Tullow Oil's TEN floating production project offshore Ghana is on schedule for first oil within the next three to six weeks, the firm announced this morning.
Tullow says the project, which is also within budget, is over 96% complete, with hook-up and commissioning of the FPSO, connecting the pre-drilled wells to the vessel via the extensive subsea infrastructure, nearing completion.
Image: The TEN fields.
During July, water injection into the Enyenra reservoir is expected to be followed by oil production, with the same process then being repeated on the Ntomme reservoir.
Ramp up should see the FPSO capacity of 80,000 b/d reached around the end of 2016. Tullow estimates TEN average annualized production in 2016 will be around 23,000 b/d. Further drilling is not expected to restart on the TEN field until after the resolution of a border dispute between Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana through the ITLOS tribunal. A decision is expected late 2017.
Associated gas produced at TEN will be re-injected into the Ntomme reservoir gas cap until gas export begins. Gas export was planned to start 12 months after field start-up, with the Tweneboa gas reservoir coming on stream a further 12 months later. However, options to accelerate gas export are currently being evaluated as the fabrication of the gas export facilities is expected to be complete in late 2016, some six months early.
Aidan Heavey, CEO at Tullow, said: "This transformational project has remained on schedule and on budget since it began in 2013."
Jubilee
Meanwhile, the firm said production at its Jubilee Kwame Nkrumah FPSO, also offshore Ghana, has stabilized at about 90,000 b/d and a preferred long-term solution to its turret issues found - i.e. spread mooring the unit with offtake through a new deepwater offloading buoy. In the interim, a DP shuttle tanker is being used.
The first phase of this work will involve the installation of a stern anchoring system to replace the three heading control tugs currently in the field. This is anticipated to be completed by the end of 2016. Tullow then plans a second phase of work to rotate the FPSO to its optimal spread moor heading in the 1H 2017. The work program covering these phases, is expected to cost $100-150 million gross and will see the Jubilee FPSO shut-down for eight-12 weeks during 1H 2017.
A deepwater offloading buoy is anticipated to be installed in 1H 2018, which will remove the need for the dynamically positioned shuttle and storage tankers and the associated operating costs.
Tullow's production has dropped due to the issues at Jubilee, which first came to light in February and This resulted in an extended shut down period in April while new offtake procedures were implemented.
South America
Tullow Oil is also assessing South American opportunities. The firm has acreage offshore Guyana, which was strengthened with the award of the Orinduik license, immediately up-dip of the significant Liza-1 oil discovery made by Exxon in 2015.
A 3D seismic survey is planned on both the Kanuku and Orinduik licences. In September 2016, Tullow also plans to start a drop core geochemical survey in Suriname, where it has three licenses, to sample the seabed in Blocks 47 and 54 to test shallow hydrocarbon indicators.
Tullow says results of the 3D survey completed in 1H of the year over Block 54 indicate a number of highly attractive leads and prospects, in particular the Araku prospect.
In Uruguay, a 2500sq km 3D seismic acquisition campaign is due to start late 2016.
Norway
Tullow is drilling in the ongoing Rome prospect well in PL776 using the Borgland Dolphin semisubmersible drilling rig. A result from this well is expected in July. Tullow is also a partner on the Cara (PL636) and Rovarkula (PL626) wells, which are both due to spud in July with results likely in August.
Read more:
Tullow to drill Roma with Borgland Dolphin
Tullow to resume at Jubilee, after production falls
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