By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Mar. 18 -- Shell Oil Co. has completed installation of the drilling and production platform atop a 555-ft cylindrical spar at its Perdido development in 8,000 ft of water 200 miles from Houston in an isolated section of the Gulf of Mexico.
It is the deepest such facility in the world, company officials claimed (OGJ Online, Dec. 3, 2008).
Russ Ford, Shell's technology vice-president for the Americas, said, "Perdido is a technological tour de force that is opening up a new frontier for global oil and gas production." He said, "Producing oil safely and responsibly this far out and this deep should allay concerns about industry access to the 85% of the US Outer Continental Shelf that remains undeveloped."
Shell operates the Perdido project; its partners are BP PLC and Chevron Corp. Shell acquired the lease in 1996 and had to pioneer several technologies and operational innovations before commercial development in 2006.
Over the next several months, 270 workers living on the platform and on an adjacent "flotel" will complete the commissioning and hookup to begin producing oil and gas. The platform is capable of producing 130,000 boe/d. Oil will be transported through 77 miles of pipelines, while gas will move through 107 miles of pipelines over the rugged sea floor to connect to existing offshore pipeline infrastructure.
The Perdido subsea well was drilled to 9,356 ft below the water's surface and completed. The project intends to drill an even deeper well at 9,627 ft.
Nine polyester mooring lines more than 2 miles in length now hold the 50,000-ton floating structure in place. The facility includes a common processing hub to gather, process, and export production within a 30-mile radius. It is designed to provide regional synergies, reduce costs, and lower risk as well as minimizing the environmental impact in this frontier area. Officials said 10 innovative systems were designed to make Perdido a leader in health and safety.
In connection with its work on Perdido, Technip claimed two water-depth records. The Paris company installed a reeled flowline in 9,731 ft of water and a reeled steel catenary riser in 8,100 ft.
Under separate contracts, Technip supplied Perdido umbilicals and the hull and mooring system for the spar.
