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REGIONAL FOCUS: UNOCAL’S WEST SENO FIELD BEGINS ‘A STRING OF JEWELS’
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ABS classes facilities for deepwater
development in Southeast Asia
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BS is supporting the West Seno field
development, |
located in the
deep waters off East Kalimantan at Borneo, with comprehensive
classification services. Unocal successfully installed a tension
leg platform (TLP) in the West Seno field during the first quarter
of 2003 and recently commenced drilling on the first well of
a 28-well drilling program. Phase one development of this deepwater
field marks a period of exciting transition for Unocal, says
Brian W. G. Marcotte, President of Unocal Makassar.
"The West Seno field development is the
first in ‘a string of jewels,’" said Marcotte. Nine deepwater
fields in the Kutei Basin area present development opportunities
over the next decade, he added. |
In providing classification services, ABS determined
the structural and mechanical fitness of the Unocal facility, which
marks the first TLP for Southeast Asia installation. ABS also has
classed a floating production unit (FPU) for the project.
Both facilities are located in approximately 3,200 feet of water. The development will include a second TLP and a close-coupled drilling tender barge (DTB). TLP-A is located 300 to 500 feet away from the FPU, and TLP-B will be located two-to- three miles away. Produced fluid will be routed to the FPU from TLP-A via multiphase flexible flowlines and from TLP-B via steel catenary risers and rigid intrafield pipelines.
The FPU supports full separation and fluid treatment systems, utilities, pumps, compression systems, a control power distribution unit, drain systems and a ballast system. The FPU will export stabilized oil and pipeline quality gas streams approximately 38 miles via newly installed separate pipelines to the Santan terminal in East Kalimantran.
The process facilities for oil and water are designed as a single train for peak rates of 60,000 barrels per day of oil and 40,000 barrels per day of water. The gas facilities consist of three export compression trains designed for 150 million standard cubic feet per day of produced gas and 20 million standard cubic feet per day of gas lift.
Phase one of the West Seno development includes the FPU and TLP-A facilities. Phase two, including the DTB and TLP-B facilities, is expected to begin mid-2004. Marcotte anticipates future development of eight more offshore fields in the area, including: Bangka Channel, 2005; Ranggas, 2006; Merah Besar, 2007; Gehem, 2008; Gendalo, 2010; Gandang, 2013; and Gada and Gula, 2013+.
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