Topsides contract let for Mariner heavy oil field development

Topsides detailed engineering design for Statoil’s Mariner heavy oil field development in the North Sea will be performed by CB&I, Houston, under a $250 million contract let by Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co. Ltd.

Mariner field lies on the East Shetland Platform 150 km east of the Shetland Islands. Statoil is targeting a 2017 production startup date, pending final UK government approval of the field’s development plan.

Mariner has two shallow reservoirs: the Maureen formation and the Heimdal sandstones of the Lista formation. Both formations yield heavy oil of 12-14° gravity. The field holds nearly 2 billion bbl of oil in place and expected reserves of more than 250 million bbl.

Statoil has served as operator of Mariner field since 2007. The field is expected to produce for 30 years at an average rate of 55,000 b/d during a 2017-20 plateau period. Statoil says it plans to invest more than $7 billion in developing the field (OGJ Online, Dec. 21, 2012).