Chevron Corp.’s 50% affiliate, Tengizchevroil LLP (TCO), started operations at the Wellhead Pressure Management Project (WPMP) at Tengiz oil field in Kazakhstan.
WPMP is part of TCO’s Future Growth and Wellhead Pressure Management Project (FGP-WPMP) aimed at expanding operations at the field (OGJ Online, July 5, 2016).
WPMP maintains the existing processing plants’ full capacity of about 28 million tonnes/year (tpy) by lowering the flowing pressure at the wellheads and then boosting the pressure to the existing plants. TCO converted its first metering station at Tengiz to low pressure and activating the associated pressure boost facility (PBF).
Start-up of additional PBF compressors and the conversion of the remaining metering stations in the oil gathering system at Tengiz, from high pressure to low pressure, is scheduled for completion through the remainder of the year.
The final phase of the expansion project, FGP, is on track to conclude in first-half 2025. This will enable TCO to expand Tengiz crude oil production by an incremental 12 million tpy (260,000 b/d).
The Tengiz project license area includes Tengiz field and Korolev field and several exploratory prospects. Total recoverable crude oil in Tengiz is estimated to be 25 billion bbl with 1.6 billion bbl in Korolev field. The Tengiz reservoir is 20 km (12 miles) wide by 21 km (13 miles) long, with the top of the reservoir at about 13,000 ft below the surface. The oil column measures 1 mile thick.
Chevron owns 50% of TCO, which operates Tengiz field. TCO joint venture partners are ExxonMobil Kazakhstan 25%, KazMunayGas 20%, and Lukoil 5%.
