Jadestone resumes production at Montara offshore Australia

Jadestone Energy plc resumed production at Montara in the Timor Sea offshore northern Australia on Sept. 1, 2023.

The news comes after an investigation and assurance review into 4S-5C tank defects on the Montara Venture floating production, storage, and offtake vessel (FPSO) following a triggered gas alarm within tank 4S on July 29 (OGJ Online, July 31, 2023).

Initial production averaged about 1,000 b/d from one well while the FPSO’s oil production and gas compression systems were recommissioned, the company said in a release Sept. 7.

With additional wells being brought back online in recent days, production increased to about 8,000 b/d, which includes some flush production. Average Montara production is expected to return to pre-shutdown levels of about 6,000 b/d over the coming days.

Ballast water tank 4P has been returned to service following completion of final inspections and repairs.

Preparations for the repair of the previously reported defect between oil cargo tank 5C and ballast water tank 4S are under way and additional inspections in tank 4S are ongoing.

Jadestone will utilize a smaller, lower cost shuttle tanker to provide additional storage during the time when FPSO storage capacity is constrained, it said.

The Montara project lies in production licenses AC/L7 and AC/L8, about 630 km offshore Western Australia in a water depth of 77 m. Montara fields are situated in the Vulcan Sub-basin.

Montara operations involve the production of oil using platform production wells for Montara field and subsea wells for the Swift, Skua, and Swallow fields.  Oil from the subsea wells is piped via subsea flowlines to an unmanned wellhead platform and then to the Montara Venture FPSO.