PIPELINE UPGRADE IN PROGRESS IN COLOMBIA REGION
BP Exploration Co. (Colombia) Ltd. has begun work on a $73.5 million upgrade of a pipeline across Colombia's Central Llanos region.
Oleoducto de Colombia (ODC) operates the 150,000 b/d Vasconia Covenas line, which ships oil from a number of fields to Colombia's northwest coast for export. The fields include Cusiana and Cupiagua, where BP as operator has development under way.
BP and ODC have agreed that BP and Cusiana/Cupiagua partners Triton Colombia Inc. and Total Exploratie en Produktie Mij. BV will foot the bill to upgrade the line to 210,000 b/d capacity.
The pipeline is owned by a nine company group led by ODC and including BP. Once upgrading is completed, BP, Triton, Total and state owned Empresa Colombiana de Petroleos (Ecopetrol) will own about a 70% interest.
The upgrade will allow for 150,000 b/d of production from Cusiana and Cupiagua and 60,000 b/d from nearby fields. The existing line is 483 km long, 24 in. in diameter and only 18 months old.
Work will include installation of a pump station midway along the pipeline at Caucasia in Antioquia province. Main pumps at Vasconia will be modified and two booster pumps installed. Two 350,000 bbl storage tanks will be installed at Covenas terminal.
BP said service to companies not involved in the Cusiana/Cupiagua development will not be affected by upgrading work. The upgrade is expected to be complete in first quarter 1995.
Ten diesel engine driven centrifugal pump packages are being provided by Caterpillar Large Engine Center, Lafayette, Ind., and Ingersoll Dresser Pump Co., Phillipsburg, N.J. Seven units are being installed, while the remaining three are to be delivered in June.
Caterpillar said BP is considering installing two more pump packages to boost line capacity to 300,000 b/d.
Beyond 1995, production from Cusiana and Cupiagua could be raised to 600,000 800,000 b/d of oil. This will require a new pipeline or upgrades to other lines at a total cost estimated at more than $1 billion (OGJ, May 10, 1993, p. 30).
PRODUCTION TEST
Meantime, long term testing of Cusiana field's 1 Buenos Aires well has produced about 10,000 b/d of oil since September 1991.
Last February BP began acidizing the well to counter formation damage in the Mirador reservoir.
Acidizing began when production was 11,300 b/d at 1,160 psi flowing wellhead pressure. The process was completed in 6 days, after which production was 12,000 b/d at 1,550 psi flowing wellhead pressure.
BP said preliminary results were encouraging, with the main benefit of stimulation seen in the increased wellhead pressure.