Statoil’s largest ever steel jacket has been laid to rest on the sea bed 150km east of the Shetland Isles, marking a major milestone in the Mariner heavy oil field development.
The 22,400-tonne mariner jacket, which stands some 134m high, with an 88m x 62m footprint, had sailed some 1835nm on the S44 barge to the North Sea from the Spanish Dragados yard, in Cadiz, on 10 August.
The S44 barge then launched the jacket, ballasted to a certain angle to enable the 22,400-tonne structure to slide horizontally into the sea. The structure was then upended and maneuvered into the right position using the heavy-lift vessel Saipem 7000.
The jacket will ultimately be secured by 24 piles to ensure that it is safely fixed for many decades to come.
The large platform substructure was completed on time and within budget in May 2015, after a construction phase of more than one and half years. Topsides installation is planned to take place in 2016.
Mariner field
The US$7 billion Mariner heavy oil field is on the East Shetland Platform of the UK North Sea, in Block 9/11.
The field consists of two shallow reservoir sections: the deeper, Maureen formation at 1492m with an API of 14.2, and the shallower Heimdal reservoir at 1227m with an API of 12.1.
Mariner’s concept includes a production, drilling and quarters (PDQ) platform based on a steel jacket, with a floating storage unit (FSU). Drilling will be carried out from the PDQ drilling rig, with a jackup rig assisting in the initial years.
The development of the Mariner field is expected contribute more than 250 MMbbl reserves with average plateau production of around 55,000 b/d.
According to Statoil, the field will provide a long-term cash-flow over a 30-year field life.
Production is expected to commence in 2017.
Statoil is the operator of Mariner with 65.11% interest. Partners include JX Nippon E&P (28.89%) and Dyas UK Ltd. (6%).
In June, Statoil awarded more than $1.57 billion worth of contracts to companies established in Aberdeen, for the operational phase of the project.
Watch the launch video:
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Photos from Statoil.
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