Project Profile
Estimated value: US$92 million
Location: Pearl River Mouth basin, Hong Kong, China
Estimated reserves: 30 mmbbls
Production: 1.6 mmbbls of oil (1989)
Depth: 333 metre
Exploration start-up:- 1986
Production start-up: 1989
Lufeng 22-1 is a small oil field located remote from existing infrastructure in the Pearl River Mouth basin in 333m of water approximately 265 km Southeast of Hong Kong in the south China Sea. The field, owned by Statoil and CNOOC, was discovered in 1986 and two further appraisal wells were drilled in 1989. Extensive testing was performed on the appraisal wells with rates of up to 24,000 bpd achieved and approximately 1.6 mmbbls of oil produced. The tests confirmed the high porosity of the sandstone reservoir and indicated the need for horizontal well technology to delay water influx and maximise oil recovery. The field is being developed with five horizontal wells with horizontal section lengths between 480 and 1800 metres. The oil reserves to be recovered are estimated to be ca. 30 mmbbls representing a recovery factor of approximately 25% of the original oil in place.
The system chosen to develop the field is an FPSO based on the multipurpose shuttle tanker MST Munin. Production on-board the FPSO has been designed to process the wide range of oil and water rates expected from the Lufeng 22-1 field, under severe metocean conditions. The designs for the Lufeng 22-1 facilities are based on a capacity of a 60,000b/d instantaneous oil rate (for the start of field life) and a maximum throughput capacity of 125,000b/d (as watercut increases). The production facility includes a first-stage production separator, a second-stage separator, an electrostatic coalescer and crude transfer pumps.
The field is developed with five subsea horizontal production wells drilled through a five-slot template on the seabed. One of these has the longest horizontal section ever drilled off China - it is 2,060m long. The wells produce into an integral manifold, installed on the template. The FPSO is moored with a conventional catenary mooring system, consisting of six symmetrically spread mooring lines, all connected together at the upper end to a disconnectable STP buoy.
The Lufeng 22-1 oilfield project is the first Chinese Offshore oilfield to be abandoned, shutting down officially on 16 June 2009. Earlier, in April 2009, CNOOC and StatoilHydro entered into an agreement to decommission Lufeng 22-1 oilfield project. Under the agreement, CNOOC is responsible for decommissioning the oilfield after it is shut down. After receiving its last cargo the FPSO Munin would leave the oilfield completing its tank cleaning operations. The Phase I of decommissioning activities is in progress.
Operators:
StatoilHydro: 75% interest
CNOOC: 25% interest
Contractors:
FMC Technologies: Engineering, procurement, construction and installation contract for the FPSO
Subcontractors: