WATCHING THE WORLD PLATFORM PROSPECTS NOT SO GLOOMY

Prospects for major platform construction until the end of the decade are not as gloomy as they may look at present from Houston or Aberdeen. So says Jeremy Daniel, director of Infield Systems U.K. Ltd., London, and his colleague, data manager Roger Knight. They identified 334 platforms with topsides larger than 5,000 metric tons planned between now and 2000. Among the possible projects, 301 are steel, 17 concrete, and 15 steel and concrete, while 1 gravel island is planned for the Bohai Sea

Feb. 23, 1993

3 min read

Prospects for major platform construction until the end of the decade are not as gloomy as they may look at present from Houston or Aberdeen.

So says Jeremy Daniel, director of Infield Systems U.K. Ltd., London, and his colleague, data manager Roger Knight. They identified 334 platforms with topsides larger than 5,000 metric tons planned between now and 2000.

Among the possible projects, 301 are steel, 17 concrete, and 15 steel and concrete, while 1 gravel island is planned for the Bohai Sea off China.

Piled platforms dominate with 217 prospects. Sixty are moored platforms, 30 are gravity base structures, and 17 are tension leg platforms (TLPs). Ten others are guyed and compliant towers, jack ups, or islands.

"The major growth area in very large piled platforms in the next decade or so is the Caspian Sea," Daniel told a London conference. Major multiplatform projects are contemplated in water depths exceeding 300 ft in Azeri, Guneshli, and Chirag fields.

CONCRETE STRUCTURES

Interest in concrete structures is less widespread. Beyond the Norwegian North Sea and Barents Sea, the only area where they are being considered seriously in the short term is the Gippsland basin off Southeast Australia. Esso Australia is looking to develop further the Bream and Tuna areas there.

Viet Nam also is reported to be interested in concrete structures, Daniel said.

"White Tiger field has a series of aging steel platforms built under Soviet auspices, and some of these may need replacing with something more robust in an area noted for its typhoons," he said.

Newbuild TLPs are not expected to be as much in demand as the number of prospects would suggest.

Daniel said, "It probably will be cheaper to move a TLP from one site to another rather than build a new one. For instance, Conoco's Jolliet Green Canyon Block 184 TLP could see future service on the company's Block 228."

SUBSEA WELLS

Daniel called into doubt a growth in subsea completions.

"A technological advance in a different direction is evening the scales in favor of fixed platforms," he said. "This is horizontal and extended reach drilling."

Two U.K. fields were cited as evidence: Leven field produces from a well drilled from Clyde platform (OGJ, Sept. 7, 1992, p. 33), and Tristan field uses a well deviated from Welland platform (OGJ, Nov. 16, 1992, p. 39).

Daniel's forecast is strengthened by an extended reach drilling record set by Den norske stats oljeselskap SA. Statoil pushed the reach limit near 24,000 ft to drill a water injection well from Statjord platform in the Norwegian North Sea (OGJ, Feb. 15, p. 31). It was said to carry only one-fifth the price tag of a subsea tieback.