinguetti oil field off Mauritania has fallen 40% since the field came on stream in February (OGJ, Mar. 6, 2006, Newsletter).

Rick Wilkinson
OGJ Correspondent

MELBOURNE, May 17 -- Production from Woodside Energy Ltd.'s Chinguetti oil field off Mauritania has fallen 40% since the field came on stream in February (OGJ, Mar. 6, 2006, Newsletter).

Production in the first half of May was 45,000 b/d. It has been steadily dropping from the initial February flows of 75,000 b/d.

Problems appear to come from poor performances of two wells in the northern portion of the field as well as from gas and water management issues.

A gas compressor failed last week on the Berge Helene floating production, storage, and offloading vessel. This is likely to delay gas injection in nearby Banda field and resolution of the facility's gas handling issues as well as the availability of gas lift to support oil production.

Woodside does not expect to increase production until well intervention or new drilling takes place. This remedial action is unlikely until the third quarter.

The drop in production has not changed estimates of oil in-situ or the ultimate recoverable reserves figure of 123 million bbl of oil. However, additional investment may be required.