Member Info for SantiagoBouffant

Questions are not intended to spook anyone. What is good to remember is all these issues are about efficency. The great thing about offshore installations is they have redundancy in almost every component of every system so chances of a full plant shutdown for extended period is very slim. There are some single point failures but one would hope there are critical spares for all of these(plus the fact aoka Mizu is reasonably modern should mean parts are quite readily available and not obsolete) or contingency planning in place as unfortunately there is always something breaking offshore.

Bottom hole assembly

The RNS has left me with lots of questions. The flow line unavailability can only be for a few reasons. Hydraulic supply to subsea valves, issue with the swivel stack, blockage in line or none availability of chemical inhibition (wax inhibitor/methanol/scale inhibitor). Would have been good to get a little more info. Not much can go wrong with a flow line topside that can't be easily fixed so guessing it was a subsea issue?

Fuel gas compressor commissioning - does this imply we've been running the GTs on diesel and flaring all that lovely gas? If so then that is madness. Should have had the compressor up and running ASAP - cost wise and environmentally we shouldn't be flaring gas we could be using.

Produced water system commissioning - can't understand what they are doing with produced water at the moment. Produced water rates are very low so may be difficult to use plant hydrocyclones for such a small throughput. Perhaps they are having to get temporary skid hooked-up to clean fluids. If the produced water is coming through in slugs will also be difficult to control. Hurricane give lots of detail about reservoir issues but topside and production issues are very vague.

The correlation between percentage open compared to flow may not mean much. These are very rarely linear. In many cases there may to zero flow until opened to 5-10% and then almost 100% flow at 60-70% depending on differential pressure across the choke. Google "quick opening valve" as this graph is closest match to my experience of choke behaviour but may not be the case with Aoka Mizu. Also, there will be a subsea choke but also possibly a topside choke as well so two stages of let down.

Yes indeed it's bonkers. In Aoka Mizu case they're flaring all the gas anyway (albeit perhaps using some to run GTs if they're not still on diesel).

Performance Standard testing for shutdown/blowdown is standard and on every plant start-up that I've been on has happened in the first few hours after opening the first choke and at least once per year after that. Usually done initially to check ROs on Blowdown lines have been sized correctly and installation depressurises to an acceptable level in the time specified e.g. <5 Barg in 5 minutes. Despite all the calculations and simulations there is nearly always tweaking needs done and usually at least a few ROs that need to be changed at the next turnaround/shutdown (unless spectacularly wrong and would then need changed ASAP). Also, verification bodies would never sign off performance Standard testing based on calcs rather than witnessing.

ADUK - Ideally they would ramp up one well whilst shutting in the other. However, I suspect at some stage very early on the will have to do shutdown/blowdown testing with IVB such as DNV or Lloyd's witnessing so the might be an ideal time to switch Wells.

If nothing else this Facebook post seems like an exercise in thunder stealing and generating self gratifying likes. The message should either come from the main man at the top (RT) or be a collective acknowledgement of all involved in the achievement not some middle management chump. Highly embarrassing and highly unprofessional that the news has been released over Facebook like some giddy 13 year old girl who's obtained some Little Mix tickets.

I'd be suspicious of any oilfield development, especially the Lancaster development which is a greenfield/brownfield hotchpotch (old FPSO in New field), that is completed under budget, ahead of schedule etc. Every plan I see is usually highly optimistic as there is huge pressure placed on planners - usually some fresh faced graduate, to shorten durations. Coming in ahead of a realistic plan would be even scarier as it would imply that everything went better than planned (never happens so someone is lying) or that corners have been cut, work botched, frigs in place or deffered until future opportune shutdown which means it becomes a far bigger job in future as there will be hydrocarbons on board then.

I'd be getting the GTs on fuel gas ASAP. Diesel is expensive and costs a lot to transport up to field as well as ties up lots of manpower and resources to bunker. Increases maintenance on the turbines as well and means they have to be cleaned more.. Also, flaring allowance may be restricted.

It is likely we will see flaring as soon as the first well is opened up. They will likely start the process running turbines on diesel and flare all gas and when the oil train is stable they will start the gas compressors and switch the turbines from diesel to gas power. The flare is a safety system as much as anything else so will be on line so that the facilities can be blown down in the event of an emergency.

Should read "export/ fourth stage compressor"not "export/fourth stage separator"

Papa Joe - I don't know the exact configuration of the Aoka Mizu but the Fuel Gas will be supplied from associated gas from the reservoir. There are three stages of separation all at decreasing pressures. The first stage separator will supply a third stage compressor, second stage separator will supply a second stage compressor and the third stage separator will supply a first stage compressor. The first and second stage compressor will feed into the third stage compressor which will feed an export/fourth stage separator. Normally this would supply fuel gas/export gas/gas lift but as we know there is no export pipeline so excess gas will be flared. There is no "gas tank" as such. There will just be an aftercooler downstream of the export compressor to aid liquid knock out and a fuel gas drum to capture these liquids. If the process trips for whatever reason the fuel gas drum will contain enough gas to allow the Gas Turbine to switch over to diesel so only a few minutes worth at best.

An oil rig and an fpso are completely different animals. Think of an oil rig as a big black and decker drill with dozens of systems and pumps supporting the big drill as well as highly sophisticated monitoring devices and software. An fpso will have oil reception facilities, huge separators, compressors, gas treatment, chemical regeneration, dozens of pumps, chemical treatment systems and associated system monitoring and control systems - basically about £1 Billion worth of equipment an "oil rig" does not have and vice versa. This is before even mentioning that the crews that run these facilities have completely different skills and knowledge and neither set would have the first idea how to run the other facility.

Gotta agree ADUK. " Oil rigs rather than FPSO's work through all these types of weathers. Surely one of those would have been much better?" - one of the best comments I've seen.

Sold Biffadog? Not likely. Filled my boots. Didn't think I'd see sub 50p again.

All platforms get produced water coming from the wells. Three phase separation of the well fluids divides into produced water, oil and gas and with the help of demulsifier/deoiler chemicals and hydrocyclone packages the produced water is "cleaned" to <30mg/l oil (in the North Sea) and then on older platforms usually discharged overboard or on newer installations reinjected into the reservoir to aid recovery. Some Wells are >95% produced water on older wells

Siccar point - mariner and rosebank. Can't think how they'll make any money <$100/bbl.

Chrysoar - bought a load of ex BG rust buckets off shell

I'm not the brightest but wouldn't have touched any of these assets with a barge pole. Let's just say I think shell have been very commercially astute in the past having got rid of dunlin to Fairfield, cormorants, tern et al to taqa and the latest batch to Chrysoar. They even managed(unbelievably) to punt anasuria.

Let's just say I'd have plowed my money into HUR assets any day of the week if I had a huge wedge of money to invest. They'd have been better just taking a chunk of RDSB and not having the hassle of running rust buckets/decommissioning.

Zero chance of synergy?Just wait until the Gas Turbine is needing a long lead item to repair and Aoka Mizu is sitting dead in the water - I can guarantee that Spirit might have the part sitting in stock or know someone that does and a chopper or Platform supply vessel that will get it out there asap. Can and does happen and especially when it's a partner with blood in the game.

Analysts have no idea about the technical side. The deal with Spirit is notable because it is the first time that geologists, geophysicists, drillers, O&G economists and accountants have got involved and decided this is a goer. Kerogen and CA may have some advisors with O&G backgrounds but now it's real oil expertise buying into the concept. Although there is great technical knowledge on this board each individual investor will only have an individual area of expertise. Spirit have kindly done all our research for us and will have examined every area. That is worth any perceived discount for me. I said before I'd rather it was one of the big boys but rather spirit than the likes of siccar point, chrysoar or another investment fund who don't have the technical boffins. Also, leading into first oil there will be synergies to be achieved such as shared vessels, logistics, choppers, warehouse storage, spares etc which will save us an absolute fortune not to mention being able to tap into a whole heap of technical expertise.