By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Sept. 2 -- Petroleum Oil & Gas Corp. of South Africa and Dallas-based Pioneer Natural Resources South Africa (Pty.) Ltd., operators of Sable field off South Africa, have begun production from the field, utilizing the Bluewater Group's Glas Dowr floating production, storage, and offloading vessel. The field is expected to produce 30,000-40,000 b/d of oil from 6 wells (OGJ, Feb. 24, 2003, p. 44).
Sable field, which has reserves of 25 million bbl of oil, is in the Bredasdorp basin about 150 km southwest of Mossel Bay.
Bluewater, Hoofddorp, The Netherlands, said it upgraded and modified Glas Dowr's production and processing facilities in a Cape Town-based construction yard prior to commissioning. Bluewater expects to operate the FPSO, shuttle tanker, and subsea equipment during Sable field's productive life. The service agreement is for 10 years, with a minimum term of 3 years.
Bluewater previously had contracted Technip-Coflexip Group of France to design, supply, and install subsea facilities for the field, including all production risers and umbilicals, in-field flowlines, and associated equipment. Technip France also completed the installation and hookup of the vessel.
