Shell starts production from Parque das Conchas Phase 3

Royal Dutch Shell PLC has started oil production from the third phase of the deepwater Parque das Conchas (BC-10) development in Brazil’s Campos basin.

Production for this final phase of the project is expected to add as much as 20,000 boe/d at peak production from fields that have already produced more than 100 million bbl since 2009.

Parque das Conchas Phase 3 comprises five producing wells in Massa and O-South fields and two water-injection wells. The subsea wells lie in more than 5,900 ft of water and connect to the 100,000-boe/d Espirito Santo floating production, storage, and offloading vessel 90 miles offshore Brazil.

“These barrels, like other subsea tieback opportunities across our deepwater portfolio, have development cost advantages and will contribute to the strong production growth we expect from offshore Brazil,” commented Wael Sawan, Shell executive vice-president, deepwater.

Parque das Conchas Phase 3 is operated by Shell with 50% interest. Partners are India’s Oil & Natural Gas Corp. Ltd. 27% and Qatar Petroleum International 23%.

The project’s first phase encompassed development of Abalone, Ostra, and Argonauta B-West fields and included nine producing wells and one gas injector well (OGJ Online, Oct. 15, 2010). It came on stream in July 2009, and by July 2013, the project had produced more than 70 million boe.

Phase 2, involving the tie-in of Argonauta O-North field, came on stream in October 2013 (OGJ Online, Oct. 2, 2013). It has estimated peak production of 35,000 boe/d.

Shell is also part of a consortium exploring and developing the giant presalt Libra field offshore Brazil, and recently completed the acquisition of BG Group, which includes several deepwater Brazil positions.