Andy Brown, Shell's Executive Vice President, today briefed an audience of industry leaders in Doha about the successes Shell has achieved with Qatar Petroleum in its operations offshore Qatar.
Qatar Petroleum and Shell have marked several industry firsts as they develop infrastructure offshore to produce natural gas from the North Field for the Pearl Gas to Liquids project, Mr Brown told the conference.
Qatar Petroleum and Shell smashed previous records for drilling wells in the North Field using an approach called Simultaneous Operations for the first time in Qatar. In Simultaneous Operations, or SIMOPS, one well is drilled whilst perforation, stimulation and clean up operations are simultaneously conducted on a previously drilled well.
Mr Brown told his audience how working on two wells simultaneously requires more space for workers and equipment. This meant a complete redesign of the operations, with the drilling rig jacked-up the equivalent of nine storeys higher than usual. This allowed two extra levels of temporary decks to be installed for the extra equipment required for SIMOPs.
The 22 wells for Pearl GTL were drilled in an average time of 45 days, compared to the industry average of 75 days. The fastest well was completed and ready to produce in just 28 days. Overall the SIMOPs approach saved the State of Qatar and Shell over $46 million in drilling costs, Mr Brown said.
The whole drilling campaign, which took six years from when planning began, was completed without a single Lost Time Injury.
Mr Brown also spoke about the innovations Pearl GTL is bringing to operating the project's two offshore platforms over the decades ahead.
Qatar Petroleum and Shell have designed simple platforms, with minimal processing conducted offshore. This enables the platforms to be unmanned in normal operations, controlled by operators sitting over 60 kilometres away in the high-tech Pearl GTL control room in Ras Laffan Industrial City.
Personnel will only visit the Pearl GTL platforms to conduct maintenance. When they do, the workers and their equipment will be transported to the platforms by a specially-designed ship, avoiding the cost and exposure of helicopters. Pearl GTL is the first project in Qatar to adopt this sea-bridge approach.
The Bourbon Gulf Star, which was built in China, has now arrived in Qatar. The ship is fitted with a dynamic positioning system allows the vessel to maintain precise position and come safely alongside platforms to offload cargo or safely transfer passengers via a bridge that moves up and down during bad weather.
Mr Brown said: "Through our partnership with Qatar Petroleum we have been able to bring some real innovations to our offshore work in Qatar for the Pearl GTL project, delivering better performance and better safety. We are now proud to have been chosen by Qatar for further offshore work, such as exploration on Block D, where we plan to be similarly innovative in our approach."
Pearl GTL is the world's largest GTL project and the largest energy project ever launched in Qatar. It will produce liquid fuels, lubricants and chemical feedstocks from natural gas, opening new markets for Qatar's natural resources. It will also produce significant quantities of natural gas liquids and ethane.
Major construction is expected to be complete by the end of 2010, production will start in 2011 reaching full production in 2012.
-Ends-
© Press Release 2010
