Unocal Corp. expects gas production from its Norphlet gas project in the Gulf of Mexico Mobile Block 916 to start in the first quarter of 1995.
Enercon Engineering Inc., Houston, provided the engineering and procurement for the production facility.
The production complex includes three bridge-connected platforms: production, quarters, and wellhead.
THREE LEVELS
The deck for the six-pile production platform will weigh about 3,200 tons at installation.
Production equipment is on three levels with a total deck area of about 35,000 sq ft. Gas will come from the well platform and up to seven remote Norphlet platforms.
The facilities design accommodates production and treating of about 150 MMscfd of sour gas and 30 MMscfd of sweet gas. The sour gas from the Norphlet reservoir, at over 20,000 ft, contains 60 ppm H2S, and 4.5% CO2
Flowing temperature approaches 300 F. and shut-in tubing pressure is about 12,000 psig.
Plans call for the gas to be treated to a pipeline quality of 4 ppm H2S and less than 3% CO2 in a 600 gpm methyldiethanolamine (MDEA) sweetening unit.
Because of the hot, high-pressure sour gas, corrosion-resistant alloys are extensively used.
Copyright 1995 Oil & Gas Journal. All Rights Reserved.