Elf Exploration U.K. plc has chosen a jack up production, utilities, and quarters (PUQ) platform for its Elgin/Franklin development in the U.K. North Sea, in a bid to minimize costs and eliminate offshore commissioning.
Elf let a £400 million ($640 million) contract to a group of McDermott Marine Construction Ltd., London; Technip Geoproduction, Paris; and the Barmac joint venture of Brown & Root Ltd., London, and McDermott.
McDermott and Technip are jointly promoting Technip's TPG 500 jack up concept and used it as the basis of a front-end engineering design for Elgin/Franklin last year (OGJ, Aug. 19, 1996, p. 49).
Design cost savings
The design cut costs significantly compared with conventional platforms through standardization of hull design, including utilities and quarters.
It also reduces the needs for costly offshore installation and hookup work: the platform is towed to the field complete, with utilities commissioned onshore.
Jack up legs eliminate the need for heavy lift crane barges and enable the platform to be reused. Final commissioning of process plant and hookup of import/export lines takes place offshore.
Construction work will take place at Barmac's Nigg yard, near Inverness, Scotland. The two fields are due on stream in 2000.
Development plans
Elf expects to secure U.K. Department of Trade and Industry approval for its development plan this summer.
The PUQ platform will be installed in Block 22/30c Franklin field, where water depth is 92 m, bridge-linked to a wellhead platform.
An unmanned platform will be installed in Block 29/5b Franklin field. Elf has not yet called for tenders for the two smaller platforms.
Elgin and Franklin have combined estimated reserves of 1.25 tcf of gas and 200 million bbl of condensate. The reservoirs are at a depth of 5,400 m.
Elgin and Franklin are among a number of high pressure/high temperature fields due for development in U.K.'s Central North Sea area (OGJ, Mar. 10, 1997, p. 36). Reservoir pressure and temperature are 1,100 bar and 190? C., respectively.
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