Premier Oil Vietnam Offshore BV has started production from Chim Sao oil field on Block 12W about 350 km offshore southern Vietnam (OGJ Online, Apr. 18, 2011).
Chim Sao is one of several fields for which state-owned Petrovietnam, a partner, expects production to begin in this year’s second half (OGJ Online, July 12, 2011.)
Premier said Chim Sao, which lies in 115 m of water, will produce at plateau rates of 25,000 b/d of oil and 25 MMcfd of natural gas.
The field produces through an unstaffed wellhead platform into the Lewek EMAS floating production, storage, and offloading vessel under charter from EOC Ltd., a 46.5%-owned affiliate of Ezra Holdings Ltd. of Singapore. Ezra, EOC, KSI Production Pte. Ltd., and Petrovietnam Transportation Corp. formed PV Keez Pte. Ltd. to supply the Lewek EMAS and related services under the contract with Premier. The contract has a 6-year primary term and can be extended in 1-year increments for up to 6 years.
The FPSO was converted at Keppel Shipyard in Singapore from a 168,000-dwt Suezmax oil tanker. It has storage capacity of 660,000 bbl of oil and can handle production as high as 50,000 b/d.
Chim Sao produces from the Middle Dua formation. Premier made the discovery with the Blackbird 2E-CS-1X well on a tilted fault block 21 km southwest of its Dua oil field.
Chim Sao interests are Premier 53.125%, Santos 31.875%, and Petrovietnam 15%.